DEI IN ACTION AT PiA

PiA’s organizational commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion is an important component of all areas of our work, from applicant recruitment to Board-level decision-making. Below, we invite you to learn more about the steps we are taking to cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and program. 

 

EDUCATION

How are the PiA staff, Board of Trustees, and Fellows engaging in ongoing education on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion?

PiA is committed to pursuing cultural competency by creating substantive learning opportunities for members at all levels of the organization.

  • In 2021, the PiA staff and Board of Trustees completed a two-part DEI and Antiracism training series through Diversity Abroad, an organization dedicated to ensuring young people from marginalized backgrounds have equitable access to international education opportunities. 

  • In 2021, the PiA staff completed a Cultural Accessibility training led by Art Reach, a Philadelphia-based organization dedicated to expanding accessible opportunities in the arts, particularly for people with disabilities and low-income communities. 

  • As part of their pre-departure orientation, PiA Fellows from the Classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023 completed a comprehensive training program developed and led by Dr. Mya Fisher of Global Equity Forward, a strategic consulting practice dedicated to creating a more equitable and inclusive global community. Dr. Fisher’s Orientation sessions covered issues of identity, cross-cultural communication, and allyship. The trainings were informed by and strengthened through the robust participation of PiA Alumni.

 

POLICIES

What policies and procedures has PiA developed to promote DEI and combat inequities within the program and organization?

PiA is committed to acknowledging and dismantling inequities within our policies and systems. 

  • In 2020, PiA adopted a Code of Conduct for Fellows, Staff, and Trustees, which holds representatives of PiA accountable for their behavior to ensure that trust, respect, and goodwill are upheld. 

  • In 2021, PiA finalized the Process for Reporting and Investigating Alleged Incidents of Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination involving PiA Fellows, which was developed in collaboration with Nonprofit HR, a human resources and talent acquisition consulting firm that works exclusively with mission-driven organizations in the social impact sector. This process is shared with PiA Fellows as part of pre-departure orientation, and Fellows are required to sign to indicate compliance with the process.

 

FELLOW RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

How is PiA fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Fellow recruitment and selection process?

PiA is committed to creating and supporting programs and policies that foster diverse and inclusive leadership and to expanding participation of underrepresented constituents. 

  • PiA has increased targeted recruiting efforts at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in order to further diversify our applicant pool. 

  • In 2021, PiA eliminated the application fee in order to reduce financial barriers to participation in a PiA fellowship. In addition, all applicant interviews, TEFL training, and Orientation are held virtually in order to eliminate travel costs for applicants and Fellows.

  • Since the 2021-22 fellowship application cycle, all PiA staff and alumni volunteers participating in application reading or applicant interviews are required to complete an online implicit bias training through the Kirwan Institute. 

  • For the 2022-24 fellowship cycles, Princeton University’s Program in East Asian Studies has partnered with PiA to fully fund two PiA fellowships for alumni of HBCUs and MSIs, or for Princeton alumni from historically minoritized groups.  

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

How is PiA advocating for and supporting board-level thinking about diversity, equity, and inclusion at the organization? 

To continually integrate and evaluate how we center diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work, the Board of Trustees established a standing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. The committee oversees adoption and implementation of PiA policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), equal employment opportunity (EEO), harassment and discrimination, and anti-racism.

Share Feedback with PiA

We are constantly learning and are deeply grateful for the time and energy our community has spent engaging with us. Your feedback is valuable to us as we continue this ongoing work. 

We invite you to share any feedback you may have for PiA by filling out this form. Form submissions may be signed or kept anonymous, at your choosing. Either way, all responses will be kept confidential among the PiA staff and Board of Trustees and will be used to guide our DEI work.