diversity training essay

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How to Write the Diversity Essay – With Examples

May 1, 2024

diversity essay examples how to write a diversity essay

The diversity essay has newfound significance in college application packages following the 2023 SCOTUS ruling against race-conscious admissions. Affirmative action began as an attempt to redress unequal access to economic and social mobility associated with higher education. But before the 2023 ruling, colleges frequently defended the policy based on their “compelling interest” in fostering diverse campuses. The reasoning goes that there are certain educational benefits that come from heterogeneous learning environments. Now, the diversity essay has become key for admissions officials in achieving their compelling interest in campus diversity. Thus, unlocking how to write a diversity essay enhances an applicant’s ability to describe their fit with a campus environment. This article describes the genre and provides diversity essay examples to help any applicant express how they conceptualize and contribute to diversity.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Defining the Genre

Diversity essays in many ways resemble the personal statement genre. Like personal statements, they help readers get to know applicants beyond their academic and extracurricular achievements. What makes an applicant unique? Precisely what motivates or inspires them? What is their demeanor like and how do they interact with others? All these questions are useful ways of thinking about the purpose and value of the diversity essay.

It’s important to realize that the essay does not need to focus on aspects like race, religion, or sexuality. Some applicants may choose to write about their relationship to these or other protected identity categories. But applicants shouldn’t feel obligated to ‘come out’ in a diversity essay. Conversely, they should not be anxious if they feel their background doesn’t qualify them as ‘diverse.’

Instead, the diversity essay helps demonstrate broader thinking about what makes applicants unique that admissions officials can’t glean elsewhere. Usually, it also directly or indirectly indicates how an applicant will enhance the campus community they hope to join. Diversity essays can explicitly connect past experiences with future plans. Or they can offer a more general sense of how one’s background will influence their actions in college.

Thus, the diversity essay conveys both aspects that make an applicant unique and arguments for how those aspects will contribute on campus. The somewhat daunting genre is, in fact, a great opportunity for applicants to articulate how their background, identity, or formative experiences will shape their academic, intellectual, social, and professional trajectories.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Sharing a Story

All diversity essays ask applicants to share what makes them unique and convey how that equips them for university life. However, colleges will typically ask applicants to approach this broad topic from a variety of different angles. Since it’s likely applicants will encounter some version of the genre in either required or supplemental essay assignments, it’s a good idea to have a template diversity essay ready to adapt to each specific prompt.

One of the most standard prompts is the “share a story” prompt. For example, here’s the diversity-related Common App prompt:

“Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

This prompt is deliberately broad, inviting applicants to articulate their distinctive qualities in myriad ways. What is unsaid, but likely expected, is some statement about how the story evidences the ability to enhance campus diversity.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Describing Contribution

Another common prompt explicitly asks students to reflect on diversity while centering what they will contribute in college. A good example of this prompt comes from the University of Miami’s supplemental essay:

Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.

Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community. (250 words)

In essays responding to these kinds of prompts, its smart to more deliberately tailor your essay to what you know about the institution and its values around diversity. You’ll need a substantial part of the essay to address not only your “story” but your anticipated institutional contribution.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Navigating Difference

The last type of diversity essay prompt worth mentioning asks applicants to explain how they experience and navigate difference. It could be a prompt about dealing with “diverse perspectives.” Or it could ask the applicant to tell a story involving someone different than them. Regardless of the framing, these types of prompts ask you to unfold a theory of diversity stemming from social encounters. Applicants might still think of how they can use the essay to frame what makes them unique. However, here colleges are also hoping for insight into how applicants will deal with the immense diversity of college life beyond their unique experiences. In these cases, it’s especially important to use a story kernel to draw attention to fundamental beliefs and values around diversity.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Tips for Writing

Before we get to the diversity college essay examples, some general tips for writing the diversity essay:

Be authentic: This is not the place to embellish, exaggerate, or overstate your experiences. Writing with humility and awareness of your own limitations can only help you with the diversity essay. So don’t write about who you think the admissions committee wants to see – write about yourself.
Find dynamic intersections: One effective brainstorming strategy is to think of two or more aspects of your background, identity, and interests you might combine. For example, in one of the examples below, the writer talks about their speech impediment alongside their passion for poetry. By thinking of aspects of your experience to combine, you’ll likely generate more original material than focusing on just one.
Include a thesis: Diversity essays follow more general conventions of personal statement writing. That means you should tell a story about yourself, but also make it double as an argumentative piece of writing. Including a thesis in the first paragraph can clearly signal the argumentative hook of the essay for your reader.
Include your definition of diversity: Early in the essay you should define what diversity means to you. It’s important that this definition is as original as possible, preferably connecting to the story you are narrating. To avoid cliché, you might write out a bunch of definitions of diversity. Then, review them and get rid of any that seem like something you’d see in a dictionary or an inspirational poster. Get those clichéd definitions out of your system early, so you can wow your audience with your own carefully considered definition.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Tips for Writing (Cont.)

Zoom out to diversity more broadly: This tip is especially important you are not writing about protected minority identities like race, religion, and sexuality. Again, it’s fine to not focus on these aspects of diversity. But you’ll want to have some space in the essay where you connect your very specific understanding of diversity to a larger system of values that can include those identities.

Revision is another, evergreen tip for writing good diversity essays. You should also remember that you are writing in a personal and narrative-based genre. So, try to be as creative as possible! If you find enjoyment in writing it, chances are better your audience will find entertainment value in reading it.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Diversity Essay Examples

The first example addresses the “share a story” prompt. It is written in the voice of Karim Amir, the main character of Hanif Kureishi’s novel The Buddha of Suburbia .

As a child of the suburbs, I have frequently navigated the labyrinthine alleys of identity. Born to an English mother and an Indian father, I inherited a rich blend of traditions, customs, and perspectives. From an early age, I found myself straddling two worlds, trying to reconcile the conflicting expectations of my dual heritage. Yet, it was only through the lens of acting that I began to understand the true fluidity of identity.

A fairly typical table setting first paragraph, foregrounding themes of identity and performance
Includes a “thesis” in the final sentence suggesting the essay’s narrative and argumentative arc

Diversity, to me, is more than just a buzzword describing a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations. Instead, it evokes the unfathomable heterogeneity of human experience that I aim to help capture through performance. On the stage, I have often been slotted into Asian and other ethnic minority roles. I’ve had to deal with discriminatory directors who complain I am not Indian enough. Sometimes, it has even been tempting to play into established stereotypes attached to the parts I am playing. However, acting has ultimately helped me to see that the social types we imagine when we think of the word ‘diversity’ are ultimately fantastical constructions. Prescribed identities may help us to feel a sense of belonging, but they also distort what makes us radically unique.

Includes an original definition of diversity, which the writer compellingly contrasts with clichéd definitions
Good narrative dynamism, stressing how the writer has experienced growth over time

Diversity Essay Examples Continued – Example One

The main challenge for an actor is to dig beneath the “type” of character to find the real human being underneath. Rising to this challenge entails discarding with lazy stereotypes and scaling what can seem to be insurmountable differences. Bringing human drama to life, making it believable, requires us to realize a more fundamental meaning of diversity. It means locating each character at their own unique intersection of identity. My story, like all the stories I aspire to tell as an actor, can inspire others to search for and celebrate their specificity.

Focuses in on the kernel of wisdom acquired over the course of the narrative
Indirectly suggests what the applicant can contribute to the admitted class

Acting has ultimately underlined an important takeaway of my dual heritage: all identities are, in a sense, performed. This doesn’t mean that heritage is not important, or that identities are not significant rallying points for community. Instead, it means recognizing that identity isn’t a prison, but a stage.

Draws the reader back to where the essay began, locating them at the intersection of two aspects of writer’s background
Sharply and deftly weaves a course between saying identities are fictions and saying that identities matter (rather than potentially alienating reader by picking one over the other)

Diversity Essay Examples Continued – Example Two

The second example addresses a prompt about what the applicant can contribute to a diverse campus. It is written from the perspective of Jason Taylor, David Mitchell’s protagonist in Black Swan Green .

Growing up with a stutter, each word was a hesitant step, every sentence a delicate balance between perseverance and frustration. I came to think of the written word as a sanctuary away from the staccato rhythm of my speech. In crafting melodically flowing poems, I discovered a language unfettered by the constraints of my impediment. However, diving deeper into poetry eventually made me realize how my stammer had a humanistic rhythm all its own.

Situates us at the intersection of two themes – a speech impediment and poetry – and uses the thesis to gesture to their synthesis
Nicely matches form and content. The writer uses this opportunity to demonstrate their facility with literary language.

Immersing myself in the genius of Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, and Maya Angelou, I learned to embrace the beauty of diversity in language, rhythm, and life itself. Angelou wrote that “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” For me, this quote illuminates how diversity is not simply a static expression of discrete differences. Instead, diversity teaches us the beauty of a multitude of rhythms we can learn from and incorporate in a mutual dance. If “everything in the universe has a rhythm,” then it’s also possible that anything can be poetry. Even my stuttering speech can dance.

Provides a unique definition of diversity
Conveys growth over time
Connects kernel of wisdom back to the essay’s narrative starting point

As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I bring with me the lessons learned from the interplay of rhythm and verse. I bring a perspective rooted in empathy, an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, and a belief in language as the ultimate tool of transformative social connection. I am prepared to enter your university community, adding a unique voice that refuses to be silent.

Directly addresses how background and experiences will contribute to campus life
Conveys contributions in an analytic mode (second sentence) and more literary and personal mode (third sentence)

Additional Resources

Diversity essays can seem intimidating because of the political baggage we bring to the word ‘diversity.’ But applicants should feel liberated by the opportunity to describe what makes them unique. It doesn’t matter if applicants choose to write about aspects of identity, life experiences, or personal challenges. What matters is telling a compelling story of personal growth. Also significant is relating that story to an original theory of the function and value of diversity in society. At the end of the day, committees want to know their applicants deeper and get a holistic sense of how they will improve the educational lives of those around them.

Additional Reading and Resources

10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
Common App Essay Prompts
Why This College Essay – Tips for Success
How to Write a Body Paragraph for a College Essay
UC Essay Examples
College Essay

Tyler Talbott

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Missouri and two Master of Arts degrees in English, one from the University of Maryland and another from Northwestern University. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in English at Northwestern University, where he also works as a graduate writing fellow.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training (DEI)

Ivan Andreev

Demand Generation & Capture Strategist, Valamis

March 10, 2022 · updated April 3, 2024

16 minute read

Diversity, equity and inclusion training is an increasingly important topic for organizations in every industry.

As the conversation around this topic grows, it is important for all organizations to look at their own diversity training programs and see where they can improve, become more effective, and, importantly, understand what does and doesn’t work.

After reading this guide, you will better understand the various types of diversity programs, how to build an effective program within your organization, and why you should be paying attention to this important subject.

What is diversity and inclusion training?

The goals of diversity training

The importance of diversity and inclusion training in the workplace, real-world examples of why diversity training is important, what are the benefits of diversity training, examples of diversity training activities, how to make diversity training more effective.

FAQ about diversity training

What is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion training is an organized educational program that aims to promote awareness and understanding of how people with different backgrounds, cultures, ages, races, genders, sexuality, religions, physical conditions, and beliefs can best work together harmoniously.

Sometimes it is also referred to DEI , DE&I, or DEIB , which means diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

It aims to highlight areas where people might hold bias or outdated beliefs, provide information to help counter those biases, and overall train people to treat their fellow employees with respect and dignity.

An effective diversity and inclusion training program will teach employees how to recognize bias within themselves or others and show them how they can unlearn negative behaviors associated with it.

It will provide information that highlights the positive ways that changes in behavior can affect themselves, their colleagues, and their organization.

Source: Brook Graham – The Diversity Iceberg (2011)

Diversity and inclusion training aims to create a more harmonious workplace by increasing employee’s knowledge and awareness of cultural, religious, or racial differences while delivering information about how a person can change their behavior to be more inclusive.

In order to figure out how to reach that overarching goal, many companies will use surveys to ask their employees what their short and medium-term goals should be.

Each organization will have different areas that need work, and their employees will be the best source of information on which areas are the most pressing.

Here are some common goals that organizations have identified:

Create a healthy working environment where people of different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and talents can productively work together.
Increase the number of women, people of color, or otherwise underrepresented people within the organization.
Increase the use of inclusive language within job postings, internal communications, and external communications.
Increase the amount of time and money spent on diversity and inclusion training within the organization.
Create an environment that nurtures and promotes diversity.

In spending time on internal surveys, an organization can better understand where they need to focus their energy. It might be that job postings are not inclusive, so there are no diverse applicants applying for the job.

That leads to fewer diverse people within the organization, all because the job posting was not written well.

McKinsey has researched this subject deeply and has released a series of reports highlighting the business advantages enjoyed by companies with more diverse employees.

Released in 2015 , 2017 , and 2020 , these reports show that diverse companies are 35% more likely to deliver above-average profit margins, as well as delivering more long-term value creation .

Significantly, these reports have found that “the most diverse companies are now more likely than ever to outperform non-diverse companies on profitability… we found that the higher the representation, the higher the likelihood of outperformance.”

However, these reports also show that there is slow growth in this area, with many companies struggling to achieve significant results, or even reporting that diversity within their ranks has decreased.

This demonstrates the difficulty of creating effective diversity programs, and the importance of continually working to improve diversity training within an organization.

These reports also show that ongoing diversity and inclusion training is a key factor to retaining diverse talent within an organization.

It stands to reason – it is difficult to keep employees in an environment in which they do not feel welcome.

In 2018, Starbucks found itself in the middle of a public relations crisis when an employee called the police on two black men who were waiting for a friend in a Philadelphia cafe without ordering anything.

The men were arrested, despite doing nothing wrong, and the incident went viral.

Many activists used the incident to highlight bias against Black people and protesters began to hold demonstrations inside stores.

In response, Starbucks decided to close all of its 8,000 U.S. stores for a day to hold racial bias training.

The program, “designed to address implicit bias, promote conscious inclusion, prevent discrimination and ensure everyone inside a Starbucks store feels safe and welcome,” according to the corporation, was met with a mixed response.

Experts in diversity and inclusion pointed out that research shows that this type of one-day training often fails to produce even short-term results .

Starbucks leadership acknowledged that the issue was not one that could be solved within one day, and promised to create a program that was central to the company’s core mission and in line with their values.

High-end cosmetics store Sephora found itself in a similar situation to Starbucks in 2019 when rapper and musician SZA reported being racially profiled at a Los Angeles store.

After major news outlets around the world picked up the story, linking it back to the incident in Starbucks the year before, Sephora announced that it would be closing all US stores for an hour for diversity training, although they clarified that this was planned before the incident with SZA happened.

As with the Starbucks response, experts pointed out that one hour of diversity training would, at best, do nothing – and at worst, can actively ignite bias within employees.

Sephora corporate leadership acknowledged that they must do more, stating that this step was “the start of a larger diversity initiative that includes the creation of employee resource groups and social impact and philanthropic programs and more inclusivity training for managers.”

The City of Seattle

The city government of Seattle created a controversy when an anonymous city employee revealed that they were racially segregating the diversity training of city employees.

White employees received training separately, and of different content, than employees who identify as people of color.

White employees were enrolled in a session that aimed to “examine our complicity in the system of white supremacy … and begin to cultivate practices that enable us to interrupt racism in ways that are accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC),” whereas people of color were invited to participate in a session that looked at how “American conditioning, socialization, and history leads People of Color to internalize radicalized beliefs, ideas, and behaviors about themselves, undergirding the power of White Supremacy.”

While some experts agreed that the two groups might benefit from content contextualized to their lived experience and backgrounds, diversity training is more effective when various groups can come together to better understand their differences – and similarities.

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Upgrade your organization’s learning culture with clear, actionable strategies to address the challenges.

Diversity and inclusion training has two sets of benefits.

On the one side, there are business-focused benefits:

Drive bottom-line business success
Deliver long-term value creation
Avoid public relations disasters
Bring in diverse talent with unique points of view

And on the other, people-centric benefits:

Promote a healthy and inclusive organizational culture
Improve employee retention
Boost employee morale
Happy employees produce better business results

These two sets of benefits dovetail together. When an effective diversity and inclusion program is deployed within an organization, it sets off a chain reaction of positive results for the organization and the people working within it.

Employees feel more respected, are happier within their interactions with colleagues and managers, and will work harder for the organization that elevates and respects them. They sell more products, or deliver better code, or are more efficient in their duties. They stay within your organization, perhaps being raised to senior-level posts, keeping down hiring costs and organizational knowledge remains within the company.

Clients receive great service or have their problems solved more quickly, and are happy with their results – perhaps even becoming evangelists for your company. As more people have positive interactions with your organization, better business results are soon being seen in your profit margins.

There are many ways for an organization to introduce diversity and inclusion training without it being a lecture or PowerPoint presentation.

1. What I want you to know about me…

This activity asks participants to write down on a sheet of paper an answer to the following prompts:

What I think about me
What others think about me
What might be misunderstood about me
What I need from you

It’s important that participants are encouraged to answer these questions only as much as they are comfortable .

It should not be obligatory for them to share deeply personal things if they are not willingly doing so.

Once the questions have been answered, the team should go around and address each person’s answer, and then a debriefing session should be completed.

The debrief should prompt participants to think about what they have learned about their peers, how it felt to complete the activity, and how they might be more inclusive in their actions going forward.

2. I am, but I am not…

For this activity, participants are given two sheets of paper. On one sheet, they will write an aspect of their identity.

An example of this could be Black, Asian, disabled, blind, gay or any other aspect of their identity that they wish to share.

On the other sheet, they will write what they are not, which will usually focus on a common stereotype about that identity.

For example, ‘I am Asian, but I am not good at math.’ Participants should fill out three to five of these sheets.

The purpose of this is to highlight the various stereotypes that the participants have had to face throughout their lives and to dispel them .

After everyone has shared their responses, the group should have a debriefing session where they can share what they learned, how they felt about hearing their peers’ responses, and how they felt sharing their own experiences.

3. Perspective taking

In this activity, participants are asked to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.

Participants are paired with peers of different backgrounds and are asked to write about the challenges that might have been faced by their partner based on their specific background.

The group should be given time for each person to talk about what they have written, and why, and for their peers to respond, giving more context to how their background has affected them.

For example, two engineers, a white, gay man, Michael, and a Black woman, Mary, are paired together. They would think about the other’s background and how it might have been different from theirs.

Michael writes, ‘Mary might have been discouraged from pursuing a technically difficult engineering degree because she is a woman.’ Mary writes, ‘Michael might have been left out of team building activities by colleagues because of his sexuality.’

Both people will walk away from the exercise understanding more about how life experience might differ based on a wide variety of factors.

A Harvard study has shown that this type of diversity training has potential for long term positive effects , as well as increasing inclusion towards other, unrelated groups.

4. Goal setting

The study mentioned above also found that goal setting can produce long-lasting positive results within diversity training.

In this activity, participants are asked to set measurable, attainable goals within their workplace.

These goals should be based around increasing inclusion, for example, challenging sexist jokes, increasing the inclusivity of language, or giving underrepresented people a platform.

When a clear path is laid out, with actionable steps that participants can focus on, diversity and inclusion training is much more effective.

1. Hire experts to lead your training

Just as you would hire accounting experts to streamline your organization’s books, you should look to experts in diversity and inclusion to work with your organization to develop a program that will truly be effective to your specific needs.

There will be different challenges based on geographic location, the demographics of your organization, the industry, and many other factors. There will not be a one-size-fits-all solution here.

2. Offer flexible training

As more organizations face the reality that one-time sessions will not deliver lasting results, diversity and inclusion experts are in higher demand than ever.

One Seattle-based firm has risen to meet this demand with online resources, including webinars, courses, and one-on-one coaching.

This can be a great solution for companies who are operating remotely, or simply find it difficult to gather all employees in one time and one place.

3. Create long-term solutions

To create a more diverse and inclusive organization, as well as avoid having negative publicity like in the examples above, an organization should focus on a long-term plan that is led by experts, rather than producing a short-term solution as a reaction to a specific event.

Research has shown that diversity training is most effective when it is promoted on a regular basis.

4. Lead by example

When the company leadership visibly upholds the values of diversity and inclusion, employees are much more likely to follow their example.

Your organization wants to promote these values, and leading by example is a powerful way to get that message across.

