Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Our mission is to provide extraordinary experiences for individuals to recognize and magnify the unique gifts within themselves and others to profoundly impact the world. We are committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion, promoting equity, and actively fostering diversity within our camp family. Camp Southern Ground is an open and affirming community dedicated to honoring and supporting all employees, volunteers, donors, partners, and guests that are part of our Summer/Family Camp and all Veteran Programs. In the words of our founder, Zac Brown, “Love is the Remedy.” These words are foundational to Camp Southern Ground’s organizational and program culture.
At Camp Southern Ground, we celebrate diversity and welcome people of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, family and marital statuses, gender identities and expressions, languages, national origins, physical and mental abilities, ideologies, races, colors, religions, sexual orientations, socio-economic statuses, and veteran statuses, as well as any other unique characteristics that make each person who comes to camp special. We recognize that we are stronger because of, not in spite of, our differences.
Camp Southern Ground’s diversity initiatives are applicable—but not limited—to our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; inclusive social and recreational programs; layoffs; terminations; and the ongoing development of a work/program environment built on the premise of gender and diversity equity that encourages and enforces the following:
- Respectful communication and cooperation between all employees, volunteers, partners, and guests.
- Teamwork and participation, encouraging the representation of all individual and group perspectives.
- A healthy balance in work schedules to accommodate employees’ varying needs.
- Employer and employee contributions to the communities we serve to promote a greater understanding and respect for diversity.
- Workplace accommodations that support employee wellbeing and neurodiversity.
All employees, volunteers, partners, and guests of Camp Southern Ground are expected to treat others with dignity and respect, and exhibit conduct that reflects diversity, equity, and inclusion at work functions on or off campus, and at all other company-sponsored and participative events. All seasonal and year-round employees are required to attend and complete annual diversity awareness training to enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities in this important area. Any employee, volunteer, partner, or guest found to have exhibited any inappropriate conduct or behavior against others may be subject to disciplinary action. Anyone who believes they have been subjected to any kind of discrimination that conflicts with the company’s stated diversity policy and initiatives should seek assistance from a supervisor, camp leader, or a trusted representative of the Camp Southern Ground Staff.