DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We welcome travelers from all backgrounds and work to create a community where they are celebrated for who they are. Creating an equitable world free of barriers rooted in race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or class has been a value of The Road Less Traveled since the founding of the company. It is important for people to be exposed to various types of groups, perspectives, and experiences that are different from their own. 

We believe that our travelers have the right to be seen and understood for the individuals they are without compromise. 

Our leaders help facilitate an inclusive community with intentional team building, reflective activities and individual check ins throughout the trip.

There is really nothing like hauling our body, head and heart to another part of the planet to experience our amazing world. Community service and adventure are used as vectors on our trips to provide youth the opportunity to develop into young leaders, to challenge their world views, and to be a part of the larger conversations on social justice and societal change. When traveling to new places, we might see differences in access to resources, human rights, and opportunities that are taken for granted at home. Because of this, we recognize our travelers will likely have big questions about the world and maybe even some uncomfortable feelings. Our leaders are trained to facilitate those conversations by addressing questions in thoughtful ways and to help youth navigate those feelings. 

We understand that implicit biases are present in all of us and that mistakes will be made. We are dedicated to creating a culture on trips where we hold each other accountable throughout every aspect of our company - from participants, to leaders to directors. 

Learning as an Organization

Directors are constantly learning more about Diversity and Inclusion, sharing books and perspectives among one another and partnering with organizations that challenge our world view such as webinars by LEAD, the American Camping Association and others. We aim to model lifelong learning for our leaders and participants and have been working to reframe equity and inclusion not just as a facet of our organization but integral into everything that we do.

We know we still have much to learn and work on within our organization and industry as a whole. We understand that making lasting, impactful change is a marathon, not a sprint, and we plan to meet this challenge head-on.

Some reading we have found around this includes:

This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewel and Illustrated by Aurélia Durand

Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World by Anu Taranath