5. Don’t rely on only one type of training

Everyone learns differently.

Provide a wide range of education, which could include speeches, role-playing, one-on-one coaching, videos, or activities, and deliver all of those throughout the year.

Learners will get something different out of each type of content, and you are more likely to get the message across.

Training evaluation form

Get a handy printable form for evaluating training and course experiences.

Check out our guide about employee development methods to find more ideas on how you can differentiate and improve your diversity training.

6. Be clear in what you want to achieve

Set SMART goals, and develop a clear path to how you will get to them.

It is useless to say that you want to ‘promote diversity’ if you don’t know exactly what that means in the context of your specific organization. Setting goals leads to achieving goals.

7. Be patient

As we have noted above, diversity training is not something that can be completed in a day.

These biases are learned over a lifetime – they won’t go away in a day.

Have patience with your employees, and the leaders of the program, and understand that it might be a while before you see concrete results. This is a marathon, not a sprint!

FAQ about diversity and inclusion training

What does diversity training include.

Diversity training can be anything from a one-hour session that highlights the various forms of bias that a person might encounter, to a much more in-depth multi-month program.

It usually includes an explanation of the various types of marginalization that a person might face, including based on race, sexuality, physical appearance, disability, religion, class, and nationality.

It then provides guidance on how a person can avoid acting with bias, giving examples of positive and negative interactions and guidelines on how to approach others with respect.

What should diversity training focus on?

Diversity training should focus on long-term strategies to build an understanding of the differences between people and how to navigate those differences in the most respectful and productive manner possible.

This includes highlighting bias, presenting strategies for reducing bias within your employees, setting SMART goals for increasing diversity and inclusion within your organization and frequently checking in on how your organization is performing.

What are the elements of diversity?

These identities include, but are not limited to, ability, age, class, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, immigration status, intellectual differences, language, national origin, race, religion, socio-economic status, sex, and sexual orientation.

Some of these elements are internal, which means an unchangeable aspect that a person is born into, such as assigned sex or race. Others are external, something that is changeable but is often born into and can often be very difficult to change, such as religious beliefs or education.

Is mandatory diversity training legal?

Mandatory diversity training is legal. However, some companies will allow employees to opt out, provided that they have a reasonable excuse for not wanting to attend.

The idea behind this is that forcing someone to attend a training that they do not want to do might backfire, and leave them with more bias than before.

The ideal solution is to present the training as a positive, highlighting the ways in which it might improve employees’ experience at work and creating a positive buy-in from participants.

How effective is diversity training?

A 2019 study into the effectiveness of diversity training delivered mixed results in regards to the effectiveness of diversity training. On the one hand, they did see that attitudes towards women, and awareness of the bias that they face, was improved after the training. On the other hand, they did not see any real change in the behavior of men or white employees overall, even though these two groups often hold power within organizations and are generally the targets of diversity training programs.

That said, there is research that shows that diversity training can be effective, and the reason that existing programs are not effective is simply that they are not using the right techniques. By using the same diversity training techniques since the 1960s, which have never shown promising results, organizations are wasting time and money. If an organization wants an effective diversity training program, it should be looking at new ideas, techniques, and activities to get the results that they want.

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The Diversity Essay: How to Write an Excellent Diversity Essay

What is a diversity essay in a school application? And why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? Most importantly, how should you go about writing such an essay?

Diversity is of supreme value in higher education, and schools want to know how every student will contribute to the diversity on their campus. A diversity essay gives applicants with disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, an unusual education, a distinctive experience, or a unique family history an opportunity to write about how these elements of their background have prepared them to play a useful role in increasing and encouraging diversity among their target program’s student body and broader community.

The purpose of all application essays is to help the adcom better understand who an applicant is and what they care about. Your essays are your chance to share your voice and humanize your application. This is especially true for the diversity essay, which aims to reveal your unique perspectives and experiences, as well as the ways in which you might contribute to a college community.

In this post, we’ll discuss what exactly a diversity essay is, look at examples of actual prompts and a sample essay, and offer tips for writing a standout essay.

In this post, you’ll find the following:

What a diversity essay covers

How to show you can add to a school’s diversity, why diversity matters to schools.

Seven examples that reveal diversity

Sample diversity essay prompts

How to write about your diversity.

A diversity essay example

Upon hearing the word “diversity” in relation to an application essay, many people assume that they will have to write about gender, sexuality, class, or race. To many, this can feel overly personal or irrelevant, and some students might worry that their identity isn’t unique or interesting enough. In reality, the diversity essay is much broader than many people realize.

Identity means different things to different people. The important thing is that you demonstrate your uniqueness and what matters to you. In addition to writing about one of the traditional identity features we just mentioned (gender, sexuality, class, race), you could consider writing about a more unusual feature of yourself or your life – or even the intersection of two or more identities.

Consider these questions as you think about what to include in your diversity essay:

Do you have a unique or unusual talent or skill?
Do you have beliefs or values that are markedly different from those of the people around you?
Do you have a hobby or interest that sets you apart from your peers?
Have you done or experienced something that few people have? Note that if you choose to write about a single event as a diverse identity feature, that event needs to have had a pretty substantial impact on you and your life. For example, perhaps you’re part of the 0.2% of the world’s population that has run a marathon, or you’ve had the chance to watch wolves hunt in the wild.
Do you have a role in life that gives you a special outlook on the world? For example, maybe one of your siblings has a rare disability, or you grew up in a town with fewer than 500 inhabitants.

If you are an immigrant to the United States, the child of immigrants, or someone whose ethnicity is underrepresented in the States, your response to “How will you add to the diversity of our class/community?” and similar questions might help your application efforts. Why? Because you have the opportunity to show the adcom how your background will contribute a distinctive perspective to the program you are applying to.

Of course, if you’re not underrepresented in your field or part of a disadvantaged group, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything to write about in a diversity essay.

For example, you might have an unusual or special experience to share, such as serving in the military, being a member of a dance troupe, or caring for a disabled relative. These and other distinctive experiences can convey how you will contribute to the diversity of the school’s campus.

Maybe you are the first member of your family to apply to college or the first person in your household to learn English. Perhaps you have worked your way through college or helped raise your siblings. You might also have been an ally to those who are underrepresented, disadvantaged, or marginalized in your community, at your school, or in a work setting.

As you can see, diversity is not limited to one’s religion, ethnicity, culture, language, or sexual orientation. It refers to whatever element of your identity distinguishes you from others and shows that you, too, value diversity.

The diversity essay provides colleges the chance to build a student body that includes different ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, backgrounds, interests, and so on. Applicants are asked to illuminate what sets them apart so that the adcoms can see what kind of diverse views and opinions they can bring to the campus.

Admissions officers believe that diversity in the classroom improves the educational experience of all the students involved. They also believe that having a diverse workforce better serves society as a whole.

The more diverse perspectives found in the classroom, throughout the dorms, in the dining halls, and mixed into study groups, the richer people’s discussions will be.

Plus, learning and growing in this kind of multicultural environment will prepare students for working in our increasingly multicultural and global world.

In medicine, for example, a heterogeneous workforce benefits people from previously underrepresented cultures. Businesses realize that they will market more effectively if they can speak to different audiences, which is possible when members of their workforce come from various backgrounds and cultures. Schools simply want to prepare graduates for the 21st century job market.

Seven examples that reveal diversity

Adcoms want to know about the diverse elements of your character and how these have helped you develop particular personality traits , as well as about any unusual experiences that have shaped you.

Here are seven examples an applicant could write about:

1. They grew up in an environment with a strong emphasis on respecting their elders, attending family events, and/or learning their parents’ native language and culture.

2. They are close to their grandparents and extended family members who have taught them how teamwork can help everyone thrive.

3. They have had to face difficulties that stem from their parents’ values being in conflict with theirs or those of their peers.

4. Teachers have not always understood the elements of their culture or lifestyle and how those elements influence their performance.

5. They have suffered discrimination and succeeded despite it because of their grit, values, and character.

6. They learned skills from a lifestyle that is outside the norm (e.g., living in foreign countries as the child of a diplomat or contractor; performing professionally in theater, dance, music, or sports; having a deaf sibling).

7. They’ve encountered racism or other prejudice (either toward themselves or others) and responded by actively promoting diverse, tolerant values.

And remember, diversity is not about who your parents are. It’s about who you are – at the core.

Your background, influences, religious observances, native language, ideas, work environment, community experiences – all these factors come together to create a unique individual, one who will contribute to a varied class of distinct individuals taking their place in a diverse world.

The best-known diversity essay prompt is from the Common App . It states:

Some schools have individual diversity essay prompts. For example, this one is from Duke University :

“We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.”

And the Rice University application includes the following prompt:

“Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice?”

In all instances, colleges want you to demonstrate how and what you’ll contribute to their communities.

Your answer to a school’s diversity essay question should focus on how your experiences have built your empathy for others, your embrace of differences, your resilience, your character, and your perspective.

The school might ask how you think of diversity or how you will bring or add to the diversity of the school, your chosen profession, or your community. Make sure you answer the specific question posed by highlighting distinctive elements of your profile that will add to the class mosaic every adcom is trying to create. You don’t want to blend in; you want to stand out in a positive way while also complementing the school’s canvas.

Here’s a simple, three-part framework that will help you think of diversity more broadly:

Who are you? What has contributed to your identity? How do you distinguish yourself? Your identity can include any of the following: gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, nontraditional work experience, nontraditional educational background, multicultural background, and family’s educational level.

What have you done? What have you accomplished? This could include any of the following: achievements inside and/or outside your field of study, leadership opportunities, community service, internship or professional experience, research opportunities, hobbies, and travel. Any or all of these could be unique. Also, what life-derailing, throw-you-for-a-loop challenges have you faced and overcome?

How do you think? How do you approach things? What drives you? What influences you? Are you the person who can break up a tense meeting with some well-timed humor? Are you the one who intuitively sees how to bring people together?

Read more about this three-part framework in Episode 193 of Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk podcast or listen wherever you get your favorite podcast s.

Think about each question within this framework and how you could apply your diversity elements to your target school’s classroom or community. Any of these elements can serve as the framework for your essay.

Don’t worry if you can’t think of something totally “out there.” You don’t need to be a tightrope walker living in the Andes or a Buddhist monk from Japan to be able to contribute to a school’s diversity!

And please remember, the examples we have offered here are not exhaustive. There are many other ways to show diversity!

All you need to do to be able to write successfully about how you will contribute to the diversity of your target school’s community is examine your identity, deeds, and ideas, with an eye toward your personal distinctiveness and individuality. There is only one you .

Take a look at the sample diversity essay in the next section of this post, and pay attention to how the writer underscores their appreciation for, and experience with, diversity.

A diversity essay sample

When I was starting 11th grade, my dad, an agricultural scientist, was assigned to a 3-month research project in a farm village in Niigata (northwest Honshu in Japan). Rather than stay behind with my mom and siblings, I begged to go with him. As a straight-A student, I convinced my parents and the principal that I could handle my schoolwork remotely (pre-COVID) for that stretch. It was time to leap beyond my comfortable suburban Wisconsin life—and my Western orientation, reinforced by travel to Europe the year before.

We roomed in a sprawling farmhouse with a family participating in my dad’s study. I thought I’d experience an “English-free zone,” but the high school students all studied and wanted to practice English, so I did meet peers even though I didn’t attend their school. Of the many eye-opening, influential, cultural experiences, the one that resonates most powerfully to me is experiencing their community. It was a living, organic whole. Elementary school kids spent time helping with the rice harvest. People who foraged for seasonal wild edibles gave them to acquaintances throughout the town. In fact, there was a constant sharing of food among residents—garden veggies carried in straw baskets, fish or meat in coolers. The pharmacist would drive prescriptions to people who couldn’t easily get out—new mothers, the elderly—not as a business service but as a good neighbor. If rain suddenly threatened, neighbors would bring in each other’s drying laundry. When an empty-nest 50-year-old woman had to be hospitalized suddenly for a near-fatal snakebite, neighbors maintained her veggie patch until she returned. The community embodied constant awareness of others’ needs and circumstances. The community flowed!

Yet, people there lamented that this lifestyle was vanishing; more young people left than stayed or came. And it wasn’t idyllic: I heard about ubiquitous gossip, long-standing personal enmities, busybody-ness. But these very human foibles didn’t dam the flow. This dynamic community organism couldn’t have been more different from my suburban life back home, with its insular nuclear families. We nod hello to neighbors in passing.

This wonderful experience contained a personal challenge. Blond and blue-eyed, I became “the other” for the first time. Except for my dad, I saw no Westerner there. Curious eyes followed me. Stepping into a market or walking down the street, I drew gazes. People swiftly looked away if they accidentally caught my eye. It was not at all hostile, I knew, but I felt like an object. I began making extra sure to appear “presentable” before going outside. The sense of being watched sometimes generated mild stress or resentment. Returning to my lovely tatami room, I would decompress, grateful to be alone. I realized this challenge was a minute fraction of what others experience in my own country. The toll that feeling—and being— “other” takes on non-white and visibly different people in the US can be extremely painful. Experiencing it firsthand, albeit briefly, benignly, and in relative comfort, I got it.

Unlike the organic Niigata community, work teams, and the workplace itself, have externally driven purposes. Within this different environment, I will strive to exemplify the ongoing mutual awareness that fueled the community life in Niigata. Does it benefit the bottom line, improve the results? I don’t know. But it helps me be the mature, engaged person I want to be, and to appreciate the individuals who are my colleagues and who comprise my professional community. I am now far more conscious of people feeling their “otherness”—even when it’s not in response to negative treatment, it can arise simply from awareness of being in some way different.

What did you think of this essay? Does this middle class Midwesterner have the unique experience of being different from the surrounding majority, something she had not experienced in the United States? Did she encounter diversity from the perspective of “the other”?

Here a few things to note about why this diversity essay works so well:

1. The writer comes from “a comfortable, suburban, Wisconsin life,” suggesting that her background might not be ethnically, racially, or in any other way diverse.

2. The diversity “points” scored all come from her fascinating experience of having lived in a Japanese farm village, where she immersed herself in a totally different culture.

3. The lessons learned about the meaning of community are what broaden and deepen the writer’s perspective about life, about a purpose-driven life, and about the concept of “otherness.”

By writing about a time when you experienced diversity in one of its many forms, you can write a memorable and meaningful diversity essay.

Working on your diversity essay?

Want to ensure that your application demonstrates the diversity that your dream school is seeking? Work with one of our admissions experts . This checklist includes more than 30 different ways to think about diversity to jump-start your creative engine.

Dr. Sundas Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising students, providing career and admissions advice, reviewing applications, and conducting interviews for the University of Oxford’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, Sundas has worked with students from a wide range of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Want Sundas to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

Different Dimensions of Diversity , podcast Episode 193
What Should You Do If You Belong to an Overrepresented MBA Applicant Group?
Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions , a free guide

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7 Great Diversity Essay Examples and Why They Worked

Supplemental "diversity" or "community" essays are becoming increasingly popular components of college and university applications. A diversity essay allows you to highlight how your individual circumstances, values, traditions, or beliefs could contribute to the vibrant mix of cultures on a college campus.

The importance of the diversity essay lies in its ability to showcase aspects of your identity that may not be fully captured elsewhere in your application . It provides a platform for you to express your authenticity, highlight any obstacles or challenges you've overcome, and demonstrate how your unique viewpoints could enrich the learning environment.

This trend is in part driven by institutions' heightened efforts to increase the diversity of their student bodies, as many elite schools have historically favored wealthy and/or white applicants. These diversity essays provide a valuable opportunity for students to give context about their identity and background, which supports colleges' missions of fostering more inclusive campus environments.

The push for diversity essays has been compounded by the recent Supreme Court decision ruling affirmative action policies unconstitutional. With this ruling blocking colleges from directly considering an applicant's race or ethnicity in admissions decisions, many institutions have turned to supplemental essays as an alternative way to gauge how a prospective student's unique experiences and perspectives could contribute to a richly diverse student body. While not explicitly factoring racial or ethnic backgrounds into admissions, compelling diversity essays enable colleges to indirectly account for the varied identities and circumstances that applicants would bring to enrich the campus community.

However, even students who do not hold identities historically underrepresented at colleges, or face discrimination, are encouraged to approach the diversity essay thoughtfully. These essays allow all applicants to shed light on their individualized experiences that could add meaningful value to the institution's diversity and culture. Ultimately, colleges aim to curate an incoming class of students whose collective array of backgrounds fosters an environment of mutual understanding, intellectual growth, and cross-cultural exchange.

In this blog, we’ll walk through 7 examples of strong diversity essays, and give a brief discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

Note that for the sake of concision, only the first 150-250 words of each essay is included in the article. You can find links to the full text of each essay at the bottom of the page!

1. Finding My Voice (Hopkins)

I looked up and flinched slightly. There were at least sixty of them, far more than expected. I had thirty weeks to teach them the basics of public speaking. Gritting my teeth, I split my small group of tutors among the crowd and sat down for an impromptu workshop with the eighth graders. They were inexperienced, monotone, and quiet. In other words, they reminded me of myself…

I was born with a speech impediment that weakened my mouth muscles. My speech was garbled and incomprehensible. Understandably, I grew up quiet. I tried my best to blend in and give the impression I was silent by choice. I joined no clubs in primary school, instead preferring isolation. It took six years of tongue twisters and complicated mouth contortions in special education classes for me to produce the forty-four sounds of the English language.

This essay is highly effective in several ways. The author opens with a vivid, engaging anecdote that immediately draws the reader in and provides context for the essay's overarching theme of finding one's voice. The personal story of struggling with a speech impediment as a child and overcoming insecurities to become a confident public speaker on the debate team is powerful and memorable. The essay’s beginning, where Jerry is faced with the daunting task of teaching public speaking to a large group of eighth graders, is reminiscent of his own struggles with communication. This scene immediately captures the reader's attention and establishes a connection between Jerry's personal journey and the theme of the essay.

Throughout the essay, Jerry skillfully weaves together his experiences of overcoming a speech impediment and finding his confidence through participation in the debate team. He candidly reflects on the challenges he faced, such as stuttering and feeling like a "deer in the headlights," and how he persevered through practice and determination. By sharing specific anecdotes, such as watching upperclassmen and adapting his speaking style, Jerry demonstrates his growth and development over time.

The continued arc of the essay conveys the broader significance of Jerry's journey by highlighting how his newfound confidence extended beyond the debate team to his interactions in school and leadership roles. Through his own experiences, Jerry founded a program to help other students overcome their insecurities and find their voices, thereby paying forward the empowerment he received. The conclusion nicely ties back to the introduction and leaves the reader with a positive, uplifting sense of the author's journey and values.

One potential area for improvement could be spending slightly more time underscoring specific insights, challenges, or ways this experience shaped the author's goals and worldview could make the essay even more impactful for admissions officers evaluating the author's ability to contribute to a diverse community.

2. Protecting the Earth

I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Although we flew in from distant corners of the U.S., we shared a common purpose: immersing ourselves in our passion for protecting the natural world.

Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns. My classmates debated the feasibility of Trump’s wall, not the deteriorating state of our planet. Contrastingly, these seven strangers delighted in bird-watching, brightened at the mention of medicinal tree sap, and understood why I once ran across a four-lane highway to retrieve discarded beer cans.

Their histories barely resembled mine, yet our values aligned intimately. We did not hesitate to joke about bullet ants, gush about the versatility of tree bark, or discuss the destructive consequences of materialism. Together, we let our inner tree-huggers run free.

This essay captures the transformative power of community and shared values through the author's experience in the Ecuadorian rainforest. The opening sets a vivid scene, drawing the reader into the narrator's journey of joining a diverse group of strangers united by their passion for environmental conservation. By contrasting the indifference of their conservative suburban community with the shared purpose and enthusiasm of their newfound companions, the essay immediately establishes a theme of community and belonging. The examples of the group's enthusiasm and "inner tree-huggers" bring an authentic voice to the narrative.

In the body of the essay, the author skillfully portrays the camaraderie and mutual support within the group, despite their diverse backgrounds . The shared experiences of bird-watching, discussions about medicinal tree sap, and collective efforts towards environmental advocacy highlight the strength of their bond and the alignment of their values. Through anecdotes and dialogue, the author effectively conveys the sense of empowerment and inspiration derived from being part of such a community.

