![The Akron Zoo has landed a grant that it will use to advance its DEAI initiatives. [Google Maps]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/05d6026/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1036x486+0+0/resize/840x394!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2021%2F09%2F1033505552_2130566377.png)
The Akron Zoo has received a grant to advance diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion.
The zoo received a $68,000 matching grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to further its DEAI initiatives.
President and CEO Doug Piekarz says this funding will go toward finding the best practices for DEAI and researching how the zoo can implement them.
“We’ll be reviewing all policies and infrastructure at the zoo to make changes.," he said. "We’re also looking at accountability measures to the community and looking at our marketing and all of our staff education, so it’s a wide, all-encompassing effort.”
Piekarz says the money will also be used to build on the DEAI practices already in place.
“One of the things that we want to know is not just what have we done, but truly today where are the best practices in engaging diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion at organizations like ours, so that would be a part of the study that’s funded by this grant,” Piekarz said.
He says these efforts to make everyone feel welcome at the zoo are vital to its mission of inspiring lifelong learning and conservation action.
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