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The WMed Ally Training Program champions Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (JEDIB) at the medical school and in the Kalamazoo community. This position requires active participation in meetings, events, and activities focusing on JEDIB. 

What is JEDIB?

• Justice
  A state of equal opportunity and privilege for all that results from the authentic and genuine practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Justice is identifiable not only by the absence of inequitable treatment, but also by the delivery of dedicated resources, activities, opportunities, and systems that are deliberately employed to achieve and uphold equity.
• Equity
  Giving people what they need to overcome systemic, structural, institutional, and societal barriers to success in an endeavor or activity for which they are otherwise fully capable. An individual’s need may encompass a wide range of circumstances – including entry to a system, resources, opportunity, time, or any other commodity – and addressing that need is warranted regardless of what anyone else may or may not be getting under the same conditions.
• Diversity
  The presence of people whose identifying characteristics reflect the range of human differences. Chief among these for WMed at this time are race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status, as well as other traits as may be identified by organizational stakeholders as our work progresses.
• Inclusion
  Ensuring an environment in which diverse individuals feel confident in their sense of belonging, safety, engagement, and respect as they participate in and contribute to the organization and its activities. Inclusion requires equity – along with the related structures, policies, practices, opportunities, and distribution of power to achieve it.
• Belonging
  The feeling a person has when they sense authentic inclusion among others. Belonging means that one perceives unreserved acceptance, value, respect, equality, and empowerment as a member of an organization; it is the unequivocal confidence that “you” are embraced as a part of “we".

Ally Program Mission

Ally Champions will collaborate with other champions to identify opportunities for engagement and promote JEDIB-oriented work within their department or work unit.

• LEARN MORE

The mission of the Ally Champions program is to equip Allies with diverse knowledge, empower individuals to become active advocates and change agents for supporting JEDIB in their respective areas that will enhance culture of belonging for the institution and the community.

Ally Program Goals

• Empowerment Through Education
  Provide comprehensive knowledge and skills in JEDIB to Allies, enhancing their ability to foster justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging within their spheres of influence. 
• Expert Insights
  Host general presentations by experts in JEDIB fields to broaden understanding and inspire actionable change. 
• Tailored Departmental Engagement
  Offer specific presentations tailored to the needs and contexts of individual offices and departments to address unique challenges and opportunities.
• Skill Development in Facilitation
  Develop Allies’ skills in facilitating meaningful conversations and dialogues that promote inclusion and understanding.
• Collaborative Learning
  Organize resources and group discussion meetings to foster collaboration and shared learning among Allies.
• Supportive Programming
  Implement and schedule support programs that reinforce Allies' roles and contributions to the institution’s JEDIB goals.
• Data Transparency and Accountability
  Utilize a transparent data scorecard to track progress and demonstrate the impact of JEDIB initiatives across the institution.

Upcoming Trainings

Additional Resources

For more information on events, resources, trainings, recordings, and forms, please visit .