The essay additionally conveys the personal growth and transformation experienced by the author as a result of their time in the rainforest community. The realization that they can make a difference in the world, coupled with a newfound sense of purpose and determination, serves as a powerful conclusion to the narrative. The essay communicates the importance of community in shaping one's beliefs, values, and aspirations, while also highlighting the potential for individual agency and impact.

Where the essay could be strengthened is providing more insight into how this experience will shape the author's future contributions to building and leading communities. While it's impactful to convey the determination instilled to devote one's life to environmental advocacy, expanding on the specific ways the author hopes to foster community around this work would add depth. Additionally, reflecting on the personal growth sparked by stepping outside one's insular worldview could highlight the importance of diversity of perspectives. Overall, however, this is a strong essay that captures the power of an eye-opening experience bonding with others over shared values and passions.

3. Activism (Rochester)

To Nigerians,

It’s been eight years since we’ve been subjected to the tyranny of bad governance. Our medical systems have been destroyed, economy devaluated, and freedom of speech banished. But we need not worry for long. Just 5 years left!

By 2027, I will have explored the strategies behind successful revolutions in Prof. Meguid’s Introduction to Comparative Politics Class ( PSCI101) in my world politics cluster, equipping me to successfully lead us through the revolution we’ve eagerly awaited and install a political system that will ensure our happiness. With the help of the Greene Center, I will have gained practical experience of the biomedical engineering career field by interning at Corning’s biochemical department, enabling me to contribute to the rebuilding of our medical system. I will have developed a Parkinson-stabilizing device from my experience analyzing human motion with MATLAB in Professor Buckley’s BME 201-P class. I hope to later extend this device to cater for poliomyelitis, a disease that has plagued us since 1982. I will have strengthened my ability to put corruption under check through music by developing my soprano voice at Vocal point.

This essay, earning the author admission to the University of Rochester, blends a personal narrative with a vision for the future, demonstrating the author's determination to address the challenges faced by Nigeria through education and practical experience. The author begins by painting a stark picture of the current state of governance in Nigeria, highlighting the systemic issues that have plagued the country for years. This sets the stage for the author's ambitious plan to enact change within their homeland.

The author's strategic approach to addressing these issues is given a college admissions focus by outlining their academic and professional goals at the University of Rochester. By detailing specific courses, internships, and extracurricular activities, the author demonstrates a clear path towards acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a revolution and contribute to rebuilding Nigeria's medical system. This strategic planning reflects the author's commitment to effecting tangible change and underscores their preparedness for the challenges ahead.

To further strengthen its impact, the author could provide more context or examples of their previous activism or engagement with Nigerian issues, with clear links between the specific experiences and opportunities at the University of Rochester and their goals.

4. Taking Care of Siblings (Cornell)

He’s in my arms, the newest addition to the family. I’m too overwhelmed. “That’s why I wanted you to go to Bishop Loughlin,” she says, preparing baby bottles. “But ma, I chose Tech because I wanted to be challenged.” “Well, you’re going to have to deal with it,” she replies, adding, “Your aunt watched you when she was in high school.” “But ma, there are three of them. It’s hard!” Returning home from a summer program that cemented intellectual and social independence to find a new baby was not exactly thrilling. Add him to the toddler and seven-year-old sister I have and there’s no wonder why I sing songs from Blue’s Clues and The Backyardigans instead of sane seventeen-year-old activities. It’s never been simple; as a female and the oldest, I’m to significantly rear the children and clean up the shabby apartment before an ounce of pseudo freedom reaches my hands. If I can manage to get my toddler brother onto the city bus and take him home from daycare without snot on my shoulder, and if I can manage to take off his coat and sneakers without demonic screaming for no apparent reason, then it’s a good day. Only, waking up at three in the morning to work, the only free time I have, is not my cup of Starbucks.

The opening scene of the essay, where the author holds their newest sibling while their mother prepares baby bottles, immediately sets the tone for the essay and introduces the central theme of familial responsibility and sacrifice.

The author candidly reflects on the challenges of balancing their familial obligations with their desire for personal growth and independence. The author's frustration and sense of overwhelm are palpable as they navigate the demands of caring for multiple siblings while also trying to pursue their own goals and aspirations. The contrast between the author's responsibilities as the oldest sibling and their longing for "sane seventeen-year-old activities" effectively highlights the tension between duty and personal desires.

The message of the essay effectively communicates the author's resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges they face, the author demonstrates a sense of agency and resourcefulness, such as waking up at three in the morning to work and finding moments of freedom amidst their responsibilities. This resilience reflects the author's inner strength and determination to overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams.

5. East Asian Bibliophile / Not “Black Enough”

Growing up, my world was basketball. My summers were spent between the two solid black lines. My skin was consistently tan in splotches and ridden with random scratches. My wardrobe consisted mainly of track shorts, Nike shoes, and tournament t-shirts. Gatorade and Fun Dip were my pre-game snacks. The cacophony of rowdy crowds, ref whistles, squeaky shoes, and scoreboard buzzers was a familiar sound. I was the team captain of almost every team I played on—familiar with the Xs and Os of plays, commander of the court, and the coach’s right hand girl.

But that was only me on the surface.

Deep down I was an East-Asian influenced bibliophile and a Young Adult fiction writer.

Hidden in the cracks of a blossoming collegiate level athlete was a literary fiend. I devoured books in the daylight. I crafted stories at night time. After games, after practice, after conditioning I found nooks of solitude. Within these moments, I became engulfed in a world of my own creation. Initially, I only read young adult literature, but I grew to enjoy literary fiction and self-help: Kafka, Dostoevsky, Branden, Csikszentmihalyi. I expanded my bubble to Google+ critique groups, online discussion groups, blogs, writing competitions and clubs. I wrote my first novel in fifth grade, my second in seventh grade, and started my third in ninth grade. Reading was instinctual. Writing was impulsive.

In this essay, the complexities of identity and personal growth are presented through a multi-dimensional portrait of the author's cultural experiences and interests. The opening vividly describes the author's immersion in the world of basketball, showcasing their athleticism and leadership on the court . The essay quickly moves into substantive analysis, revealing the author's passion for literature and writing, as well as their deep connection to East Asian culture and philosophy.

Through anecdotes and reflections, the author skillfully juxtaposes their outward persona as an athlete with their internal world as a bibliophile and writer. This contrast highlights the complexity of identity and challenges stereotypes, demonstrating that individuals can possess a range of interests and talents beyond societal expectations. The author's journey of self-discovery, from devouring young adult literature to emulating authors like Haruki Murakami, adds depth to the narrative and underscores their intellectual curiosity and growth.

The internal and external conflicts faced by the author are developed in the essay body, including the pressure to conform to stereotypes and the challenges of balancing multiple passions. The author's experiences of being judged and bullied for not fitting into narrow expectations highlight the importance of embracing individuality and resisting societal norms. The author unpacks their overall resilience and determination to pursue their diverse interests despite obstacles, including overcoming ACL injuries and transitioning to homeschooling. By detailing their involvement in various extracurricular activities and nonprofit initiatives, the author demonstrates their desire to make a positive impact and empower others to reach their potential.

6. Instagram Post

On “Silent Siege Day,” many students in my high school joined the Students for Life club and wore red armbands with “LIFE” on them. As a non-Catholic in a Catholic school, I knew I had to be cautious in expressing my opinion on the abortion debate. However, when I saw that all of the armband-bearing students were male, I could not stay silent.

I wrote on Instagram, “pro-choice does not necessarily imply pro-abortion; it means that we respect a woman’s fundamental right to make her own choice regarding her own body.”

Some of my peers expressed support but others responded by calling me a dumb bitch, among other names. When I demanded an apology for the name-calling, I was told I needed to learn to take a joke: “you have a lot of anger, I think you need a boyfriend.” Another one of my peers apparently thought the post was sarcastic (?) and said “I didn’t know women knew how to use sarcasm.”

One by one, I responded. I was glad to have sparked discussion, but by midnight, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

This is a strong essay, effectively recounting a journey of self-discovery and activism, beginning with a pivotal moment of speaking out against the majority opinion on abortion rights at their Catholic high school. The author's courage in challenging societal norms and expressing their beliefs, despite potential backlash, is evident from the outset. B y sharing a personal anecdote of facing criticism and derogatory comments on social media, the author gives a clear look at the emotional toll of standing up for one's beliefs in the face of adversity.

The essay integrates the author's reflections on their evolving understanding of social justice and feminism, sparked by their experiences and research following "The Post." Through engaging with feminist literature and studying historical movements like the Civil Rights Movement , the author demonstrates a growing awareness of systemic inequalities and the importance of dissent in effecting change. The author's decision to volunteer with Girls on the Run and engage in political activism, such as signing petitions and advocating against discriminatory policies, underscores their commitment to advancing social justice beyond their personal experiences.

This ambition reflects the author's desire to contribute to positive societal change and advocate for marginalized communities on a broader scale. The essay effectively conveys a sense of optimism and determination for the future, encapsulated by the author's vision of becoming the first Asian woman on the Supreme Court.

The labels that I bear are hung from me like branches on a tree: disruptive, energetic, creative, loud, fun, easily distracted, clever, a space cadet, a problem … and that tree has roots called ADHD. The diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder made a lot of sense when it was handed down. I was diagnosed later than other children, probably owing to my sex, which is female; people with ADHD who are female often present in different ways from our male counterparts and are just as often missed by psychiatrists.

Over the years, these labels served as either a badge or a bludgeon, keeping me from certain activities, ruining friendships, or becoming elements of my character that I love about myself and have brought me closer to people I care about. Every trait is a double-edged sword.

The years that brought me to where I am now have been strange and uneven. I had a happy childhood, even if I was a “handful” for my parents. As I grew and grew in awareness of how I could be a problem, I developed anxiety over behavior I simply couldn’t control. With the diagnosis, I received relief, and yet, soon I was thinking of myself as broken, and I quickly attributed every setback to my neurological condition.

The author begins the essay by candidly acknowledging the various labels and stereotypes associated with their condition, illustrating the challenges of navigating societal perceptions and self-perception. By highlighting the gendered aspect of ADHD diagnosis and its impact on their experiences, the author sheds light on the complexity of neurodiversity and the importance of recognition and understanding.

Throughout the essay, the author reflects on the dual nature of their ADHD traits, acknowledging both the struggles and strengths associated with their condition. They eloquently describe how their ADHD has influenced various aspects of their life, from friendships to academic performance to sports achievements. By sharing personal anecdotes and reflections, the essay effectively captures the author's journey of self-acceptance and reframing their perspective on their ADHD.

The author acknowledges the initial sense of relief upon receiving their diagnosis, followed by feelings of brokenness and self-doubt. However, through introspection and self-compassion, the author ultimately embraces their neurodiversity as a fundamental aspect of their identity. This shift in mindset from viewing their brain as "wrong" to recognizing its uniqueness and resilience is a powerful testament to the author's growth and resilience.

By volunteering at a mental health resource center and advocating for the normalization of neurodiversity, the author demonstrates a desire to create a more inclusive and compassionate society. The essay effectively communicates a message of empathy, acceptance, and celebration of diversity, encouraging readers to embrace their own differences and those of others.

Links to full essays:

Essay Three

Essay Seven

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’d like to pursue a rigorous research program open to high schoolers, you may want to consider the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation , a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Alexej is a graduate of Princeton University, where he studied Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Humanities & Sciences. Alexej works in college admissions consulting, and is passionate about pursuing research at the intersection of humanities, linguistics, and psychology. He enjoys creative writing, hiking, and playing the piano.

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6 Diversity College Essay Examples

What’s covered:, how to write the diversity essay after the end of affirmative action, essay #1: jewish identity, essay #2: being bangladeshi-american, essay #3: marvel vs dc, essay #4: leadership as a first-gen american, essay #5: protecting the earth, essay #6: music and accents, where to get your diversity essays edited, what is the diversity essay.

While working on your college applications, you may come across essays that focus on diversity , culture, or values. The purpose of these essays is to highlight any diverse views or opinions that you may bring to campus. Colleges want a diverse student body that’s made up of different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and interests. These essay prompts are a way for them to see what students can bring to their school.

In this post, we will share six essays written by real students that cover the topic of culture and diversity. We’ll also include what each essay did well and where there is room for improvement. Hopefully, this will be a useful resource to inspire your own diversity essay.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. That said, you should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and they will not have a favorable view of students who have plagiarized.

In June 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional. In other words, they struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions . This will affect college-bound students of color in a number of ways, including lowering their chances of acceptance and reducing the amount of direct outreach they’ll receive from colleges. Another change to consider is the ways in which students should tackle their diversity essays.

Although colleges can no longer directly factor race into admissions, students aren’t prohibited from discussing their racial backgrounds in supplemental application essays. If your racial background is important to you, seriously consider writing about it in your diversity essays. If you don’t, admissions officers are extremely limited in their ability to consider your race when making an admission decision.

As in the essays listed below, discussing your race is an excellent tool for showing admissions officers the person behind the grades and test scores. Beyond that, it provides admissions officers with an opportunity to put themselves in your shoes—showing them how your background has presented challenges to overcome, helped build important life skills, and taught you valuable lessons.

Diversity Essay Examples

I was thirsty. In my wallet was a lone $10 bill, ultimately useless at my school’s vending machine. Tasked with scrounging together the $1 cost of a water bottle, I fished out and arranged the spare change that normally hid in the bottom of my backpack in neat piles of nickels and dimes on my desk. I swept them into a spare Ziploc and began to leave when a classmate snatched the bag and held it above my head.

“Want your money back, Jew?” she chanted, waving the coins around. I had forgotten the Star-of-David around my neck, but quickly realized she must have seen it and connected it to the stacks of coins. I am no stranger to experiencing and confronting antisemitism, but I had never been targeted in my school before. I grabbed my bag and sternly told her to leave. Although she sauntered away, the impact remained.

This incident serves as an example of the adversity I have and will continue to face from those who only see me as a stereotype. Ironically, however, these experiences of discrimination have only increased my pride as a member of the Jewish Community. Continuing to wear the Star-of-David connects me to my history and my family. I find meaning and direction in my community’s values, such as pride, education, and giving—and I am eager to transfer these values to my new community: the Duke community.

What the Essay Did Well

Writing about discrimination can be difficult, but if you are comfortable doing it, it can make for a powerful story. Although this essay is short and focused on one small interaction, it represents a much larger struggle for this student, and for that reason it makes the essay very impactful.

The author takes her time at the beginning of the essay to build the scene for the audience, which allows us to feel like we are there with her, making the hateful comments even more jarring later on. If she had just told us her classmate teased her with harmful stereotypes, we wouldn’t feel the same sense of anger as we do knowing that she was just trying to get a drink and ended up being harassed.

This essay does another important thing—it includes self-reflection on the experience and on the student’s identity. Without elaborating on the emotional impact of a situation, an essay about discrimination would make admission officers feel bad for the student, but they wouldn’t be compelled to admit the student. By describing how experiences like these drive her and make her more determined to embody positive values, this student reveals her character to the readers.

What Could Be Improved

While including emotional reflection in the latter half of the essay is important, the actual sentences could be tightened up a bit to leave a stronger impression. The student does a nice job of showing us her experience with antisemitism, but she just tells us about the impact it has on her. If she instead showed us what the impact looked like, the essay would be even better.

For example, rather than telling us “Continuing to wear the Star-of-David connects me to my history and my family,” she could have shown that connection: “My Star-of-David necklace thumps against my heart with every step I take, reminding me of my great-grandparents who had to hide their stars, my grandma’s spindly fingers lighting the menorah each Hanukkah, and my uncle’s homemade challah bread.” This new sentence reveals so much more than the existing sentence about the student and the deep connection she feels with her family and religion.

Life before was good: verdant forests, sumptuous curries, and a devoted family.

Then, my family abandoned our comfortable life in Bangladesh for a chance at the American dream in Los Angeles. Within our first year, my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He lost his battle three weeks before my sixth birthday. Facing a new country without the steady presence of my father, we were vulnerable—prisoners of hardship in the land of the free.

We resettled in the Bronx, in my uncle’s renovated basement. It was meant to be our refuge, but I felt more displaced than ever. Gone were the high-rise condos of West L.A.; instead, government projects towered over the neighborhood. Pedestrians no longer smiled and greeted me; the atmosphere was hostile, even toxic. Schoolkids were quick to pick on those they saw as weak or foreign, hurling harsh words I’d never heard before.

Meanwhile, my family began integrating into the local Bangladeshi community. I struggled to understand those who shared my heritage. Bangladeshi mothers stayed home while fathers drove cabs and sold fruit by the roadside—painful societal positions. Riding on crosstown buses or walking home from school, I began to internalize these disparities.

During my fleeting encounters with affluent Upper East Siders, I saw kids my age with nannies, parents who wore suits to work, and luxurious apartments with spectacular views. Most took cabs to their destinations: cabs that Bangladeshis drove. I watched the mundane moments of their lives with longing, aching to plant myself in their shoes. Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.

As I grappled with my relationship with the Bangladeshi community, I turned my attention to helping my Bronx community by pursuing an internship with Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda. I handled desk work and took calls, spending the bulk of my time actively listening to the hardships constituents faced—everything from a veteran stripped of his benefits to a grandmother unable to support her bedridden grandchild.

I’d never exposed myself to stories like these, and now I was the first to hear them. As an intern, I could only assist in what felt like the small ways—pointing out local job offerings, printing information on free ESL classes, reaching out to non-profits. But to a community facing an onslaught of intense struggles, I realized that something as small as these actions could have vast impacts.

Seeing the immediate consequences of my actions inspired me. Throughout that summer, I internalized my community’s daily challenges in a new light. I began to see the prevalent underemployment and cramped living quarters less as sources of shame. Instead, I saw them as realities that had to be acknowledged, but that could ultimately be remedied.

I also realized the benefits of the Bangladeshi culture I had been so ashamed of. My Bangla language skills were an asset to the office, and my understanding of Bangladeshi etiquette allowed for smooth communication between office staff and the office’s constituents. As I helped my neighbors navigate city services, I saw my heritage with pride—a perspective I never expected to have.

I can now appreciate the value of my unique culture and background, and the value of living with less. This perspective offers room for progress, community integration, and a future worth fighting for. My time with Assemblyman Sepulveda’s office taught me that I can be an agent of change who can enable this progression. Far from being ashamed of my community, I want to someday return to local politics in the Bronx to continue helping others access the American Dream. I hope to help my community appreciate the opportunity to make progress together. By embracing reality, I learned to live it. Along the way, I discovered one thing: life is good, but we can make it better.

This student’s passion for social justice and civic duty shines through in this essay because of how honest it is. Sharing their personal experience with immigrating, moving around, being an outsider, and finding a community allows us to see the hardships this student has faced and builds empathy towards their situation.

However, what really makes it strong is that the student goes beyond describing the difficulties they faced and explains the mental impact it had on them as a child: “Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.” The rejection of their culture presented at the beginning of the essay creates a nice juxtaposition with the student’s view in the latter half of the essay, and helps demonstrate how they have matured.

They then use their experience interning as a way to delve into a change in their thought process about their culture. This experience also serves as a way to show how their passion for social justice began. Using this experience as a mechanism to explore their thoughts and feelings is an excellent example of how items that are included elsewhere on your application should be incorporated into your essay.

This essay prioritizes emotions and personal views over specific anecdotes. Although there are details and certain moments incorporated throughout to emphasize the author’s points, the main focus remains on the student and how they grapple with their culture and identity.

One area for improvement is the conclusion. Although the forward-looking approach is a nice way to end an essay focused on social justice, it would be nice to include more details and imagery in the conclusion. How does the student want to help their community? What government position do they see themselves holding one day?

A more impactful ending might describe the student walking into their office at the New York City Housing Authority in 15 years. This future student might be looking at the plans to build a new development in the Bronx just blocks away from where they grew up that would provide quality housing to people in their Bangladeshi community. They would smile while thinking about how far they have come from that young kid who used to be ashamed of their culture.

Superhero cinema is an oligopoly consisting of two prominent, towering brands: Marvel and DC. I’m a religious supporter of Marvel, but last year, I discovered that my friend, Tom, was a DC fan. After a vociferous 20-minute quarrel about which was better, we decided to allocate one day to have a professional debate, using carefully assembled and coherent arguments.

