Mission | LES Ecology Center

Lower East Side Ecology Center Mission and Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Our Past & Present

Since 1987, the mission of the LES Ecology Center has been to pioneer community-based models in urban sustainability by offering unique e-waste and composting services, environmental stewardship opportunities, and educational programming to all New Yorkers. In order to further our commitment to create an equitable, resilient and sustainable city, we have embarked on a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Journey.

DEIA at the Ecology Center

We bring an environmental justice lens to all the work that we do. We recognize that by enhancing our efforts in DEIA we can better fulfill our mission. DEIA means removing barriers to accessing our programs and creating opportunities for people to thrive.

Our Commitment to Representation

Our approach involves building a diverse team that mirrors the communities we serve, and enhancing our capacity to implement DEIA principles. We acknowledge that this journey is ongoing.

Our Commitment to Each Other

In our pursuit of a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable city we pledge to support one another, ensuring everyone can be their authentic selves. Diversity is our strength, and we collaborate in a safe space that nurtures individual growth and effective teamwork.

Our Commitment in Our Approach

We are deeply committed to a culture of collaboration, openness, and flexibility. We are committed to listening to community feedback, and reflecting on opportunities for improvement.

We uplift the voices of the most vulnerable and proactively collaborate with community partners to create lasting change.

What We’re Doing Now

We are building internal capacity to put our DEIA learnings into practice. We value each individual’s experience, by actively listening and adapting to meet community needs. Together, we strive to strengthen our teamwork and communication, fostering an inclusive and resilient future.

Our most recent accomplishments have been:

Continuation of a Safe Space Committee to lead the organization on our DEIA journey
Working with Community Resource Exchange to engage the full staff in the creation of a DEIA vision to guide our work
Leading all-staff dialogues that address a variety of DEIA related topics
Offering all staff trainings on DEIA related topics
- Partnered with the Center for Anti-Violence on trainings such as Upstander 101 and Empowerment Self-Defense.
Reviewed and improved our hiring process to bring greater access and equity through removing bias from our candidate review process, removing unnecessary requirements, and expanding our job outreach.
Created systems that support individual growth, including professional development opportunities and a holistic performance review process that brings DEIA values to the workplace.
Allocated organizational resources such as budgeted funds and staff time to support DEIA growth