AEP has launched the Improving Learning Resources through Diversity (ILRTD) initiative as a way to attract and retain diverse populations to the field of educational publishing. Designed to address the needs of students in K-12 schools, especially those in large urban areas where minorities are the majority, the project was funded by a grant through the state of Pennsylvania. The ILRTD initiative kicked off at the AEP Summit’s Out of the Box Breakfast on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC.
The AEP represents supplemental educational publishers, a nearly $3 billion industry that creates the materials most students use in classrooms today. These materials must meet the needs of America’s diverse public school population, yet today the industry is made up of approximately 90% Caucasian employees. By creating a rigorous recruitment effort designed to help all AEP members implement a diversity initiative, the association hopes to encourage all educational publishers to hire a diverse staff that will create materials that can:
- Respond to a broader range of student needs
- Engage all students more effectively
- Improve student performance particularly among at-risk groups
“By helping our member companies effectively recruit a diverse industry work force, we are helping them to accurately meet the needs of American classrooms,” said Charlene Gaynor, AEP’s CEO. “We are rolling out this pilot program in Pennsylvania and surrounding states and have plans to make it nationwide if additional funding can be secured.”
The Improving Learning Resources through Diversity (ILRTD) initiative aims to bridge the cultural gap between educational resource providers and student users, thereby enriching content relevance and eliminating unintended cultural bias. Recruitment components include:
- Outreach to universities, career centers and job fairs
- Minority internship programs
- Scholarships for participation at industry events
- Ongoing networking and communication.
Visit Improving Learning Resources through Diversity (ILRTD)
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