One week later, we both brought pages of notes and evidence cards (I also had my Iron-Man bobblehead for moral support). Our impartial moderator—a Disney fan—sat in the middle with a stopwatch, open-policy style. I began the debate by discussing how Marvel accentuated the humanity of the storyline—such as in Tony Stark’s transformation from an egotistical billionaire to a compassionate father—which drew in a broader audience, because more people resonated with certain aspects of the characters. Tom rebutted this by capitalizing on how Deadpool was a duplicate of Deathstroke, how Vision copied Red Tornado, and how DC sold more comics than Marvel.

40 minutes later, we reached an impasse. We were out of cards, and we both made excellent points, so our moderator was unable to declare a winner. Difficult conversations aren’t necessarily always the ones that make political headlines. Instead, a difficult discussion involves any topic with which people share an emotional connection.

Over the years, I became so emotionally invested in Marvel that my mind erected an impenetrable shield, blocking out all other possibilities. Even today, we haven’t decided which franchise was better, but I realized that I was undermining DC for no reason other than my own ignorance.

The inevitability of diversity suggests that it is our responsibility to understand the other person and what they believe in. We may not always experience a change in opinion, but we can grant ourselves the opportunity to expand our global perspective. I strive to continue this adventure to increase my awareness as a superhero aficionado, activist, and student, by engaging in conversations that require me to think beyond what I believe and to view the world from others’ perspectives.

And yes, Tom is still my friend.

Diversity doesn’t always have to be about culture or heritage; diversity exists all around us, even in our comic book preferences. The cleverness of this essay lies in the way the student flipped the traditional diversity prompt on its head and instead discussed his diverse perspective on a topic he is passionate about. If you don’t have a cultural connection you are compelled to write about, this is a nifty approach to a diversity prompt—if it’s handled appropriately.

While this student has a non-traditional topic, he still presents it in a way that pays respect to the key aspects of a diversity essay: depicting his perspective and recognizing the importance of diverse views. Just as someone who is writing about a culture that is possibly unfamiliar to the reader, the student describes what makes Marvel and DC unique and important to him and his friend, respectively. He also expands on how a lack of diversity in superhero consumption led to his feeling of ignorance, and how it now makes him appreciate the need for diversity in all aspects of his life.

This student is unapologetically himself in this essay, which is ultimately why this unorthodox topic is able to work. He committed to his passion for Marvel by sharing analytical takes on characters and demonstrating how the franchise was so important to his identity that it momentarily threatened a friendship. The inclusion of humor through his personal voice—e.g., referring to the argument as a professional debate and telling us that the friendship lived on—contributes to the essay feeling deeply personal.

Choosing an unconventional topic for a diversity essay requires extra care and attention to ensure that you are still addressing the core of the prompt. That being said, if you accomplish it successfully, it makes for an incredibly memorable essay that could easily set you apart!

While this is a great essay as is, the idea of diversity could have been addressed a little bit earlier in the piece to make it absolutely clear the student is writing about his diverse perspective. He positions Marvel and DC as two behemoths in the superhero movie industry, but in the event that his reader is unfamiliar with these two brands, there is little context about the cultural impact each has on its fans.

To this student, Marvel is more than just a movie franchise; it’s a crucial part of his identity, just as someone’s race or religion might be. In order for the reader to fully understand the weight of his perspective, there should be further elaboration—towards the beginning—on how important Marvel is to this student.

Leadership was thrust upon me at a young age. When I was six years old, my abusive father abandoned my family, leaving me to step up as the “man” of the house. From having to watch over my little sister to cooking dinner three nights a week, I never lived an ideal suburban life. I didn’t enjoy the luxuries of joining after-school activities, getting driven to school or friends’ houses, or taking weekend trips to the movies or bowling alley. Instead, I spent my childhood navigating legal hurdles, shouldering family responsibilities, and begrudgingly attending court-mandated therapy sessions.

At the same time, I tried to get decent grades and maintain my Colombian roots and Spanish fluency enough to at least partially communicate with my grandparents, both of whom speak little English. Although my childhood had its bright and joyful moments, much of it was weighty and would have been exhausting for any child to bear. In short, I grew up fast. However, the responsibilities I took on at home prepared me to be a leader and to work diligently, setting me up to use these skills later in life.

I didn’t have much time to explore my interests until high school, where I developed my knack for government and for serving others. Being cast in a lead role in my school’s fall production as a freshman was the first thing to give me the confidence I needed to pursue other activities: namely, student government. Shortly after being cast, I was elected Freshman Vice-President, a role that put me in charge of promoting events, delegating daily office tasks, collaborating with the administration on new school initiatives, and planning trips and fundraisers.

While my new position demanded a significant amount of responsibility, my childhood of helping my mom manage our household prepared me to be successful in the role. When I saw the happy faces of my classmates after a big event, I felt proud to know that I had made even a small difference to them. Seeing projects through to a successful outcome was thrilling. I enjoyed my time and responsibilities so much that I served all four years of high school, going on to become Executive Vice-President.

As I found success in high school, my mother and grandparents began speaking more about the life they faced prior to emigrating from Colombia. To better connect with them, I took a series of Spanish language classes to regain my fluency. After a practice run through my presentation on Bendíceme, Ultima ( Bless me, Ultima ) by Rudolofo Anaya, with my grandmother, she squeezed my hand and told me the story of how my family was forced from their home in order to live free of religious persecution. Though my grandparents have often expressed how much better their lives and their children’s lives have been in America, I have often struggled with my identity. I felt that much of it was erased with my loss of our native language.

In elementary school, I learned English best because in class I was surrounded by it. Spanish was more difficult to grasp without a formal education, and my family urged me to become fluent in English so I could be of better help to them in places as disparate as government agencies and grocery stores. When I was old enough to recognize the large part of my identity still rooted in being Colombian, it was challenging to connect these two sides of who I was.

Over time I have been able to reconcile the two in the context of my aspirations. I found purpose and fulfillment through student council, and I knew that I could help other families like my own if I worked in local government. By working through city offices that address housing, education, and support for survivors of childhood abuse, I could give others the same liberties and opportunities my family has enjoyed in this country. Doing so would also help me honor my roots as a first-generation American.

I have been a leader my entire life. Both at Harvard and after graduation, I want to continue that trend. I hope to volunteer with organizations that share my goals. I want to advise policy-making politicians on ways to make children and new immigrants safer and more secure. When my family was at their worst, my community gave back. I hope to give that gift to future generations. A career in local, city-based public service is not a rashly made decision; it is a reflection of where I’ve already been in life, and where I want to be in the future.

Although this essay begins on a somber note, it goes on to show this student’s determination and the joy he found. Importantly, it also ends with a positive, forward-looking perspective. This is a great example of how including your hardship can bolster an essay as long as it is not the essay’s main focus.

Explaining the challenges this student faced from a young age—becoming the man of the house, dealing with legal matters, maintaining good grades, etc.—builds sympathy for his situation. However, the first paragraph is even more impactful because he explains the emotional toll these actions had on him. We understand how he lost the innocence of his childhood and how he struggled to remain connected to his Colombian heritage with all his other responsibilities. Including these details truly allows the reader to see this student’s struggle, making us all the more joyful when he comes out stronger in the end.

Pivoting to discuss positive experiences with student government and Spanish classes for the rest of the essay demonstrates that this student has a positive approach to life and is willing to push through challenges. The tone of the essay shifts from heavy to uplifting. He explains the joy he got out of helping his classmates and connecting with his grandparents, once again providing emotional reflection to make the reader care more.

Overall, this essay does a nice job of demonstrating how this student approaches challenges and negative experiences. Admitting that the responsibilities of his childhood had a silver lining shows his maturity and how he will be able to succeed in government one day. The essay strikes a healthy balance between challenge and hope, leaving us with a positive view of a student with such emotional maturity.

Although the content of this essay is very strong, it struggles with redundancy and disorganized information. He mentions his passion for government at the beginning of the student government paragraph, then again addresses government in the paragraph focused on his Colombian heritage, and concludes by talking about how he wants to get into government once more. Similarly, in the first paragraph, he discusses the struggle of maintaining his Colombian identity and then fully delves into that topic in the third paragraph.

The repetition of ideas and lack of a streamlined organization of this student’s thoughts diminishes some of the emotional impact of the story. The reader is left trying to piece together a swirling mass of information on their own, rather than having a focused, sequential order to follow.

This could be fixed if the student rearranged details to make each paragraph focused on a singular idea. For example, the first paragraph could be about his childhood. The second could be about how student government sparked his interest in government and what he hopes to do one day. The third could be about how he reconnected with his Colombian roots through his Spanish classes, after years of struggling with his identity. And the final paragraph could tie everything together by explaining how everything led to him wanting to pursue a future serving others, particularly immigrants like his family.

Alternatively, the essay could follow a sequential order that would start with his childhood, then explain his struggle with his identity, then show how student government and Spanish classes helped him find himself, and finally, conclude with what he hopes to accomplish by pursuing government.

In the short life of our little community, we did what we thought was impossible. By feeding on each other’s infectious tenacity, we cultivated an atmosphere that deepened our commitment to our values and empowered us to speak out on behalf of the environment. After a week of stimulating conversations and introspective revelations about engaging people from our hometowns in environmental advocacy, we developed a shared determination to devote our lives to this cause.

As we shared a goodbye hug, my new friend whispered, “The world needs saving. Someone’s gotta do it.” For the first time, I believed that that someone could be me.

This student is expressing their diversity through their involvement in a particular community—another nice approach if you don’t want to write about culture or ethnicity. We all have unique things that we geek out over. This student expresses the joy that they derived from finding a community where they could express their love for the environment. Passion is fundamental to university life and generally finds its way into any successful application.

The essay finds strength in the fact that readers feel for the student. We get a little bit of backstory about where they come from and how they felt silenced— “Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns” —so it’s easy to feel joy for them when they get set free and finally find their community.

This student displays clear values: community, ecoconsciousness, dedication, and compassion. An admissions officer who reads a diversity essay is looking for students with strong values who will enrich the university community with their unique perspective—that sounds just like this student!

One area of weakness in this essay is the introduction. The opening line— “I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest” —is a bit clichéd. Introductions should be captivating and build excitement and suspense for what is to come. Simply telling the reader about how your experience made you understand the power of community reveals the main takeaway of your essay without the reader needing to go any further.

Instead of starting this essay with a summary of what the essay is about, the student should have made their hook part of the story. Whether that looks like them being exasperated with comments their classmates made about politics, or them looking around apprehensively at the seven strangers in their program as they all boarded their flight, the student should start off in the action.

India holds a permanent place in my heart and ears. Whenever I returned on a trip or vacation, I would show my grandmother how to play Monopoly and she would let me tie her sari. I would teach my grandfather English idioms—which he would repeat to random people and fishmongers on the streets—and he would teach me Telugu phrases.

It was a curious exchange of worlds that I am reminded of every time I listen to Indian music. It was these tunes that helped me reconnect with my heritage and ground my meandering identity. Indian music, unlike the stereotype I’d long been imbued with, was not just a one-and-done Bollywood dance number! Each region and language was like an island with its own unique sonic identity. I’m grateful for my discovery of Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil tunes, for these discoveries have opened me up to the incredible smorgasbord of diversity, depth, and complexity within the subcontinent I was born in.

Here’s an entirely-different sonic identity for you: Texan slang. “Couldya pass the Mango seltzer, please, hon?” asked my Houstonian neighbor, Rae Ann—her syllables melding together like the sticky cake batter we were making.

Rae Ann and her twang were real curiosities to me. Once, she invited my family to a traditional Texan barbecue with the rest of our neighbors. As Hindus, we didn’t eat beef, so we showed up with chicken kebabs, instead. Rather than looking at us bizarrely, she gladly accepted the dish, lining it up beside grilled loins and hamburger patties.

Her gesture was a small but very well-accepted one and I quickly became convinced she was the human manifestation of “Southern hospitality”—something reflected in each of her viscous, honey-dripping phrases. “Watch out for the skeeters!” was an excellent example. It was always funny at first, but conveyed a simple message: We’ve got each other’s backs and together, we can overcome the blood-sucking mosquitoes of the Houstonian summer! I began to see how her words built bridges, not boundaries.

I believe that sounds—whether it’s music or accents—can make a difference in the ways we perceive and accept individuals from other backgrounds. But sound is about listening too. In Rice’s residential college, I would be the type of person to strike up a conversation with an international student and ask for one of their Airpods (you’d be surprised how many different genres and languages of music I’ve picked up in this way!).

As both an international student and Houstonian at heart, I hope to bridge the gap between Rice’s domestic and international populations. Whether it’s organizing cultural events or simply taking the time to get to know a student whose first language isn’t English, I look forward to listening to the stories that only a fellow wanderer can tell.

This essay does an excellent job of addressing two aspects of this student’s identity. Looking at diversity through sound is a very creative way to descriptively depict their Indian and Texan cultures. Essays are always more successful when they stimulate the senses, so framing the entire response around sound automatically opens the door for vivid imagery.

The quotes from this student’s quirky neighbor bring a sense of realism to the essay. We can feel ourselves at the barbecue and hear her thick Texan accent coming through. The way people communicate is a huge part of their culture and identity, so the way that this student perfectly captures the essence of their Texan identity with accented phrases is skillfully done.

This essay does such a great job of making the sounds of Texas jump off the page, so it is a bit disappointing that it wasn’t able to accomplish the same for India. The student describes the different Indian languages and music styles, but doesn’t bring them to life with quotes or onomatopoeia in the manner that they did for the sounds of Texas.

They could have described the buzz of the sitar or the lyrical pattern of the Telugu phrases their grandfather taught them. Telling us about the diversity of sounds in Indian music is fine, but if the reader can’t appreciate what those sounds resemble, it makes it harder to understand the Indian half of the author’s identity. Especially since this student emulated the sounds and essence of Texas so well, it’s important that India is given the same treatment so we can fully appreciate both sides of this essay.

More Supplemental Essay Tips

How to Write a Stellar “Why This College?” Essay + Examples

How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity College Essay

Do you want feedback on your diversity essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

What if Diversity Training Is Doing More Harm Than Good?

An illustration of a triangular prism. A ray of light with shades of brown passes through it and converts the color to shades of gray.

By Jesse Singal

Mr. Singal is the author of “ The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure Our Social Ills .”

Diversity training has been around for decades, long before the country’s latest round of racial reckoning. But after George Floyd’s murder — as companies faced pressure to demonstrate a commitment to racial justice — interest in the diversity, equity and inclusion (D.E.I.) industry exploded . The American market reached an estimated $3.4 billion in 2020.

D.E.I. training is designed to help organizations become more welcoming to members of traditionally marginalized groups. Advocates make bold promises: Diversity workshops can foster better intergroup relations, improve the retention of minority employees, close recruitment gaps and so on. The only problem? There’s little evidence that many of these initiatives work. And the specific type of diversity training that is currently in vogue — mandatory training that blames dominant groups for D.E.I. problems — may well have a net negative effect on the outcomes managers claim to care about.

Over the years, social scientists who have conducted careful reviews of the evidence base for diversity training have frequently come to discouraging conclusions. Though diversity training workshops have been around in one form or another since at least the 1960s, few of them are ever subjected to rigorous evaluation, and those that are mostly appear to have little or no positive long-term effects. The lack of evidence is “disappointing,” wrote Elizabeth Levy Paluck of Princeton and her co-authors in a 2021 Annual Review of Psychology article, “considering the frequency with which calls for diversity training emerge in the wake of widely publicized instances of discriminatory conduct.”

Dr. Paluck’s team found just two large experimental studies in the previous decade that attempted to evaluate the effects of diversity training and met basic quality benchmarks. Other researchers have been similarly unimpressed. “We have been speaking to employers about this research for more than a decade,” wrote the sociologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev in 2018, “with the message that diversity training is likely the most expensive, and least effective, diversity program around.” (To be fair, not all of these critiques apply as sharply to voluntary diversity training.)

If diversity training has no impact whatsoever, that would mean that perhaps billions of dollars are being wasted annually in the United States on these efforts. But there’s a darker possibility: Some diversity initiatives might actually worsen the D.E.I. climates of the organizations that pay for them.

That’s partly because any psychological intervention may turn out to do more harm than good. The psychologist Scott Lilienfeld made this point in an influential 2007 article in which he argued that certain interventions — including ones geared at fighting youth substance use, youth delinquency and PTSD — most likely fell into that category. In the case of D.E.I., Dr. Dobbin and Dr. Kalev warn that diversity training that is mandatory or that threatens dominant groups’ sense of belonging or makes them feel blamed may elicit negative backlash or exacerbate biases.

Many popular contemporary D.E.I. approaches meet these criteria. They often seem geared more toward sparking a revolutionary reunderstanding of race relations than solving organizations’ specific problems. And they often blame white people — or their culture — for harming people of color. For example, the activist Tema Okun’s work cites concepts like objectivity and worship of the written word as characteristics of “white supremacy culture.” Robin DiAngelo’s “white fragility” training sessions are designed to make white participants uncomfortable. And microaggression training workshops are based on an area of academic literature that claims, without quality evidence , that common utterances like “America is a melting pot” harm the mental health of people of color. Many of these training sessions run counter to the views of most Americans — of any color — on race and equality. And they’re generating exactly the sort of backlash that research predicts.

Just ask employees at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which had to issue an apology after it posted an Okunesque graphic that presented rational thought, hard work and “emphasis on scientific method” as attributes of “white culture.”

Then there are the lawsuits. As The New York Times Magazine noted in 2020, at least half a dozen people who had been employed by the New York City Department of Education filed lawsuits or won settlements in cases relating to mandatory D.E.I. training. Racial affinity groups, a popular intervention in which participants are temporarily separated by race so they can talk about race, have perhaps proved even more problematic. They’ve sparked complaints in places like Jacksonville, Fla. , where a principal was temporarily reassigned after she attempted to separate white students from students of color to discuss cultural issues, and Wellesley, Mass., where the creation of racial affinity groups for students provoked a now-settled lawsuit from a conservative group.

Not every complaint is valid, not every lawsuit has merit, and backlash against conversations about racial justice is nothing new. Martin Luther King Jr. had an unfavorable rating of 63 percent before his assassination. If common diversity training definitively made institutions fairer or more inclusive in measurable ways, then one could argue it is worth it, backlash and mounting legal fees notwithstanding. But there’s little evidence that it does.

So what does work? Robert Livingston, a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School who works as both a bias researcher and a diversity consultant, had a simple proposal: “Focus on actions and behaviors rather than hearts and minds.”

Dr. Livingston suggested that it’s more important to accurately diagnose an organization’s specific problems with D.E.I. and to come up with concrete strategies for solving them than it is to attempt to change the attitudes of individual employees. And D.E.I. challenges vary widely from organization to organization: Sometimes the problem has to do with the relationship between white and nonwhite employees, sometimes it has to do with the recruitment or retention of employees, and sometimes it has to do with disparate treatment of clientele. (Think of Black patients prescribed less pain medication than white ones.)

The legwork it takes to understand and solve these problems isn’t necessarily glamorous. If you want more Black and Latino people in management roles at your large company, that might require gathering data on what percentage of applicants come from these groups, interviewing current Black and Latino managers on whether there are climate issues that could be contributing to the problem and possibly beefing up recruitment efforts at, say, business schools with high percentages of Black and Latino graduates. Even solving this one problem — and it’s a fairly common one — could take hundreds of hours of labor.

The truth, as Dr. Livingston pointed out, is that not every organization is up to this sort of task. Ticking a box and moving on can be the more attractive option. “Some organizations want to do window dressing,” he said. “And if so, then, OK, bring in a white fragility workshop and know you’ve accomplished your goal.”

The history of diversity training sessions is, in a sense, a history of fads. Maybe the current crop will wither over time, new ones will sprout that are stunted by the same lack of evidence, and a decade from now someone else will write a version of this article. But it’s also possible that organizations will grow tired of throwing time and money at training sessions for which the upside is mostly theoretical and the potential downsides include unhappy employees, public embarrassment and even lawsuits. It’s possible they will realize that a true commitment to D.E.I. does not lend itself to easy solutions.

Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) is the author of “ The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure Our Social Ills ” and a host of the podcast “Blocked and Reported.” He writes the newsletter Singal-Minded.

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Diversity Training Goals, Limitations, and Promise: A Review of the Multidisciplinary Literature

Patricia g. devine.

