Internal DEAI Efforts at the Science Museum of Virginia

In addition to following all state guidelines regarding equal opportunity hiring and creating a welcoming workplace, the Museum has invested significant resources into turning the lens of inclusion inward to ensure the organization reflects and respects perspectives and contributions of a diverse audience.

Expanding Workforce Diversity

While the Museum had to reduced its staff as a result of severe budget cuts required to account for revenue loss from expended closure due to the pandemic, the Museum is rebuilding its workforce as operations are returning to normal. As the Museum is rebuilding its workforce, it is taking this opportunity to seek to expand the diversity of its workforce as we know the value diversity brings to our organization and to the work that we do. Sixteen positions have recently been filled at the Museum, and 41 percent of those positions have been filled with people of color.

Further, the Museum is investigating ways the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation can raise grant funds to support paid internships that would allow a more diverse pool of interns to gain experience at the Museum, with the goal of setting up career tracks at the organization.

Cultural Competence Learning Institute (CCLI)

CCLI focuses on three 21st-century skills that are particularly relevant to helping institutions advance their cultural competency: creativity and innovation; communication and collaboration; and global awareness. CCLI introduces a framework for thinking about these skills within the context of cultural competence and diversity, and offers accompanying tools and resources.

  • The Museum applied to become a part of CCLI in November 2019 and was accepted in December 2019. The Museum continues to participate in this program (which was extended due to the pandemic) and has been highlighted for innovative approaches to continuing this work amidst the pandemic.

Museum DEAI (diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion) Policy

The Museum created and put into effect on July 1, 2020, a formal DEAI policy to provide guidelines for the development and maintenance of a DEAI culture within the Museum community. The policy outlines the Museum’s committee to DEAI, the creation of the Center for IDEAs (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility), and both supervisory and employee responsibility around DEAI.

  • All new Museum employees are required to read, acknowledge and abide by this policy (among others) during new employee orientation. Once a year, existing employees are asked to re-read this (and other) policies to reaffirm their intentions to abide by the policy.

Center for IDEAs (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility)

To ensure that the Museum keeps DEAI at the forefront of both internal and external activities, it created an internal working group to help drive this focus. The Center for IDEAs melds the work of the Museum's Science Within Reach initiative, which builds partnerships with community organizations to ensure access to science for all, into an active exploration and application of a DEAI lens to all aspects of the Museum, including staff interaction, policy development, hiring and recruitment, exhibits and education, social media, and outreach activities.

The Center meets regularly to discuss ways to further integrate DEAI into the Museum; shares information and events with staff; and works to arrange discussions/trainings for staff such as ones completed in 2020 around implicit bias and a 2021 training conducted by the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities on understanding unconscious bias. The Center has also created a staff webpage to highlight information, provide resources, and offer a mechanism for anonymous feedback regarding DEAI efforts.

The Center for IDEAs 2021 goals are:

  • The Center for IDEAs will continue to host monthly discussions with Museum staff on DEAI content such as microaggressions, etc.
  • The Center for IDEAs will host quarterly all-staff trainings throughout 2021 on a variety of topics.
  • The Center for IDEAs will work to create an Inclusive Language Guide which will serve as a living resource for Museum staff. This guide will ensure that as an organization we are using language that acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equal opportunities.
  • The Center for IDEAs will seek feedback on developing an equity tool that will guide the Museum as it seeks to develop equitable, intersectional content, exhibits and more.
  • The Center for IDEAs will launch its Intranet page where Museum staff will be able to access information on upcoming events and other resources. The page will also serve as a safe place for staff to give feedback anonymously.
  • Science Within Reach:
    • Refresh and update all collateral
    • Open caption at least two more Dome Shows
    • Audio describe at least three more Dome shows
    • Host at least two Minds of All Kinds
    • Host at least one senior program (Science Wise)
  • The Center for IDEAs will work over the next year to ensure that DEAI is incorporated within the Museum’s 2030 Strategic Plan.