The Buddy Program’s Roadmap Towards Equity
At the Buddy Program, we value, celebrate and consciously cultivate diversity as we strive to achieve equity through the power of mentoring. This is important in our work because we recognize and acknowledge the impact of systemic exclusion and the influence of power and privilege on the lives of the youth and families we support, as well as our volunteer Big Buddies.​
​Building trust with our youth and families is a cornerstone of our work and programming.
​We know that providing communication in the native language for many of our participants and their families is critical to building trust and forming deep connections to provide impactful programming.
To this end, the Buddy Program has:
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Seven fully bilingual Spanish-speaking staff, six of whom are bicultural
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An additional five staff who are comfortable with conversational Spanish
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Created time and space for an Affinity Group of Latine employees to meet monthly
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An Inclusion Team that meets quarterly to discuss topics around DEI, it is open to any staff member to attend
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All materials to enroll and engage with the organization provided in both Spanish and English
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A designated budget for translation
​Our mentoring programs have been built on equity to remove barriers to participation.
We continue to look at ways we can enhance and build on these efforts:
Participation in all programs at the Buddy Program is free of charge, eliminating financial barriers to participation
The Buddy Program offers over 40 free activities for Buddy Pairs throughout the year as well as maintains a discount list for Buddy Pairs to access local businesses and centers at a deeply discounted rate
All outdoor education programming is free of charge and the Buddy Program provides food and gear for all participants and activities as well as transportation
Transportation to and from monthly activities for LEAD participants is provided
Big Buddies must attend mandatory training before being matched. Training content includes the difference between cultural humility and cultural competency, microaggressions, implicit bias, saviorism, and privilege
Buddy Program staff and Big Buddies meet the Little Buddy for the initial pairing at the Little Buddy’s home
The organization provides Empowerment Scholarships twice a year for extracurricular programming and or activities for youth
The organization provides funding for counseling for youth and family members
To disrupt harmful narratives and stereotypes, our staff and board have committed to a journey of learning and understanding in the areas of race, gender, and sexuality.
This has included:
Courageous Conversations Curriculum:
Our staff, led by Lindsay Hentschel from the Roaring Fork School District, provided training that helps us navigate and understand difficult topics around race and ethnicity.
Anti-Racist Working Group:
Staff members joined Mentor Colorado's group to engage actively in anti-racist practices within mentoring.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Services:
Through the Colorado Sexual Health Initiative, we learned how to better support and affirm the LGBTQ+ community.
Equity Audit and Glossary Development:
With consultant Cheryl Clark's guidance, we conducted an equity audit, explored courageous conversations, and created an internal glossary to ensure clear communication.
Effective Practices for Mentoring LGBTQ+ Youth:
We implemented strategies to better support LGBTQ+ youth, ensuring our mentoring practices are inclusive and effective.
JEDI Working Group:
Our staff, Big Buddies, and Board Members came together to form a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) working group, fostering ongoing dialogue and action.
Equity Action Project:
Partnering with Manaus and Full Circle Strategies of Houston, TX, we engaged two cohorts of staff and Board members in the Equity Action Project to better understand systemic change.
Understanding White Supremacy Culture:
With the help of consultant Ericka Porter, we explored how white supremacy culture manifests in our organization and ways to address it.
Board of Directors DEI Training:
DEI training with Bryan Alvarez, formerly the Equity Action Project Director with Manaus and currently with Bryan Alvarez Consulting
Thank you to
for their support of this work.