1 Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;

Tory L. Ash

2 Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA;

In this review, we utilize a narrative approach to synthesize the multidisciplinary literature on diversity training. In examining hundreds of articles on the topic, we discovered that the literature is amorphous and complex and does not allow us to reach decisive conclusions regarding best practices in diversity training. We note that scholars of diversity training, when testing the efficacy of their approaches, too often use proxy measures for success that are far removed from the types of consequential outcomes that reflect the purported goals of such trainings. We suggest that the enthusiasm for, and monetary investment in, diversity training has outpaced the available evidence that such programs are effective in achieving their goals. We recommend that researchers and practitioners work together for future investigations to propel the science of diversity training forward. We conclude with a roadmap for how to create a more rigorous and relevant science of diversity training.

INTRODUCTION

Public discourse and popular media are flooded with stories of companies implementing diversity training (DT) in response to highly publicized, and often reputation damaging, instances of bias. In a particularly salient case, Starbucks closed all 175,000 stores to host a four-hour antibias training following the controversial arrest of two Black patrons purportedly loitering while waiting for an associate to arrive ( Stewart 2018 ). In response to the outrage following the expulsion of Black passengers for allegedly laughing too loudly on the Napa Valley Train, the CEO of the company publicly promised to provide DT for all his employees ( Bhattacharjee 2016 ). In another example, Delta Air Lines offered unconscious bias training for all 23,000 flight attendants after a Black physician’s credentials were questioned when she attempted to provide emergency medical care to a fellow passenger ( Crespo 2018 ). Although the public is all too familiar with promises of reform via employee DT, much less attention is paid to the content, objectives, and effectiveness of DT. Specifically, what are the goals of DT? What should be included in DT? How would an interested consumer recognize an effective DT program? And is DT effective in reducing bias, or is it rife with empty promises?

Many scholars and laypeople alike argue that DT may be effective across a variety of contexts for reducing intergroup anxiety, preventing discrimination, and ultimately, promoting social justice. We find the hunger for knowledge regarding what practitioners can do to create more inclusive environments encouraging, as motivation to address bias is the necessary first step to achieving greater equity ( Devine 1989 ). However, the well-intentioned, yet uninformed, consumer may quickly become overwhelmed by the breadth of DT programs currently available. DT programs go by many names and range from diversity and inclusion certification programs at accredited universities to bias training via online modules and consultation services from diversity, equity, and inclusion experts. Although many programs boast endorsements from well-known companies that vouch for the efficacy of their services, their websites provide little evidence supporting the effectiveness of their programs. Despite stylish web pages featuring photos of diverse work teams, lofty promises, and persuasive customer testimonials, there is a lack of information about the particular content, techniques, and evidentiary basis underlying the application of each training. Moreover, diligent browsers are often frustrated in their efforts because many websites prohibit prospective clients from gaining more information without signing up for a listserv, consultation, or free trial.

Despite the abundance of DT programs available to purchase by the public, the practice of offering DT has gotten too far ahead of the evidence suggesting they are helpful (e.g., Green & Hagiwara 2020 , Moss-Racusin et al. 2014 , Paluck et al. 2020 ). Furthermore, some scholars explicitly question the ethics of implementing such trainings without evidence of their efficacy ( Paluck 2012 ). Others have sounded the alarm that such trainings may even be counterproductive and may be associated with a decrease in the representation of employees from historically marginalized groups ( Dobbin & Kalev 2016 , Dover et al. 2020 ).

This review summarizes the goals, content, and efficacy of DT across a variety of disciplines and settings. In light of the boom in DT and in response to calls for a more rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of DT programs ( Paluck 2012 , Paluck & Green 2009 ), this review focuses on the extent to which the science of DT has gained traction in establishing the efficacy of DT programs. And if not, where do we go from here?

Given that others have noted that “diversity training” can be considered a catch-all term (e.g., Paluck 2006 ), we cast a wide net in performing our literature search on DT. Articles included in our review evaluated DT programs targeted to address outcomes relevant to institutionalized settings. All of the studies reviewed share an emphasis on relevant samples (i.e., nurses, teachers, employees), field settings (i.e., classroom, workplace, professional conference), and training programs (rather than brief lab-based manipulations). This review is distinct in highlighting DT, specifically, and it departs from previous reviews that examine the effects of contact ( Pettigrew & Tropp 2006 ) or the broad array of prejudice reduction manipulations designed to enhance intergroup relations ( Paluck et al. 2020 ).

We used a variety of search terms and did not restrict our search to any particular field or set of journals. Search terms included: diversity training, bias/prejudice reduction interventions, antibias training, diversity education, cultural competence, bias literacy, multicultural education, ethnic studies, implicit/unconscious bias training, and racial sensitivity training. We limited our search to articles that were peer-reviewed, had adult samples, and were published during or after the year 2000. Although DT for children and adolescents is a growing topic of inquiry, this body of literature involves considerations (e.g., the developmental appropriateness of the program’s content) that fall outside the scope of this review. We restricted our database to articles published after the year 2000 for two reasons. First, that year largely marks the beginning of the big business boom of DT as a for-profit and pervasive industry ( Paluck 2006 ). Second, comprehensive reviews of the DT literature prior to 2000 already exist (e.g., Bezrukova et al. 2016 , Paluck & Green 2009 ). Our goal was to evaluate the extent to which the more recent science of DT has progressed to the point of offering clear guidelines regarding best DT practices.

Our literature search began in June of 2019 and continued until the end of 2020. In total, we collected 250 articles, which were then coded across 35 different criteria. The majority of the coding was conducted by the second author; all other coding was conducted by trained research assistants and checked by the second author. To obtain interrater reliability, two coders independently reviewed all of the articles and coded for 6 of the 35 variables, for a total of approximately 15% of the data. These 6 variables correspond to the findings reported throughout our review; interrater reliability was satisfactory (97.60% agreement).

Variables of interest were selected as being likely important for evaluating the effectiveness of DT based on prior literature reviews and meta-analyses (e.g., Bezrukova et al. 2016 , Paluck & Green 2009 , Pettigrew & Tropp 2006 ). We distinguished articles based on their setting, purpose, kind of training, and duration. To account for the scientific rigor of articles, we coded for the research design utilized, the sample selection and size, whether outcomes were self-reported or behavioral, and whether assessments were immediate or delayed. Throughout, we highlight the variables that are most germane for our review; however, readers interested in learning more about the other variables can do so on our page on the Open Science Framework website ( https://osf.io/p7sxr/ ).

Our review includes studies that were conducted in one of three settings—organizational, human services, and education—each with its own definition of DT and specific goals that the DT is meant to address. Studies conducted in organizational settings concerned diversity initiatives for employees in workplace settings. Articles within the subfield of human services discussed training for service providers (e.g., doctors, mental health professionals, and teachers) to promote equitable care. And studies positioned in educational settings evaluated the efficacy of diversity-related curricula directed at a general student audience.

Each of these subfields has an extensive DT literature, and evaluating them separately allows for an analysis of the unique strengths and shortcomings of the research in each context. In organizing our review around these subfields, we depart from prior meta-analyses that include DT but do not make such distinctions (e.g., Bezrukova et al. 2016 , Paluck & Green 2009 , Paluck et al. 2020 ). Evaluating whether DT is effective requires considering the specific goals that motivate the implementation of particular trainings. Trainings implemented to increase minority representation in a workplace, for example, have different objectives, targeted outcomes, and content compared to a training aimed at reducing patient treatment discrepancies in health care settings. As such, making direct comparisons across subfields is challenging, and inferences regarding DT made in one discipline may or may not generalize to another subfield.

Due to the disparate methodologies and wide-ranging practices encompassed by the cross-disciplinary term “diversity training,” we used a narrative approach in summarizing the literature. Within each discipline we identify the goals and approach of DT for that field, the most common methods used, the outcomes assessed, and the state of the evidence regarding the efficacy of DT. We then offer a critique of the work and some field-specific recommendations for advancing the science of DT. We conclude each section with a table summarizing the work done in that particular field and our field-specific recommendations.

DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES IN ORGANIZATIONAL SETTINGS

We begin our summary of DT with studies positioned in workplace or organizational settings. Within the United States, employee DT was born in response to the advent of affirmative action policies implemented in US workplaces following the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, DT was simply used to inform employees of antidiscrimination laws and to assimilate women and people of color into workplace culture. Today, many motivations likely underlie companies’ utilization of DT, such as the promotion of a diverse workforce, the provision of effective communication with a diverse customer base, the avoidance of workplace discrimination, and the cultivation of creative problem solving. Irrespective of motivation, as demographics continue to shift, corporations are tasked with creating increasingly multicultural, multiracial, and multigendered workplace communities. As a result, DT has become a big and booming industry. Undeniably, DT sells, and it sells well; by one estimate, companies invest $8 billion in DT each year ( Lipman 2018 ). Currently, more than half of mid-sized and large US companies offer some form of DT ( Dobbin & Kalev 2016 ). What is unknown, at this point, is whether the returns, in terms of benefits, warrant the huge investments in DT.

Goals and Approach

The goals for organizational DT include the “full integration of members of minority social categories into the social, structural, and power relationships of an organization or institution” ( Brewer et al. 1999 , p. 337). These goals encompass the recruitment and retention of employees from underrepresented backgrounds as well as increased group cohesion, creativity, and equity within a given workplace. Stated simply, organizational DT has the overarching goal of fostering an inclusive company climate ( Bezrukova et al. 2016 ). Therefore, our review of the literature evaluated questions such as, Does DT lead to increased feelings of belonging among members of historically marginalized groups? Does representation of members of historically marginalized groups improve following DT, and is this increase maintained over time? Do employees from both historically advantaged and disadvantaged groups who undergo DT report more inclusive work climates, compared to employees from organizations that do not offer DT?

Articles are included in this section if they discuss topics or use samples characteristic of organizational settings. For example, Combs & Luthans (2007) studied participants from a government agency, insurance company, and manufacturing firm. Others investigated government contract trainees ( Rehg et al. 2012 ), managers within a government agency ( Sanchez & Medkik 2004 ), and even taxicab drivers ( Reynolds 2010 ). Many studies recruited business graduate students (e.g., Bush & Ingram 2001 , Sanchez-Burks et al. 2007 ), hospitality students ( Madera et al. 2011 ), and undergraduate students either enrolled in a workplace diversity course ( Hostager & De Meuse 2008 ) or engaged in a professional setting as research ( Roberson et al. 2009 ) or teaching ( Roberson et al. 2001 ) assistants. A sizeable portion of the articles (17.02%) examined the impact of trainings targeting gender bias in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) organizations and departments (e.g., Hennes et al. 2018 , Moss-Racusin et al. 2018 ).

Many trainings pertained to the general promotion and inclusion of marginalized groups. Others, however, were specific about the group targeted, such as women (e.g., Chang et al. 2019 , Jackson et al. 2014 ), older individuals ( Reynolds 2010 ), English language learners ( Madera et al. 2011 ), and individuals with disabilities ( Phillips et al. 2016 ).

DT within organizational settings is most commonly delivered in a lecture-based format by an outside consultant ( Paluck 2006 ). Throughout the presentation, trainers often discuss the definition, benefits, and potential challenges of workplace diversity. The presentation is typically followed by group activities, such as reviewing cases of work-based prejudice ( Sanchez & Medkik 2004 ), simulating common disabilities associated with aging ( Reynolds 2010 ), and determining whether different scenarios constitute workplace discrimination ( Preusser et al. 2011 ).

As found by prior reviews, the selection of particular DT strategies appears to be most often motivated by personal preference or intuition about what trainers believe would be effective rather than by a specific theoretical approach or empirical evidence ( Cox & Devine 2019 , Pendry et al. 2007 ). Many studies from organizational settings did not include information explaining the content of the training (e.g., Holladay & Quiñones 2008 ) or justifying the use of the strategies employed (e.g., Sanchez & Medkik 2004 ).

Research Designs and Assessment of Outcomes

Of the 47 articles that discussed DT in organizational settings, 15 articles were correlational, theoretical, or qualitative; 32 studies delivered and quantitatively evaluated a training. Researchers most often utilized single-group repeated measures designs (i.e., pre–post; 43.75%), others used group designs with random assignment (i.e., experimental; 37.50%), and a few utilized group designs without random assignment (i.e., quasi-experimental; 18.75%). 1

Most studies (62.50%) assessed trainees’ cognitive and affective responses to the DT as their primary outcome of interest. 2 Specifically, many studies’ primary outcome was employees’ self-reported learning or recalled knowledge of the material presented within the training, such as knowledge of how stereotypes may influence one’s judgments in professional settings ( Roberson et al. 2009 ), what constitutes bias ( Hennes et al. 2018 ), and knowledge of cultural differences ( Rehg et al. 2012 ). Several studies also examined trainees’ perceptions of the training itself (e.g., liking, interest) through a program evaluation survey (e.g., Reynolds 2010 , Sanchez & Medkik 2004 ). Other studies examined participants’ attitudes following DT, such as supportive attitudes toward women in the workplace (e.g., Chang et al. 2019 ), attitudes toward LGBTQ+ employees (e.g., Hood et al. 2001 ), and attitudes toward non-English speakers ( Madera et al. 2011 ).

Although most studies focused on trainees’ self-reported outcomes, some studies (28.13%) did not. Instead, these studies examined how the DT affected participants’ responses to hypothetical workplace diversity incidents ( Roberson et al. 2009 ), supervisors’ ratings of trainees’ interpersonal skills ( Sanchez & Medkik 2004 ), and creative problem solving within nationally diverse teams ( Homan et al. 2015 ). In a methodologically rigorous study, Chang and colleagues (2019) assessed the impact of the training on the number of female employees nominated for excellent performance in an ostensibly unrelated workplace initiative.

State of the Evidence

Although many trainings demonstrated favorable post-intervention effects with respect to employees’ self-reported cognitive, affective, and skill-based outcomes ( Kalinonski et al. 2013 ), other studies demonstrated more complicated patterns of results. For example, in a quasi-experimental field study, Sanchez & Medkik (2004) found that diversity awareness training actually led to an increase in managers’ unfriendly treatment toward non-White employees, as rated by a coworker specifically assigned to monitor the behavior of each participant. Based on post-intervention interviews, the authors concluded that adverse outcomes arose out of resentment because the trainees believed they had been referred to the mandatory DT following complaints of biased behavior.

Studies that incorporated delayed measures (40.63%) found conflicting evidence that immediate effects translated into enduring changes. For example, Chang and colleagues (2019) investigated the effects of an online DT and found that although some participants reported more positive attitudes toward women immediately after the intervention, there was limited evidence to support the training’s efficacy in delayed behavioral measures collected 3 weeks later. Hill & Augoustinos (2001) studied a program aimed at reducing prejudice toward Aboriginal Australians among employees in a large Australian-based public service organization. Although negative stereotypes and prejudice decreased immediately following the program, these changes did not persist when evaluated 3 months later. Adding to the mixed nature of the findings, Combs & Luthans (2007) found that 1 year after the training, participants who had received DT valued diversity more compared to employees in the control condition. Given that the differences across these studies are numerous (i.e., the particular organizational setting of the training, the content of the DT, the outcomes examined, etc.), it is unclear what underlies the differences observed regarding the long-term effects of DT.

Contradictory findings concerning the impact of DT in organizational settings may highlight the importance of contextual factors that can moderate a program’s effects, such as whether training is mandatory or optional. Research has indicated that compulsory DT can often result in backlash (e.g., Legault et al. 2011 , Sanchez & Medkik 2004 ) and may actually lead to less diversity in the workforce ( Dobbin & Kalev 2016 ). However, voluntary training may only benefit participants who already appreciate diversity at the onset ( Kulik et al. 2007 ). Although the mandatory versus voluntary training debate is beyond the scope of this review, recent research has provided a potential avenue of resolution. Rather than assigning all members of an organization to attend DT, organizations may be better served by equipping socially connected and highly respected individuals with the tools and motivation to inform and persuade other members of a social network to promote greater equity ( Forscher 2017 , Paluck et al. 2016 ).

In our review of the literature, measurements of systemic bias—such as minority representation, prevalence of workplace discrimination, and the promotion rates of historically marginalized employees—were largely absent. Of the articles that adapted a systems-level lens, Waight & Madera (2011) found that in a survey of hospitality employees, offering workplace DT was positively related to job satisfaction, was negatively associated with perceived workplace discrimination, and reduced turnover intentions, but only for employees from historically marginalized groups. In a rigorous cluster-randomized, controlled trial, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison implemented a theoretically and empirically motivated gender bias habit-breaking intervention within STEM departments and evaluated the effects not only on self-reported outcomes (e.g., awareness of bias, self-efficacy to address bias) but also on departmental climate, as assessed in an unrelated annual survey of workplace climate conducted within the university. Faculty in intervention departments reported better fit, felt that their scholarship was more valued by colleagues, and felt more comfortable raising family obligations than did faculty in control departments ( Carnes et al. 2015 ). In an evaluation of the training 2 years later, Devine and colleagues (2017) found that intervention departments demonstrated increased hiring of female faculty compared to control departments.

Taken as a whole, our review of the literature on DT reveals that, in light of the overarching goals of DT in these settings, the evidence regarding the efficacy of DT is for the most part wanting. The lack of systemic and rigorous research investigating company-wide DT, combined with the mixed nature of evidence regarding the efficacy of the programs, prevents us from drawing clear conclusions regarding best practices for organizational DT.

Limitations and Recommendations

Though the evidence amassed to date is limited, it provides some clues as to how to move forward to deliver better investigations of DT within organizations. In evaluating diversity initiatives within organizational settings, researchers must focus on the stated goals of the programs. The common indicators of success seem to be the completion of the program and its favorable evaluation by the trainees, rather than clear progress toward the program’s targeted goals. Given the significance of workplace DT for fostering inclusion and comfort in the face of a diversifying workforce, it is important to evaluate if these goals are being met using scientific methods that allow for testing these hypotheses. Research designed to test the intended objectives of DT should employ large-scale, longitudinal, and contextually relevant methodology as well as objective indicators of success, such as the representation, retention, and advancement of employees from historically marginalized groups ( Moss-Racusin et al. 2014 , Paluck 2006 ). In contrast, our review revealed an overreliance on immediate, self-reported, and individual-level measures that cannot speak to the systems-level goals of DT.

Our review brought into sharp relief the distinction between two types of measures—individual- and systems-level outcomes—that are used to evaluate the extent to which DT brings about change. Although the overarching goals of DT are to create systemic changes (i.e., retention of historically marginalized employees, improved perceptions of workplace climate, decreased frequency of workplace discrimination), researchers most often assess outcomes at the level of the individual (e.g., self-reported measures of knowledge, liking of the program, and attitude), which are often taken as evidence of the training’s effectiveness under the assumption that individual-level changes will translate into systems-level changes. However, individual-level, self-reported cognitive and affective outcomes are, at best, indirect indicators of the intended systems-level changes.

This measurement problem is not unique to DT research. It is well documented, for example, in clinical research when researchers examine the impact of an intervention or treatment on an ultimate outcome by assessing surrogate measures, which are theoretically related outcomes that are often easier, faster, or less costly to measure ( VanderWeele 2013 ). It is likely the ease with which self-reported attitudes and diversity-related knowledge are assessed that led to their continued use as a surrogate outcome for inclusive workplace environments. Although the relationship between individual attitudes and behaviors seems intuitive, the literature on the correspondence between attitudes and behaviors reveals a more complicated relationship ( LaPiere 1934 , Wicker 1969 ). A burgeoning body of literature exposes the substantial disconnect between individuals’ self-reported prejudice-related attitudes and their observed discriminatory behaviors ( Forscher et al. 2019 , Paluck et al. 2020 ).

It is the responsibility of researchers within organizational DT who continue to employ individual-level measures to establish the validity of these measures as surrogate indicators of the ultimate and systems-level outcomes of interest. Evaluating the efficacy of DT training programs requires either ( a ) demonstrating that individual-level outcomes are directly related to the systems-level changes or ( b ) assessing system-level outcomes over time to reveal if the training is truly effective in creating an enduring improvement in the experiences of historically marginalized individuals within an organization. In so doing, researchers can conduct more relevant investigations of DT and better justify the use of individual attitudes and knowledge as a reasonable surrogate measure when evaluating whether the goals of a particular DT are met within an organization.

