The Office of Inclusive Programs and the Society Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) are committed to supporting diversity, fostering equitable participation, and helping to ensure that all members—regardless of background, identity, or experience—feel valued and empowered. This work is compliant with nondiscrimination laws, ADA laws, the SCA mission statement, and our governing documents, especially our policies on harassment, bullying, and hate speech.
Document Library: DEI Documents, Kingdom Officer Reporting Form, Resources and Links
Report an Incident: If you believe you have been discriminated against, sexually harassed, bullied, or subjected to hate speech, there is help, and the first step is to tell us about it. Contact your Kingdom Seneschal or the President of the SCA.
Officer of Inclusive Programs
Emily Renee Carroll (THL Dominica Maquerelle), [email protected]
The Officer of Inclusive Programs serves as a strategic leader within the SCA’s Corporate Office, tasked with shaping and guiding diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives across the organization.
Roles & Responsibilities:
- Advises the Board of Directors and other corporate officers on inclusive strategy, trends, and concerns.
- Develops, implements, & maintains a society-wide inclusive strategy, including vision, mission statement, and action planning.
- Suggests, drafts, and reviews policies to enhance inclusivity and equity within SCA systems.
- Consults with affiliates to develop a global approach to SCA inclusivity.
- Assists in developing metrics and tools to assess organizational inclusivity at the Kingdom level.
- Tracks and reports on program implementation, challenges, and successes to the President and Board of Directors.
- Helps ensure that corporate documentation, policies, and messaging reflect inclusive values.
- Collaborates with the Society DEIB Officer to develop, curate, and implement training programs for Society and Kingdom officers focused on inclusion, accessibility, bias awareness, and cultural sensitivity.
- Collaborates with the Society DEIB Officer to Maintain and update a centralized library of inclusive training materials and DEIB-aligned officer resources.
- Serves as a resource to Society Officers, Kingdom Seneschals, and other key leadership on inclusive programming.
Society DEIB Officer
Roxi J. Elliot (THL Castellana de Andalucía), [email protected]
The Society DEIB Officer is responsible for promoting a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive environment for all participants across the Known World.
Roles & Responsibilities:
- Creates educational materials and workshops to support DEIB awareness and cultural sensitivity.
- Fosters conversations and initiatives around accessibility, cultural representation, and respectful historical recreation.
- Works closely with the Kingdom DEIB officers – offering resources, mentorship, and a unified framework to help ensure that equity and inclusion efforts are sustainable and aligned throughout the society.
- Offers guidance, resources, and support to kingdoms and local groups in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging throughout the organization.
- Collaborates with the Board of Directors, Office of Inclusive Programs, and other society officers to ensure inclusive practices across disciplines.
- Recommends best practices and policy improvement to support equity and accessibility.
- Collaborates with the Office of Inclusive Programs to Develop, curate, and implement training programs for Society and Kingdom officers focused on inclusion, accessibility, bias awareness, and cultural sensitivity.
- Collaborates with the Office of Inclusive Programs to Maintain and update a centralized library of inclusive training materials and DEIB-aligned officer resources.
- Serves as a point of contact for members with concerns related to inclusion, discrimination, or barriers to participation.
DEIB Concepts
Diversity means the presence of difference, or variety, within our groups. We each have different characteristics, preferences, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, labels, cultures, and beliefs. In the SCA, we do not allow something as organic as variety to hinder the very organization we love and support.
Equity means equal access. When people come together in groups, some have advantages while others have disadvantages. In context of this office, equity means a process to ensure that everyone has equal access to the same opportunities in the SCA. It also means being treated with the same courtesy, respect, and dignity as everyone else, no matter how you are different.
Inclusion means being welcomed and truly valued for what you contribute. It means that no matter your race, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or able-ness, you are accepted. Verna Myers explains, “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” This office will be using the framework of Inclusive Excellence.
What does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mean for members of the SCA?
First, that we are aware of issues going on in the world we live in and we know that our organization is not insulated from the impacts of implicit bias.
Second, that to be successful we must welcome and value new and existing members who are different from 90% of our populace.
Third, that discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying, and hate speech will not be tolerated in our Society.
Lastly, that we take action. We value chivalry and live by those tenets we claim to hold as ideal. When a participant violates the code of conduct we require, we let them know so they can adjust their behavior. The phrase, “if you see something, say something” can be applied here.
Our job as members isn’t to judge other members but to be clear on what actions are acceptable. You can simply let a member know that, “we don’t treat people that way in the SCA”, or “that violates our core values”, or “that action/statement isn’t acceptable”. If you have tried that without result, or feel uncomfortable doing so, you can report any incident to your local Seneschal who will report to your Kingdom Seneschal.
Use the information here to educate yourself on bias, cultural intelligence, and inclusive excellence. Understand that bias exists and it doesn’t make one a bad person; it is simply something to be aware of and to challenge so that you don’t act on bias, mistreat any member of the SCA, or violate our laws or policies.