Missouri Environmental Education Association Values Statement
- We know environmental education is essential to a sustainable future, and we focus our work in that realm.
- We know our work intersects with historical inequities based on racial and cultural identities, socio-economics, and environmental justice, and we commit to taking action to increase justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within the field of environmental education.
- We honor and celebrate our inherent diversity in all that we are and all that we do. We recognize the strength, resilience, and innovation that accompanies diversity and benefits us all.
- We welcome, without exclusion, Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer folx, those with disabilities, low-income, rural communities, faith communities and others who have historically been marginalized by our field.
- We place high value on our youth as partners and agents of change.
- We believe that the human communities most affected by environmental injustice require and deserve our prioritization as we work to build healthy ecosystems.
- We understand that leveraging networks can affect meaningful change by strengthening and creating connections that yield better communication, new ideas, and resilience.
- We actively work to think “big picture” to find the most effective methods for impact.
- We believe in transparency and self reflection on our efforts. Owning our mistakes is important and sharing our missteps expands our opportunity for growth.
- We believe in the dignity of all people and commit to meeting everyone with compassion, fairness, and honesty, including our staff, volunteers, partners, and the varied audiencesjp we serve.
- We believe in life-long learning. We will strive to remain open-minded, humble, and reflective as we learn.
- We believe in the power of collaboration and co-creation to amplify our work.
MEEA’s Definition of ‘Marginalized Identity’
A marginalized identity is one that causes or has historically caused a person or people to be disproportionately subjected to negative treatment (discrimination, harassment, etc.) and/or exclusion (social, political, economic). The scale of the negative treatment and/or exclusion doesn’t really matter as it is all harmful in some way.
There are any number of human identities that can qualify as marginalized under this definition: racial/cultural/ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, nation of origin, ability status, neurodiversity, religious or non-religious belief system, age, socioeconomic status, etc. Plus the intersection of multiple identities within an individual person may compound the degree of harm. (Ex. Women are underpaid compared to men, but women of color are further underpaid compared to white women.)