In support of emphasizing systems-level change, converging evidence suggests that individual DT was more impactful on surrogate outcomes when delivered alongside larger workplace diversity initiatives ( Bezrukova et al. 2016 ) or when openly supported by upper-level management ( Rynes & Rosen 1995 ). This finding is consistent with other researchers’ observations: The effectiveness of DT is limited when company policy does not reflect the concerns of people from traditionally underrepresented groups ( Dobbin & Kalev 2016 , Pendry et al. 2007 ). When company policies appreciate and advocate for historically marginalized employees, it signals the company’s values, scaffolds the creation of prosocial norms, and communicates authorities’ explicit commitment to creating an inclusive company climate. As such, any effective DT should be implemented in tandem with leadership endorsement of diversity initiatives that promote employees from diverse backgrounds rather than delivered in a “one-and-done” approach (see Table 1 for a summary of the literature and our recommendations for DT in organizational settings).

Summary of the literature and our recommendations for DT in organizational settings

Abbreviation: DT, diversity training.

DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS

Members of historically marginalized groups experience lower quality of care and are less likely to receive routine and preventative treatments; they also experience greater difficulties accessing adequate mental health services. As a result, members of marginalized groups face higher rates of morbidity and mortality than nonminority individuals do ( Carratala & Maxwell 2020 ).

To achieve equitable care, many recommend training human service providers to deliver culturally competent care. In the United States, the Office of Minority Health has developed the National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services, which continue to be adopted throughout the country. According to these guidelines, culturally competent care takes into account clients’ cultural beliefs, health literacy, and communication needs to provide respectful, accessible, and equitable services. These criteria were developed with the ultimate goals of advancing equity within human services, improving the quality of interactions with clients, and eliminating extant disparities within health-related settings.

During cultural competence trainings, trainees are provided with skills and knowledge presumed to bridge cultural divides and facilitate effective intervention despite a cultural mismatch between clients and providers. DT is proposed to be a vehicle by which to improve the experiences of marginalized clients within human services and reduce inequities in health-related outcomes. Given these goals, as we reviewed the literature we asked, Does cultural competence training lead to improved quality of care in services received by historically marginalized clients? Do culturally competent providers achieve more equitable client outcomes compared to providers without cultural competency training?

Our search for relevant literature yielded 142 articles. The majority of the studies examined the development of cultural competence among medical, health service psychology, social work, and nursing students. Others examined outcomes for health care professionals, including nurses (e.g., Berlin et al. 2010 , Brathwaite & Majumdar 2006 ), hospice staff ( Schim et al. 2006 ), practitioners who specialize in sickle cell disease ( Thomas & Cohn 2006 ), and individuals who work specifically with culturally and linguistically diverse communities ( Henderson et al. 2011 ). Additionally, several studies examined cultural competence training for mental health and wellness professionals, such as counseling graduate students (e.g., Kagnici 2014 ), alcohol and drug counselors ( Luger 2011 ), clinical managers ( Abernethy 2005 ), and occupational therapists ( Leyva et al. 2014 ).

We also included articles (11.97%) that involved trainings for teachers and preservice teachers. Although teaching does not fit neatly with the type of human service provision described previously, the type of DT most often conduced with teachers has goals consistent with cultural competence training. Namely, DT for educators is aimed at cultivating teachers’ cultural competencies to improve interactions with historically marginalized students and mitigate widespread disparities within education.

Cultural competence training aims to increase providers’ knowledge of culturally based beliefs that may influence clients’ experiences with human services. As one example, providers are taught that Hispanic communities may endorse fatalismo , or a belief that health and illness are a product of destiny rather than the object of proactive control, and familismo , or an emphasis on the importance of family input in forming treatment decisions ( Flores 2000 ). Other kinds of DT include antiracism training for child welfare employees ( Johnson et al. 2009 ), a weight stigma reduction intervention for clinical psychology trainees ( Brochu 2020 ), and DT concerning equitable care for members of the LGBTQ+ community in a senior care facility ( Holman et al. 2020 ).

Although the majority of studies implemented cultural competence training for human service providers and trainees, the methods employed varied. Many studies (e.g., Carter et al. 2006 , LoboPrabhu et al. 2000 ) had the trainees role-play clinicians treating patients from different cultural groups, and the trainers provided feedback on the trainees’ cultural sensitivity. Dogra (2001) assigned undergraduate premedical students a disability, such as blindness or hearing impairment, and encouraged students to contemplate the positive and negative aspects of having the disability. Some studies emphasized the importance of navigating language barriers in communicating with linguistically diverse patients (e.g., Henderson et al. 2011 , Xu et al. 2010 ), and one even provided health care workers with foreign language courses ( Mazor et al. 2002 ). One study promoted lessons and structured interactions relevant to caring for refugee families ( Griswold et al. 2006 ). Other trainings relied on more participatory learning, in the form of home visits ( Juarez et al. 2006 ), cultural immersion ( Diaz-Lazaro & Cohen 2001 ), and community-based clinical practicum placements ( Amerson 2010 ).

DT for human service providers emphasizes the importance of increasing both the knowledge and the skills relevant to culturally competent care. Rather than simply teaching trainees about widespread inequities, DT often teaches participants tangible skills that can be implemented to provide more equitable services. For example, one training focused on the importance of communication skills aimed at building trust in patients with sickle cell disease who feel negatively labeled by the health care system ( Thomas & Cohn 2006 ). Similarly, Hughes & Hood (2007) provided nursing students with skills in interview-based cultural assessment to better identify the needs of, and develop a plan of care for, culturally diverse patients. Schim and colleagues (2006) accentuated the importance of hospice workers’ communication skills by scaffolding active listening and use of accessible language in patient interactions. Luger (2011) taught alcohol and drug counselors to identify cultural factors related to mental health stigma and risk in patient assessment and intervention.

In our sample of articles concerning DT for human service providers, 98 studies implemented and quantitatively evaluated trainings delivered by researchers. Of these 98 studies, most studies evaluated outcomes pre- and post-intervention (66.33%), others were quasi-experimental (20.41%), and a few were experimental (13.27%). Although the majority of studies relied only on measures collected immediately posttest, a few studies in our sample included delayed assessments of outcomes (23.47%).

Cultural competence trainings are designed to improve outcomes for clients. Nevertheless, the vast majority of studies (85.71%) utilized human service providers’ self-reported ratings as the primary outcome of interest. The most common outcome assessed was providers’ self-reported cultural competence through the use of established surveys. Other studies assessed trainees’ confidence in interacting with culturally diverse patients, such as health care providers’ self-efficacy in communicating with stigmatized patients (e.g., Thomas & Cohn 2006 ) or students’ transcultural self-efficacy (e.g., Amerson 2010 ). A few studies examined changes in implicit (e.g., Castillo et al. 2007 ) and explicit (e.g., Crandall et al. 2003 ) attitudes toward marginalized groups following a cultural competence intervention.

The emphasis on measuring providers’ cultural competence following DT reflects the assumption that these self-reported outcomes translate into actions that will lead to improved outcomes for clients from historically marginalized groups. However, only a minority of studies (13.27%) tested this assumption by evaluating the impact of DT using behavior-based and systems-level outcomes. As one example, during a 4-month follow up, Prescott-Clements and colleagues (2013) evaluated the impact of their intervention on trainees’ responses to standardized patient scenarios in which actors played patients making inappropriate remarks, experiencing communication difficulties, or having religious concerns about a recommended treatment. Other studies examined patient outcomes directly, such as patient satisfaction ( Mazor et al. 2002 ), patient utilization of health and social services ( Majumdar et al. 2004 ), and patient health outcomes ( Thom et al. 2006 ).

Across the majority of studies surveyed, with some exceptions (e.g., Beagan 2003 ), the evidence suggests that cultural competence training was associated with increases in human service providers’ self-reported cultural competence (e.g., Beach et al. 2005 , Renzaho et al. 2013 ). Results showcasing the efficacy of cultural competence training in promoting knowledge of cross-cultural client care are promising. However, there is less information available about how these improvements translate into provider behaviors that are likely to influence the experiences of clients from historically marginalized groups. The evidence suggests that the cultural competence of human service providers was both associated with ( Castro & Ruiz 2009 , Majumdar et al. 2004 , Weech-Maldonado et al. 2012 ) and unrelated to ( Thom et al. 2006 ) positive patient outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, utilization of treatment resources, and patient trust. Given the contradictory findings and the paucity of research on client outcomes, future research should consider client perspectives as a primary outcome when evaluating the impact of trainings for human service providers ( Lie et al. 2011 , Renzaho et al. 2013 ).

Similarly, studies that evaluated training for preservice teachers found that DT elevated self-reported cultural competence ( Rogers-Sirin & Sirin 2009 ), decreased stereotypic attitudes ( Amatea et al. 2012 ), and led to more positive attitudes toward diversity ( Middleton 2002 ). Few studies examined outcomes that extended beyond preservice teachers’ self-reported attitudes and beliefs; however, those that did found evidence of the training’s impact in participants’ responses to videotaped school-based ethical dilemmas ( Rogers-Sirin & Sirin 2009 ) and teaching case conceptualization ( Amatea et al. 2012 ). No studies in our review examined student outcomes in validating the efficacy of a particular DT for preservice or current teachers.

As was true of studies examining DT within organizational settings, researchers evaluating DT for human service providers were overly reliant on surrogate measures, which makes it difficult to evaluate the efficacy of such training in relation to its stated systems-level goals. Until researchers can show that measures of human service providers’ cultural competence are predictive of objective client outcomes, inferences about how DT within health care settings measures up to its goals are speculative.

Cultural competence training has been articulated as important for providing equitable services. However, very few studies have examined the impact of cultural competence training on actual systems-level outcomes, such as quality of care for historically marginalized clients or disparities in treatment, morbidity, and mortality. Instead, many studies from the field determine the efficacy of cultural competence training by relying on surrogate measures of individual-level provider knowledge, awareness, and self-efficacy. As such, the rationale supporting a cultural competence approach remains circular and rests strongly on the theoretical benefits of cultural competence, rather than on rigorous empirical evidence with respect to client outcomes ( Saha et al. 2013 ). Therefore, future researchers should assess the extent to which human service providers’ cultural competence serves as a reasonable surrogate measure for equitable care.

Additional concerns abound regarding the field’s investment in cultural competence as a model for delivering effective care to clients from historically marginalized groups in the absence of a thorough clarification of the concept. Cultural competence, as a construct and curriculum, largely eludes easy definitions or operationalizations ( Ridley et al. 2001 ). As such, cultural competence training remains underspecified and represents a wide range of heterogenous practices, with little attention to the active ingredients of the approach ( Sue 2001 ).

Beyond these concerns, we also encourage sensitivity to potential pitfalls in the approach, that, if not simultaneously attended to, could undermine the enterprise altogether. We caution against using cultural differences in a reductionist way to predict patient behavior and guide clinician-patient interactions. Such an approach can neglect the heterogeneity among members of cultural groups, encourage the use of race as a proxy for culture, and promote stereotyping. The group categorization processes that are necessary for considering clients’ cultural background in treatment also pave the way for cultural stereotypes to inform health care decisions. The use of stereotypes in human service provision can bias the way providers perceive clients, lead them to be inattentive to individuating information, increase the attention to (and weighting of) stereotype-confirming information, and lead to implicit and nonverbal forms of bias in client-clinician interactions ( Burgess et al. 2007 , Stone & Moskowitz 2011 ).

Cultural competence training should be coupled with education and strategies regarding how to guard against the undue influence of stereotypes to mitigate biased decisions related to client care ( Burgess et al. 2007 , Pankey et al. 2018 , Stone & Moskowitz 2011 ). The psychological literature concludes that, absent personal information about an individual, people often rely on stereotypes to make group-based generalizations. To combat these stereotypes, research suggests that human service providers should actively seek individuating information about a client to prevent stereotypes from filling in the gaps (e.g., Ehrke et al. 2014 , Fiske & Neuberg 1990 ) (see Table 2 for a summary of the literature and our recommendations for DT in human service settings).

Summary of the literature and our recommendations for DT in human service settings

DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR STUDENTS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

Schools are becoming increasingly diverse, yet students from historically marginalized groups still underperform in academic pursuits compared to students from majority groups and relative to their potential ( Natl. Assess. Educ. Prog. 2015 ). The achievement gap is apparent across a wide variety of educational outcomes, including standardized test scores, high school graduation rates, admission rates in secondary education, and placement in gifted and talented programs ( Am. Psychol. Assoc. 2012 ). Although many factors likely contribute to the achievement gap, adverse school climates, which undermine feelings of belonging, may be partly responsible.

Walton & Cohen (2007) found that improving feelings of belonging on campus improved the course grades of historically marginalized students. In a more recent study ( Murrar et al. 2020 ), students who reported being treated more inclusively by their peers had an increased sense of belonging and earned better grades. This research provides encouraging evidence to suggest that improving campus climate can promote the performance and retention of historically marginalized students in higher education.

Many scholars stress the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy as a way to promote a positive school climate and improve the experiences of students from historically marginalized groups within education. Numerous universities across the United States require some form of diversity and inclusion curricula, typically in the form of an ethnic studies course ( Greens 2000 ). Diversity as a pedagogical requirement has not been without its critics (e.g., Goldstein 2019 ). These critiques, however, underscore the importance of understanding what content should be included in diversity-related curricula, whether diversity education is efficacious, and who reaps the benefits of diversity and inclusion in course content.

By scaffolding students’ multicultural awareness, diversity and inclusion curricula are designed to improve school climate for members of historically marginalized groups and to mitigate disparities in educational outcomes. Therefore, in our review of the literature we asked, Do historically marginalized students report fewer instances of school-based discrimination, and do they perceive a greater sense of belonging in schools that require diversity-related coursework? Do schools that offer diversity-related programming demonstrate more equitable educational outcomes relative to schools that do not provide such programming?

We narrowed our focus to include articles that implemented curriculum-based DT for a general student audience rather than for student teachers or medical students, as discussed in the previous section on DT for human service providers. The majority of the studies under consideration delivered DT content during a semester-long college course that involved lectures, assignments, and small-group discussions. The topics of the courses varied; whereas some studies involved women studies courses (e.g., Case & Stewart 2010 , Stake & Hoffmann 2001 ), others examined the impact of psychology of prejudice courses (e.g., Hogan & Mallott 2005 , Kernahan & Davis 2010 ), and still others focused on human sexuality courses (e.g., Mansoori-Rostam & Tate 2017 , McDermott et al. 2018 ).

Other scholars examined the impact of a briefer educational activity, such as a particular curriculum unit ( McDermott et al. 2018 ) or experiential learning activity ( Hillman & Martin 2002 ). Some researchers specifically emphasized the importance of intergroup learning through discussions with classmates from diverse backgrounds (e.g., Nagada et al. 2004 , Schmidt et al. 2019 ). Our sample also included studies investigating the impact of panel presentations ( McDermott et al. 2018 ), role playing ( Hillman & Martin 2002 ), study abroad programs ( Clarke et al. 2009 ), and community events that celebrated diverse cultures ( Klak & Martin 2003 ).

Our search yielded 61 articles on DT in educational settings. Of these studies, 51 systematically and quantitatively evaluated diversity-related programming in a higher education setting. Most of these studies (52.94%) used a quasi-experimental design by comparing students in a course with diversity and inclusion pedagogy to students in a control course. Other studies used pre–post designs (33.33%), for example, by collecting data on the first and last days of the semester (e.g., Fischer 2010 ). Few studies (13.73%) used experimental designs. Although most studies assessed outcomes collected immediately following the training, some studies collected delayed outcomes (29.41%).

The primary outcome of interest for most studies (94.12%) were students’ individual-level, cognitive, and affective reactions. For example, researchers examined students’ racial attitudes (e.g., Hogan & Mallott 2005 , Rudman et al. 2001 ), homophobia (e.g., Hillman & Martin 2002 , Hodson et al. 2009 ), and sexism (e.g., Pettijohn & Walzer 2008 , Yoder et al. 2016 ). Other studies examined participants’ acknowledgment of heterosexual ( Case & Stewart 2010 ), White ( Cole et al. 2011 ), and male ( Case 2007 ) privilege. Our sample also contained studies that evaluated the extent to which curriculum-based DT fostered awareness of diversity-related challenges, such as generalized cultural awareness ( Fischer 2010 ), perceived gender equality ( Colvin-Burque et al. 2007 ), and awareness of racism ( Cole et al. 2011 ).

Very few studies (3.92%) examined outcomes beyond the trainees’ self-reported attitudes and knowledge. In rare exceptions, the researchers examined observational data from classroom discussions ( Ross 2014 ) and changes in students’ measures of implicit bias ( Rudman et al. 2001 ).

Many studies evaluated individual differences or contextual factors that may moderate the impact of diversity-related course material on students’ attitudes. Some studies focused on student characteristics such as open-mindedness ( Fischer 2010 ), race and empathy ( Cole et al. 2011 ), need for cognition ( Hogan & Mallott 2005 ), and course engagement ( Pettijohn & Walzer 2008 ). In contrast, Rudman and colleagues (2001) evaluated the impact of interacting with a Black professor on students’ attitudes both with and without the provision of diversity-related instruction.

Many studies demonstrated a reduction in students’ self-reported prejudice following diversity-related coursework, relative to pretest scores at the beginning of the semester (e.g., Chang 2002 , Colvin-Burque et al. 2007 ). Similarly, of the studies that utilized quasi-experimental designs, many found that students who completed a diversity education course reported lower levels of prejudice immediately following the course (e.g., Hussey et al. 2010 , Rudman et al. 2001 ) compared to students enrolled in courses without diversity-related content.

When implementing a quasi-experimental design, however, researchers should be mindful of the possibility of sample bias among students who enroll in diversity-related courses. Although many students take diversity-related coursework as part of their ethnic studies requirement, other students may take these courses because of their interest in cultural differences, experiences with bias, or passion for diversity-related initiatives ( Denson 2009 ). As a result, students who opt into diversity-related courses may possess traits that foster more positive change relative to students in comparison courses ( Case 2007 , Mansoori-Rostam & Tate 2017 ). In contrast, those required to take such courses may show backlash effects, which undercut the goal of promoting inclusion and reducing biases ( Brannon et al. 2018 , Vianden 2018 ). Researchers should be attentive to, and control for, potential self-selection biases in participant samples who enroll in diversity-related courses, and they should guard against the potential adverse effects of requiring participation in these courses.

In addition, pre–post assessments may be particularly vulnerable to demand effects. Demand effects refer to biased findings that occur when participants infer the experimenters’ hypothesis and then respond to measures in a way that tends to confirm the researchers’ prediction ( Weber & Cook 1972 ). Research suggests that demand effects can be exacerbated if participants have positive attitudes toward the experimenter ( Nichols & Maner 2008 ), which is likely true of many studies in which the experimenter administering questionnaires is also the course’s instructor.

As was true in organizational and human service settings, relatively few studies within education quantitatively evaluated the long-term impact of diversity-related programming. When delayed assessments were included, the evidence was decidedly mixed. For example, Hogan & Mallott (2005) observed reduced homophobia immediately following a psychology of prejudice course, but the effect did not persist across semesters. More encouragingly, McDermott and colleagues (2018) evaluated the impact of a panel presentation and trans-themed film and found a reduction in self-reported prejudice that persisted when evaluated 6 weeks later.

Ethnic studies courses and diversity-related education have been proposed as a panacea for greater inclusion on college campuses. However, caution is warranted given the mixed evidence of the long-term efficacy of ethnic studies courses on cognitive measures. In addition, researchers’ use of self-reported attitudes and knowledge is silent on the extent to which DT in school settings measures up to its stated systems-level goals.

Consistent with our findings in other contexts, our review of the literature on diversity-related curricula in educational settings found that researchers relied on students’ individual-level attitudes as surrogate outcomes for measuring inclusive campus climate and concluded that trainings were effective without considering the perspectives of students from historically marginalized groups. We recommend that future work examine changes over time in systems-level outcomes—such as perceptions of school climate, disparities in academic achievement, and historically marginalized students’ sense of belonging—as more appropriate tests of the benefits of DT in educational settings.

