Our Mission

Our Mission

“Chewonki inspires transformative growth, teaches appreciation and stewardship of the natural world, and challenges people to build thriving, sustainable communities throughout their lives.”

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Chewonki

To meet the promise of our mission, Chewonki strives to be a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. Our legacy of thoughtful self-reflection and purposeful change guides our efforts to create a place where all participants and staff can flourish. We are committed to:

• Promoting the principles of social and environmental justice¹;
• Cultivating a leadership culture that fosters the best practices of this work;
• Building our financial strength to ensure the durability of this work;
• Attracting and enrolling students and campers who reflect our nation’s diversity;
• Attracting and retaining staff who reflect our nation’s diversity;
• Providing relevant, rigorous professional development;
• Designing a campus that is responsive to many needs;
• Evaluating our progress on an ongoing basis; and
• Collaborating whenever possible with peer institutions to share knowledge and resources.

For more information about our diversity, equity & inclusion statement, including a background and overview of how this statement was created, please read this supporting document. 

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^{1. Chewonki’s definition of environmental justice is informed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of the term, which is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.”}