The Board of Directors, teachers, and staff of ILI have put immense thought into what it means to enact values and principles as an organization. Through vigorous conversations over the past few months, we have taken great care to express what we stand for and to hold ourselves accountable. We share the following statement of principles to communicate that our organization intends to continue thoughtful engagement with the world we live in.
ILI is more than a language learning center. We are students, teachers, and community supporters who passionately believe that by working together, we advance our mission to encourage multicultural understanding and create strong diverse communities through academic excellence.
We celebrate the rich cultural traditions of our students and will continuously strengthen our unified commitment to honor and respect them and all of our neighbors–regardless of race, religion, gender identification, physical and mental abilities, economic standing, educational levels, and documentation status.
We stand against deeply rooted racism and injustice, economic and educational inequality, and anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies. We stand against any assaults on democratic institutions that we believe are the foundation of our communities and our nation.
As an organization, we strive to make our decisions based on these principles, including active participation in naming what we know is wrong. We believe that all of our actions should stem from grace and loving kindness.
ILI’s Board of Directors includes:
Markus Jones, President
Michael Cohen, Treasurer
Rudy Pawul, Clerk
Dan Berger
Patricia Hill
Deanne Kloepfer
Amelia Mosley
Bob Pura
Aimee Furaha Salmon
Dr. Leslie Saulsberry
Brittany Weiss
Reynolds Whalen
Caroline Gear, Executive Director, ex-oficio member