Furthermore, diversity courses that target students’ knowledge and awareness without attending to mechanisms of behavioral change are likely not sufficient to create lasting changes in the form of reduced expressions of bias, increased intergroup inclusion, and improved feelings of belonging for marginalized students. Of the studies reviewed, only one study ( Pedersen & Barlow 2008 ) explicitly implemented antiprejudice strategies throughout the course of an educational program; these researchers used tactics such as combating false beliefs, invoking empathy, meeting local needs, and focusing on changing behaviors as much as attitudes.

Incorporating evidence-based prejudice reduction strategies alongside diversity-related course content is likely essential if DT seeks to make meaningful changes in discriminatory behaviors, not just attitudes ( Sanchez & Medkik 2004 ). Given that one of the goals of DT on college campuses is to promote greater inclusion among the student body, educators should strive to do more than teaching students diversity-related content. To achieve the goal of inclusion for members of historically marginalized groups, curriculum-based DT should also take advantage of bias reduction and inclusion-promoting strategies identified as effective in the psychological literature.

Consider, for example, how educational settings can more intentionally target prejudice-related behaviors through social norm change. Although targeted social norm communication can be leveraged effectively in a variety of settings, pressures to belong and conform are amplified in young adults, rendering social norms particularly salient on college campuses. With this in mind, we echo the recommendations of others in suggesting that targeted social norm communication can be a powerful approach for reducing prejudicial behavior within school settings (e.g., Murrar et al. 2020 , Tankard & Paluck 2016 ). Higher education institutions can implement social norm change through the communication of diversity-related values in the form of pro-diversity posters ( Murrar et al. 2020 ), campus events ( Klak & Martin 2003 ), and the recruitment of students from marginalized groups ( Hurtado 2005 ). Fellow students can be particularly influential in the communication of social norms through the confrontation of prejudice ( Czopp & Monteith 2003 ), student-led protests and organizations ( Paluck et al. 2016 ), and diversity-related discussions both in and out of the classroom ( Alimo 2012 ).

Another prejudice reduction strategy from the social psychological literature that may be particularly fruitful within the context of DT for higher education is purposeful intergroup contact. Classroom settings naturally create ideal contexts (e.g., small group discussions, collaborative group projects) in which intergroup contact can meet the requirements needed for reductions in bias ( Allport 1954 ). In a meta-analysis of 16 studies, Denson (2009) found that ethnic studies courses that provided students with additional positive interracial contact produced larger effects on students’ attitudes compared to courses that just focused on teaching diversity-related course content. This research suggests that direct intergroup contact with peers from diverse backgrounds may be important for providing students with a space to apply the content gleaned from their courses, as this enables them to actualize their more positive intergroup attitudes into more inclusive behaviors ( Gurin et al. 2004 , Zúñiga et al. 2002 ).

However, in considering the utility of intergroup contact as a tool for increased inclusion on college campuses, further attention should be allocated to the experiences of contact for people of color. Some research suggests that the positive effects of intergroup contact may not extend to members of historically marginalized groups ( Dixon et al. 2010 , Pettigrew & Tropp 2006 , Schellhaas & Dovidio 2016 ). Given that the ultimate goal of DT in education is to improve the experiences of individuals from historically marginalized groups, future researchers should prioritize evaluating the extent to which intergroup contact improves not only the attitudes of majority group members but also the experiences of marginalized group members. To this end, forthcoming research should ensure that individuals from historically marginalized groups are not overburdened facilitators of intergroup contact without benefit (see Table 3 for a summary of the literature and our recommendations for DT in educational settings).

Summary of the literature and our recommendations for DT in educational settings

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIVERSITY TRAINING ACROSS CONTEXTS

We began our deep dive into the literature on DT with the intention of illuminating best practices in the delivery of DT. We discovered that the available scholarship on DT is large and complex, and there is little consensus on the specific definitions of DT, the overarching goals of DT, or the particular practices that comprise DT. Further complicating these efforts, our review of the empirical literature in each discipline revealed a number of shortcomings that limit our ability to draw clear conclusions regarding which, if any, DT programs are effective in reaching their objectives. More troubling, many studies reveal the potential for adverse effects following DT (e.g., Brannon et al. 2018 , Legault et al. 2011 ). Unfortunately, our primary conclusion following our review of the recent literature echoes that of scholars who conducted reviews of the DT literature in the past. Despite multidisciplinary endorsement of the practice of DT, we are far from being able to derive clear and decisive conclusions about what fosters inclusivity and promotes diversity within organizations ( Bezrukova et al. 2016 , Carter et al. 2020 , Green & Hagiwara 2020 , Moss-Racusin et al. 2014 , Paluck 2006 , Paluck & Green 2009 , Paluck et al. 2020 ).

This state of affairs is concerning, particularly in light of the enthusiasm for, and monetary investment in, DT. Implementation of DT has clearly outpaced the available evidence that such programs are effective in achieving their goals. As such, we advise caution and tempered enthusiasm for the widespread implementation of DT. In the spirit of propelling the science of DT forward, we offer some recommendations, which cut across contexts or subfields, for how to build a more rigorous and relevant science of DT. Following these recommendations would allow DT scientists to create an evidence base that would have clear and applied utility for DT practitioners and consumers. We encapsulated the implications of these recommendations into a list of questions that every scholar of DT should be able to answer and every practitioner and consumer of DT should want to know before implementing any given DT (see Table 4 ). Although the list is not exhaustive, it is our hope that readers will use Table 4 to ask hard questions about DT programs and to be more purposeful in the selection, implementation, and evaluation of DT across contexts.

Recommended questions for proponents of DT to consider a

First, no single DT should be marketed as a magic bullet for equity. Rather, we advocate for an approach to the development of DT that is grounded in relevant theory and informed by empirical evidence to justify the content of the training, the rationale for the practices used, the boundary conditions anticipated, and the hypothesized mechanisms by which the program effects change. It is not enough to simply consult prior research and pluck bias reduction strategies from the literature, such as individuation, social norm communication, or intergroup contact. The elements of DT should be selected to align with the particular goals of the organization and to address the specific problem the program is designed to solve. Although existing psychological research can provide practitioners of DT with hypotheses about how bias reduction strategies may operate within a specific DT, these hypotheses need to be assessed within the context of the full training and in reference to the long-term goals of the program. In proposing a systematic approach to the creation of DT programs, we recommend that programs be tailored to the specific context of implementation and revised in an iterative fashion, based on evidence, to enhance their efficacy.

Next, we suggest that DT research needs to become more rigorous. As noted previously, some scholars argue that we should be ethically bound to demonstrate that DT programs are effective and, just as important, do no harm ( Paluck 2012 ). To this end, we advocate for the use of experimental designs with relevant samples to provide persuasive evidence of the utility of a particular approach. Whenever possible, it is recommended that researchers undertake the challenge of randomized controlled trials to provide causal evidence of the hypothesized effects of a DT. In the best possible circumstances, control groups will contain an active component that will enable researchers to test the efficacy of a particular DT program against an alternative training program. When not viable, wait-list controls can be utilized to test the short-term effects of DT and to ensure that a particular DT, if found to be effective, is eventually disseminated to all members of an organization. Whenever randomized controlled trials are not feasible, researchers should stay vigilant to, and control for, potential threats to the validity of their studies. In addition, experimental studies should extend outside the lab, and into the field settings with relevant populations, to evaluate the functionality of a particular approach for practitioners and consumers (see also Paluck et al. 2020 ).

In developing a more rigorous and relevant science of DT, greater attention should be paid to the types of outcomes that will provide evidence that the DT offered is actually effective. This process starts with an analysis of the particular problem an organization is trying to solve by implementing DT. This analysis should then determine the goals for training, the relevant DT approach, and the outcomes that will reveal if the DT was effective ( Campbell & Brauer 2020 , Carter et al. 2020 ). Failing to undertake this type of analysis limits the utility of DT research.

One of the most striking features of current research on DT across disciplines is that the outcomes most often used to examine the impact of DT are, at best, limited in terms of what they can reveal regarding the efficacy of the training. We observed throughout our review an overreliance on surrogate and individual-level measures, all of which could be helpful in achieving goals related to equity, yet few of them bear directly on the stated goals of the DT. To better advance the science of DT, scholars must hold the success of their interventions to a higher standard by attending to more than just individual-level self-reported outcomes. We encourage future researchers to extend beyond commonly used cognitive and affective measures and to assess instead a wide range of outcomes (including consequential, behavioral, and systems-level outcomes) to better shed light on the potential breadth of the effects of a DT program.

DT is marketed to improve the experiences of employees, clients, and students from historically marginalized groups and to achieve greater equity across settings. However, research on DT, as well as its practice, only infrequently attends to the perspectives and experiences of individuals who are at risk for experiencing discrimination. Given this focus, we suggest that historically marginalized individuals should be consulted during the planning process, if DT is to be effective in meeting its goals. Input and involvement from members of historically marginalized groups should be actively sought in determining whether and how to deliver DT within their settings. By ensuring that historically marginalized individuals have a seat at the table in the development and selection of diversity-related initiatives, organizations can certify that these individuals’ voices are heard and their perspectives are represented. Beyond involving members of historically marginalized groups in the early planning stages of DT, evidence supporting the efficacy of DT necessitates a better understanding of the experiences of historically marginalized individuals as a function of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming ( Roberts et al. 2020 ).

Finally, researchers should better determine the long-term impacts of their trainings by conducting follow-up assessments over time. Rather than implementing and evaluating DT within a “one-and-done” approach, the science of DT would be better served by longitudinal assessments of systems-level outcomes to ensure that DT achieves its stated goals. Specifically, we argued for an evaluation of the recruitment, promotion, and retention of employees from historically marginalized groups in organizational settings. We asked researchers in human services to attend to rates of morbidity, mortality, and treatment adherence in validating the benefits of cultural competence training. And we advised scholars of diversity education not to neglect perceived belonging, retention, and achievement of students from historically marginalized groups in higher education.

In advancing these recommendations, we acknowledge that these recommendations impose significant demands on the proponents of DT. The kinds of studies we are advocating represent enormous undertakings that would require tremendous resources in terms of time, money, and personnel. Considering these challenges, it may be easy to understand why many studies to date have involved less rigorous empirical methods and easy-to-collect outcome measures. However, given the immense investment in the practice of DT, a more ambitious research agenda is necessary for DT to measure up to its stated goals. In the service of ensuring that diversity scholarship offers utility to both practitioners and consumers, particularly for individuals facing discrimination, we cannot be complacent about the current state of the evidence in support of DT.

In the pursuit of an improved science of DT, we join other scholars ( Carter et al. 2020 , Paluck 2006 ) who suggest that building this type of rigorous and relevant evidentiary base necessitates the forging of collaborative relationships between social scientists and organizations. Partnerships between scholars and organizations will allow research on DT to strike a balance between scientific rigor and practical utility by providing future researchers with a potential avenue for bringing their work out of the lab and into settings where the benefits of psychological research can be realized. Through these collaborations, practitioners can be better grounded in the empirical literature, and DT research can become better contextualized in applied settings. Supporting this suggestion, we note that some of the most methodologically impressive studies in this review are the result of successful partnerships (e.g., Carnes et al. 2015 , Chang et al. 2019 , Moss-Racusin et al. 2018 ). Although field experiments of this kind require careful consideration on the part of both practitioners and researchers, such partnerships would be mutually beneficial and, importantly, would offer the best way to ensure that DT lives up to consumer expectations and rigorous experimental standards.

In closing, we acknowledge that our review could be viewed as a general rebuke of DT as an enterprise. We would like to clarify that this is not at all the case. Indeed, we are strong proponents of the importance of creating conditions whereby members of historically marginalized groups can be included, feel respected, and thrive. We appreciate the potential benefits of diversity-related initiatives and value the goals upon which the practice of DT has been built. We urge the field to create a more rigorous and relevant science of DT in the service of making it possible for the practice of DT to achieve its goals. We recognize that the challenge we laid out for the science of DT is enormous and echoes, in many ways, the calls advanced in prior reviews of DT (e.g., Moss-Racusin et al. 2014 , Paluck & Green 2009 , Paluck et al. 2020 ). The enormity of the challenge, however, pales in comparison to the potential benefits of DT. We hope that our call to action and the roadmap for how to build a better diversity science will make it possible for the next review of the DT literature to offer effective, evidence-based best practices in DT.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank undergraduate members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Prejudice and Intergroup Relations Lab for their work collecting and coding articles for this review. In addition, we appreciate the thoughtful feedback received from Megan Bruun, Emily Dix, Katharine Scott, and Katherine Swerbenski on earlier versions of this manuscript. In particular, we would like to thank Nicole Huth for her substantial contributions to the project and her helpful comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. Preparation of this review was also supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant R011R35GM127043-01). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the National Institutes of Health.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors are not aware of any affiliations, memberships, funding, or financial holdings that might be perceived as affecting the objectivity of this review.

1 Studies were coded once for design, and the most rigorous design feature was recorded. For example, although many studies with random assignment to condition included pre- and post-assessments, these were coded as experimental.

2 Although most studies included multiple outcomes, the studies were coded for their primary outcome, as specified in the abstract, which usually coincided with the variable that demonstrated effects ( Paluck et al. 2020 ). However, in the case of studies that included a behavioral or implicit (i.e., not self-reported) outcome, this was prioritized as the primary outcome of interest.

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Cultural Awareness: Embracing Diversity in a Globalized World

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Diversity Training Essay

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As we enter the new millenium, diversity in the workforce is rapidly increasing. Businesses and organizations are living up to the great melting pot image the United States has always been popular for. Employees now reflect a diversity of cultural perspectives, ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders, physical abilities, and levels of education. This wave of multiculturalism is here to stay and cannot be ignored. It is in need of attention in order to uphold the well-being and success of businesses and organizations all over the country.

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Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants

Cabinet Office
Government People Group

Published 14 May 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-diversity-and-inclusion-and-impartiality-for-civil-servants/guidance-on-diversity-and-inclusion-and-impartiality-for-civil-servants

Background

1. It is incumbent on everyone, at every level, working in government to deliver the best outcomes for our citizens, whilst maintaining the highest standards of behaviour when carrying out our roles and delivering services. As civil servants we are all expected to follow the standards of behaviour set out in the Civil Service code. We must at all times be mindful of the core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality (including political impartiality) in the Civil Service code. These core values must be at the forefront of everything that we do, so that civil servants retain the confidence of Ministers and so that public confidence in the Civil Service is upheld. Equally, Ministers are expected to maintain the high standards of behaviour as set out in the Ministerial Code when working with civil servants, ministerial and parliamentary colleagues and parliamentary staff.

2. We recognise that it may assist to have guidance when considering whether impartiality is impacted in the delivery of diversity and inclusion activity within the Civil Service or where civil servants may be unsure of what steps they need to follow to maintain impartiality. That is why this guidance has been developed, to help provide clarity and support to civil servants in the delivery of their work and to address areas of ambiguity. It also provides a range of examples designed to help civil servants remain impartial in areas where there may be uncertainty, or when discussing contested issues.

3. The Civil Service code sets out that all civil servants must serve the government, whatever its political persuasion, to the best of their ability in a way which maintains political impartiality, regardless of their own political beliefs. Civil servants must not allow their personal political views to determine any advice they give or their actions.

4. Although this guidance specifically references the delivery of diversity and inclusion, it applies to any work-related activity that supports the Civil Service to be more inclusive, whether that is directly supporting ministers and the government in fulfilling their duties, such as when developing and delivering policy, organising or engaging in learning and development activities or participating in staff networks.

5. The delivery of diversity and inclusion must also be compliant with the employer’s obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

6. This guidance has been developed to provide clarity on Civil Service diversity and inclusion and to reinforce impartiality across the Civil Service with advice on impartiality in language and practice. This delivers on a key action of the Inclusive Britain action plan.

Purpose of guidance

7. This guidance is intended to support civil servants working on diversity and inclusion issues, in the delivery of the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, where additional consideration is required to ensure that all perspectives are discussed in an objective way whilst meeting our obligations under the Civil Service code. To deliver those commitments requires a Civil Service that can attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found and to deliver the best outcomes for the citizens we serve.

8. The guidance applies to all civil servants [footnote 1] and it is particularly relevant to those working on diversity and inclusion issues. This includes, but is not limited to:

a. managers and employees working on Diversity and Inclusion activities, such as part of diversity networks, alongside their core roles,

b. civil servants in general HR roles,

c. specialist HR roles (e.g. training or recruitment)

d. those with Diversity and Inclusion activity as part of their roles.

9. The guidance is also to help civil servants who are participating in Diversity and Inclusion activities.

The Civil Service code

10. The Civil Service code sets out the standards of behaviour that civil servants are expected to follow at all times. They are:

a. Integrity - putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests

b. Honesty - being truthful and open

c. Objectivity - basing advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence

d. Impartiality - acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions.

11. Individual departments may also have their own policies and processes based on these values.

12. All civil servants must maintain impartiality when carrying out their responsibilities and obligations, and must not …’act in a way that unjustifiably favours or discriminates against particular individuals or interests ‘ (Civil Service code).

13. The Civil Service Management Code sets out the principles and rules on participation in political activity, which departments must ensure civil servants comply with and which are particularly important for those who work in roles that would be considered sensitive. Civil servants must comply with any restrictions that have been laid down on political activity.

14. Departments must reflect these principles in their terms and conditions, as well as policies for the civil servants they employ. Further information is set out in the Civil Service Management Code, Chapter 4, Section 4.4 Political Activities.

Responsibilities and Professional duties

Responsibilities .

15. Civil servants must at all times be guided by their obligations under the Civil Service code, and, in cases of doubt, should seek advice through their line management chain. Ultimately, Permanent Secretaries, as Accounting Officers, must be satisfied and able to publicly justify (including to Parliament), actions or approaches taken by their department.

16. Civil servants should also familiarise themselves with any relevant departmental policies relating to impartiality.

Professional duties

17. The Civil Service code is a professional obligation that forms part of a standard civil servant employment contract. Failure to act in accordance with the values and standards set out in the code may relate to matters of misconduct and disciplinary action. Civil servants can raise concerns about compliance with the Civil Service code through their department’s ‘raising a concern’ or whistleblowing policies, and where appropriate to the Civil Service Commission, in the process described here.

18. All Civil Service activity must comply with the Equality Act 2010. Activities that could be unlawful under the Act create substantial legal risk for organisations. Under the Civil Service code, civil servants are required to “fulfil …duties and obligations responsibly”. This requires civil servants to take reasonable and proportionate steps to ensure that activities that they are involved in are lawful.

Supporting documentation

The civil service diversity and inclusion strategy 2022-2025 .

19. The Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022 sets a new approach to the delivery of diversity and inclusion, that delivers better outcomes to the citizens we serve by using a data-driven, evidence led and delivery-focussed approach. We want the Civil Service to have a truly diverse workforce and culture of openness and inclusivity. The Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy focuses on embedding activity in a wider set of strategic priorities to improve how the Civil Service delivers for the government, civil servants and our citizens.

EDI Expenditure Review

20. The government has conducted a comprehensive review on equality, diversion and inclusion (EDI) spend across the Civil Service. Following this, the Chancellor made a commitment in his Autumn Statement 2023 to ‘considering introducing a presumption against external EDI spending and increasing ministerial scrutiny of EDI spending whilst streamlining EDI training and HR processes with a view to getting value for the taxpayer’. It is essential that all EDI activity offers value for money and is focussed on the delivery of agreed strategic priorities. EDI expenditure, which includes both direct and indirect costs through staff time, must provide value for money and provide a return on investment, be in line with the Civil Service Code and the government’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and reflect any current or future guidance issued by Government People Group.

Civil Service EDI Expenditure Guidance

21. This guidance is the outcome of the EDI Expenditure Review and outlines measures to exert further effective control on EDI spend and activity across the Civil Service, providing deeper assurance and alignment with government priorities. Specifically it provides three ‘measures’ on: External Spend, Internal Efficiency and Evaluation measures to support departments to:

a. Cease all external EDI spend in the Civil Service unless signed off and cleared by Ministers.

b. Ensure overall EDI spend is commensurate with agreed organisational priorities.

c. Ensure robust evaluation of any EDI activity undertaken.

This guidance complements the CS Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022 - 2025, and the instructions on spend within it supersedes those in the overarching Diversity & Inclusion Strategy.

Declaration on Government Reform

22. To achieve the key people priorities as outlined in the Declaration on Government Reform , we need to:

deepen our understanding of citizens in all parts of the country;
draw on a more diverse range of experiences, skills and backgrounds, including diverse socio-economic and geographical backgrounds;
set the standard for inclusive workplaces where people achieve their full potential;
keep pace in areas of growing importance, including digital and technology;
invest in training to equip our people with the skills and knowledge they need to tackle the challenges of the future;
support and encourage multidisciplinary teams and better reward those who excel.

Inclusive Britain

23. The Inclusive Britain action plan emphasises the need for public servants (including civil servants) to recognise the diversity of opinion on contested issues, to encourage an environment that is free from bias and to ensure that language seeks to encourage unity and inclusion.

24. Inclusive Britain commits to ensuring that the publicly-funded sector promotes the values of tolerance and equality, with careful delineation of ideas and views which are more political in nature.

Recruitment

25. The Civil Service Commission has developed Recruitment Principles 2018 which explain the legal requirement that selection for appointment in the Civil Service must be on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

26. They also:

Set out the circumstances in which appointments can be made as exceptions to this requirement; and
Describe the responsibilities of departments and agencies in meeting this requirement.

27. As set out in the Civil Service Management Code, departments and agencies are free to develop their own approaches to recruitment as long as they are consistent with the Recruitment Principles. Departments must also ensure they are compliant with the Equality Act 2010.

Diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service

28. Section 5.4 of Inclusive Britain notes that:

The complexity of issues and the contested nature of ideas and information means people will hold a variety of views, even if their shared goal is to achieve equality and fairness in society. For this reason, it is important that public servants and public institutions recognise the diversity of opinion on these issues, and encourage an environment that is free from bias. There is also a need to ensure that language seeks to encourage unity and inclusion, rather than division and grievance.”

29. Civil servants must always be guided by the core values of objectivity and impartiality set out in the Civil Service code, when carrying out work in diversity and inclusion. As stated in the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, to mainstream diversity and inclusion and embed activity successfully into our everyday delivery we know that support systems, networks and communities (individuals, teams, HR leads, Champions, Staff Networks and leaders) will need to work collectively and collegiately, embodying Civil Service values to encourage unity. Unity means cohesion, mutual tolerance, and respect for the validity of other’s beliefs. It does not mean homogeneity or conformity of belief or views, and there is not an expectation to think as one.

30. This includes:

a. Recognising that whilst all civil servants must have a shared goal to tackle discrimination and prejudice, views on how to practically address issues relating to diversity, and inclusion are varied. Civil servants should consider the full range of widely held views within a specific debate or controversy. It may be necessary to seek out alternative views that are not represented within the organisation or group.

b. Not presenting subjective views or theories relating to diversity, and inclusion as accepted fact or as the position of their organisation.

c. Not presenting their own personal views as the position of the organisation.

d. Not promoting particular views of theories relating to diversity, and inclusion where these could reasonably be seen as partisan and/or political.

e. Not misrepresenting or unfairly characterising the views of others, either intentionally or through a failure to consult appropriately.

f. As far as possible, policy should be supported by a robust evidence base. Data collection should be proportionate and relevant to the specific task.

g. Not showing favour to a specific policy position or course of action on the basis of their own views or those held by members of a specific group.

h. Ensuring that due consideration is given to robust evidence that may contradict existing views held relating to diversity, and inclusion.

i. Not being influenced by improper pressure from others, including internal and external parties or organisations.

j. Always acting in a way that is professional and that deserves and retains the confidence of all those with whom you have dealings. Avoid stating a belief or view in such a way as to cause others to reasonably doubt that they will be treated fairly.

31. ‘Partisan’, ‘political’, and ‘contested’ views are generally considered as those which are divisive in nature, based on a particular political ideology or movement, and for which there is no objective consensus. Advocacy of such views does not have to be limited to political parties and could also be led by campaign groups, lobbyists and charitable organisations on a wide range of matters such as economic and social issues at a local, national or international level.

32. Where it is not clear what constitutes a partisan, political or contested view, we strongly recommend that civil servants seek advice from colleagues, line managers, and if necessary, senior managers. In diversity and inclusion delivery, civil servants need to ensure individual personal and political views do not, and are not perceived to, influence our advice or actions. We are committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination and grow a culture that welcomes challenge and demands rigour in how we assess delivery for citizens.

Discussing contested views

33. The complexity of issues and the contested nature of ideas and information means that people will hold a variety of views. Where necessary for the purposes of the organisation, it must be possible for civil servants to discuss these views without fear of social or professional repercussions, whilst complying with their duties in accordance with the values and standards of behaviour set out in the Civil Service code, and without violating another person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. These constraints are not in tension, but it requires care to ensure that all are fulfilled.

34. It is unlikely to be a breach of the code for a civil servant to:

a. Present a view or belief for discussion

b. State or present a view or belief with the sincere intention of ensuring impartiality or balance.

35. The right to express personal beliefs is important but not absolute. A statement of belief may constitute harassment if it is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic (e.g. race, sex or sexual orientation) and has the purpose or effect of violating another person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for that person. There will be circumstances where a statement of view or belief, even one which others may find extreme or offensive, may be necessary and appropriate in the workplace in order to facilitate free and frank exchange of views when formulating advice, developing policy and to support good decision making. Such discussions, when conducted in a professional and respectful manner, are unlikely to constitute harassment. This could include, for example, presenting a view or belief for discussion as part of policy development or considering views of stakeholders following consultation.

36. For further information on protected beliefs, please refer to section 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

Use of language in official publications and correspondence

37. Civil servants must be mindful in their use of language when writing about diversity and inclusion, communicating with colleagues and providing services to the public. Language and its usage is constantly evolving, it is important that we follow government policy and guidelines (see below). At the same time, we should also be mindful of individual preferences and how people describe themselves.

38. For example, when writing about race and ethnicity, the government has stopped using the term ‘BAME’ because it merges several distinct ethnic minority groups into one large group, which can lead to misleading assertions and interpretations of data.

39. In relation to sex and gender identity, civil servants may choose to include their pronouns or titles in any email signature. However, this should be a personal and voluntary decision and no civil servant should be treated adversely for choosing or not choosing to do so.

40. The government’s position on the use of gender-neutral language in legislative drafting was set out in a Ministerial Statement of 23 May 2022 . It remains appropriate to use sex-specific language where such language communicates the desired policy outcome. This may include, for example, references to the needs of men and women respectively, or areas of policy where biological sex is a relevant or pertinent concept.

41. For disability, describe the person before their disability (for example, a woman with arthritis), as this reduces negative stereotypes. However there are exceptions to this, and some people with a disability may describe themselves with a disability-first definition.

42. When writing about age, consider whether this is required and only refer to someone’s age if it is relevant. For example, if a person needs to be over 18 to access a service, then it would be important to specify their age.

43. Civil servants should also refer to guidance on completing assessments under the Public Sector Equality Duty, ensuring compliance and data collection is not disproportionate to the aims of meeting legal obligations.

Further sources of advice

44. The government has previously issued guidance advising against the unnecessary translation of documents into foreign languages.

45. The Race Disparity Unit has issued guidance on how to write about ethnicity to enable more accurate and responsible communications. There is also guidance for communicating with or writing about disabled people.

46. Civil servants may also wish to seek advice from departmental Communication Teams and refer to departmental guidance on propriety. The Government Communication Service (GCS) has also developed guidance on best practice in communication for government communicators.

Network activities and running events

47. When cross-government diversity networks organise events and develop content, it is important to ensure these are fit for purpose, offer clear organisational benefits and are in line with obligations under the Civil Service code. It is particularly important when engaging with external individuals and organisations to ensure that they are not engaged in activities that could contravene impartiality.

48. Event chairs or moderators must play an active role during events to ensure that the Civil Service code is upheld. For example, it may be necessary to ensure that an alternative perspective is presented if something is said that is not impartial. Chairs should consider what training they require in advance of the event to ensure that they are able to fulfil this responsibility.

49. Civil servants involved in the running of a network or event should consult any relevant central guidance to ensure they follow appropriate processes. They should also consider any departmental policies and guidance.

Learning and development activity

50. Civil servants should consider the business rationale for running training or events, identifying any potential risks or considerations prior to engaging with providers or external parties. Learning and development can be used to improve understanding, where this has benefit to the organisation. However, learning and development, and other educational activities, should not encourage or require someone to accept a belief or view.

51. Inviting external speakers to speak or organising a training event with an external partner could be considered official endorsement of that speaker or training provider. Civil servants should be particularly careful when inviting external speakers or using training materials or resources that are not part of the new and refreshed leadership and management or formal departmental diversity and inclusion training products.

52. It is recommended that using an evidenced-based approach when commissioning or designing any training or developmental events will minimise any risk to the department’s position and reputation. This means being very clear about the business outcomes and having concrete indicators of success.

53. Any potential learning should also be reviewed to consider whether, without specific additional context, the resource may undermine a balanced presentation or promote partisan political views.

54. We encourage civil servants to follow departmental policies and guidance on running Learning and Development events using external parties and to gather evidence that their resources are effective in promoting the intended behavioural change.

55. For example, the CS became aware of an academic review on the effectiveness of Unconscious Bias training that had been widely used across many sectors and in the Civil Service for a number of years. An internal review was conducted to analyse the impact of the training. The evidence showed that such training did not lead to the intended positive behavioural change because it raised awareness without providing strategies to behave differently. As a result Unconscious Bias training was withdrawn from the learning offer and alternative, evidence-based approaches identified.

56. It is also important to consider impartiality when receiving ad hoc communications from suppliers.

57. For example a training supplier approached a department offering a cutting-edge approach to reducing discrimination. The Learning & Development Lead conducted a review of their website, found a lack of evidence to support the claims, and a vagueness that raised concerns about the impartiality of the supplier’s agenda. Following this review, the offer of learning was declined.

58. The Civil Service EDI Expenditure Guidance should be consulted when considering learning and development spend.

Communications

59. Civil servants should also consider use of impartial language in all forms of communications.This includes invitations to events, social media, public displays, banners and posters in public view as well as emails to external stakeholders. Civil servants should also ensure they refer to relevant policies on social media usage.

60. Further advice should be sought from departmental communications teams.

Further information

61. Civil servants seeking further advice may wish to approach their relevant departmental Policy lead or HR Team.

Civil servants working for the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and their agencies, have their own versions of the code. Similar codes apply to the Northern Ireland civil service and the Diplomatic Service. Civil servants working in non-ministerial departments in England, Scotland and Wales are covered by this code. ↩

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Best Workplace Diversity Essay Examples

Diversity training.

1029 words | 4 page(s)

In order to create a half-day diversity training exercise, it is important for us to identify the topics to be covered during the course of training, the individual best suited to lead the training exercise, the appropriate medium for training, the goals of the exercise, and to determine how the exercises will be assessed by participating employees. By reviewing each of these different aspects of the exercise it will be possible to work to better plan out the program itself while working at the same time to ensure that all the major areas that need to be planned for are covered so that nothing is missed.

In order to be able to determine the major topics that should be covered it is necessary to first understand the reason that the company has opted to create the diversity training exercise. Typically, there are only two reasons to place employees through a diversity training exercise, either as an attempt by the company to attempt to prevent potential lawsuits or to attempt to create an all-inclusive environment that ensures that all members are treated with personal and professional respect and that their talents and not their differences are what are showcased within the company environment (Bregman, 2012). As the company is not currently anticipating any lawsuits and as there are no recent complaints about a lack of diversity within our organization, according to HR, we must work off of the basis that this training exercise is being implemented for the purposes of strengthening the organization and the cohesiveness of its employees therein; with this in mind as the ultimate goal of the exercise, it is then possible to determine the major topics that should be covered during the course of the half-day that has been allocated for the purposes of this exercise.

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The major topics that will be covered during the course of the half-day training exercise will consist of what a multi-cultural environment is, why respect is an important part of the workplace, understanding the manners in which prejudices and discrimination make themselves known, understanding ethnicities, and different collaborative problem solving strategies that may be utilized during the course of projects and team building exercises designed to strengthen the team through differences as opposed to demanding homogeneity (EdChange, 2013).

There are many different options available to the company in regard to the different individuals that would have the best qualifications to run such a diversity training program, including, employees, academic experts, private consultants, and representatives of other government agencies. There are various pros and cons to utilizing individuals from each of these different categories; governmental employees would most likely have already completed a program of this nature and would have a good idea not only of how to run the program, but also of the different standards that governmental agencies are held to, ensuring that our employees would be held to the same standards, but at the same time, these employees would not be familiar with our culture of employment, potentially causing issues due to the fact that they utilize different methods than we. Private consultants are often utilized for diversity training as this is their full time job, meaning that they have a good level of familiarity with the material, however this also has the potentiality for the presentations to become stale and flat, reducing their impact, coupled with the fact that they too would be unfamiliar with our employment culture. Academic experts are sometimes utilized due to the fact that this is an often studied area for academia, however their research works to distance themselves from the topic, and it is possible that they might attempt to try out new theories, potentially causing a conflict within the organization. This leaves current employees as a possibility, and while it is true that a current employee would need to be trained on the proper way to handle such a training exercise and will need to be trained on the material, ensuring their familiarity with the content before presenting it to others, it is also true that a current employee would have the most familiarity with the culture of our company, and a familiarity, to a degree, with the individuals who are currently a part of this organization. To this end, it is determined that a current employee would be the best choice for running the training program. It is recommended that a member of HR complete the training as they will be the most familiar with current company policies and appropriate discrimination laws and practices.

In order to ensure the most active participation and the best knowledge retention, it is determined that the training exercise should be completed in a face-to-face setting, ensuring that all employees are fully engaged in the training exercise. This would not be possible to gauge through an online training session wherein individuals could simply click through the exercises, never engaging their coworkers and distancing themselves further, as opposed to truly connecting and creating a cohesive working environment. Additionally, based on the list of topics to be covered during the course of the training session, a fact-to-face training exercise makes the most sense for such exercises, all of which require an active level of participation with other group mates, something that would not necessarily translate well through an online dissociative medium. At the close of the training exercise, it will be necessary to assess the level of effectiveness of the training exercise itself. The best way to do this will be to have employees, at the close of the session, complete a survey about the training session. This survey will work to not only gauge employee understanding of the material covered, but will also work to determine which exercises completed during the overall training exercise were the most effective, which were the least effective, whether or not they felt the trainer was able to effectively explain the content to them, and whether or not they felt that the training program itself was useful.

Bregman, P. (2012). Diversity training doesn’t work. [online] Retrieved from: http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/03/diversity-training-doesnt-work/ [Accessed: 7 Feb 2014].
Edchange.org. (2013). Multicultural, anti-bias, & diversity activities & exercises. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html [Accessed: 7 Feb 2014].

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Charity boss used N-word in full - while leading diversity training

A boss at an award-winning charity used the N-word in full - during a meeting about diversity, The Independent has learned.

Angharad Orchard, the former deputy chief executive of Mayday Trust, was leading the session in April 2023 and used the slur while making a point about the acceptable use of language.

Mayday Trust provides coaching to people “going through tough times” and has been referred to internally as “the language police.”

One of the presentation slides, seen by The Independent , said “instead of ‘queer’ - compare to the N-word, try LGBT+, LGBTQ+, in group term”, and Ms Orchard said the N-word in full and admitted to doing so, according to internal documents.

The incident prompted several colleagues to make formal complaints to the charity’s human resources department.

“Ms Orchard was unaware that the “N-word” must not be used in any context even if to highlight a point about her discomfort in using it to describe someone,” according to a HR letter replying to a formal complaint, seen by The Independent.

“Angharad did not use the word in a derogatory manner, nor did she do so in a violent way or within a racist statement.

“Mayday does not currently have established requirements, guidelines or policies around the use of language and therefore Angharad had no obligation to study the history and context behind the ‘n-word’ as part of her role as Deputy CEO.”

The Independent has approached Ms Orchard for comment.

Colleagues in the room, including chief executive Alex Fox, heard Ms Orchard use the word but nothing was said immediately in response and disciplinary action was never taken , according to the HR letter seen by The Independent.

She remained a safeguarding lead within the organisation for three months thereafter, several staff members said.

The diversity session did not cover the unacceptable use of racist slurs towards Black people such as the N-word and, according to former staff members, who have since criticised the charity for failing to take appropriate action.

According to an internal complaint seen by The Independent , a staff member who witnessed the incident says she “zoned out” from shock for the remainder of the meeting.

A senior Black staff member also raised a complaint about Ms Orchard’s use of the N-word. Shortly after this was lodged, that staff member was made redundant.

Following the complaints, the deputy CEO told the charity’s HR department she was aware that the N-word is offensive and should not be used, but she thought this was only in the context of trying to offend or describe someone, not within the context of a discussion around language, according to the HR documents.

Mayday Trust’s diversity policy states: “We believe that any form of direct or indirect discrimination is a barrier, both within ‘the system’ but also generally within society. These barriers create isolation, stereotyping and internalised damage.”

Additional concerns have been raised at the charity regarding race, including an absence of policy on how to deal with internal and external instances of race discrimination.

The charity has recently merged with mental health charity Platfform and also works with Homeless Network Scotland as part of ‘New System Alliance’, a collaboration geared towards helping people through “tough times”, such as poverty and racism, with over 100 projects and services across the UK.

The merger has been funded with public money, namely through the National Lottery Community Fund and the NHS.

No Black people sit on the board of trustees across Platfform, Homeless Network Scotland or Mayday Trust.

Meanwhile, the deputy CEO who used the slur and CEO who ultimately oversaw the charity response have since resigned and moved on to new roles within the social care and charity sectors.

Despite this, a number of former employees who spoke to The Independent , both Black and white, are calling upon Mayday Trust to apologise to all staff members who were affected by the deputy CEO’s language, and for the way in which the situation was handled.

Ex-staff members accused the Mayday Trust of institutional racism and called for the Equality Act to be enforced across the charity sector.

One former employee member told The Independent : “It’s important that I speak out because it’s about exposing how unsafe working environments like charities are. People often give quite willingly, financially, to charities, and don’t realise that they’re funding quite toxic working environments.”

Responding to the incident, a spokesperson from Charity So White, a campaign group that works to tackle racism within the charity sector told The Independent: “It is wild that in 2024 we are talking about why it is unacceptable for a leader in the charity sector to use the N-word. Even the most obviously hurtful and dehumanising of racist slurs like this are excused and defended by charities.

“Time and time again, we see charity leaders go to extraordinary lengths to shift the goalposts of ‘acceptable behaviour’ and infantilise themselves to avoid anti-racist accountability.”

A spokesperson for Mayday said: “We are aware of the allegations relating to Mayday. We can make no further comment whilst legal processes are ongoing.”

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Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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Diversity essays ask students to highlight an important aspect of their identity, background, culture, experience, viewpoints, beliefs, skills, passions, goals, etc. Diversity essays can come in many forms. Some scholarships are offered specifically for students who come from an underrepresented background or identity in higher education. At ...
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How to Write a Diversity Essay - Diversity Essay Examples. The first example addresses the "share a story" prompt. It is written in the voice of Karim Amir, the main character of Hanif Kureishi's novel The Buddha of Suburbia. As a child of the suburbs, I have frequently navigated the labyrinthine alleys of identity.
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getty. Diversity and inclusion is an important part of creating a welcoming environment at work. It's also a way to improve employee satisfaction, retention and productivity. And, as a direct ...
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When the company leadership visibly upholds the values of diversity and inclusion, employees are much more likely to follow their example. Your organization wants to promote these values, and leading by example is a powerful way to get that message across. 5. Don't rely on only one type of training.
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How to write about your diversity. Your answer to a school's diversity essay question should focus on how your experiences have built your empathy for others, your embrace of differences, your resilience, your character, and your perspective. The school might ask how you think of diversity or how you will bring or add to the diversity of the ...
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The push for diversity essays has been compounded by the recent Supreme Court decision ruling affirmative action policies unconstitutional. With this ruling blocking colleges from directly considering an applicant's race or ethnicity in admissions decisions, many institutions have turned to supplemental essays as an alternative way to gauge how a prospective student's unique experiences and ...
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Similarly, training in bias and cultural humility requires dedicated effort to hire, train, develop, and implement new and existing materials. To that end, the creation of diversity and inclusion offices, centers for equity, and institutes dedicated to these efforts are important and, as such, should be fully supported and resourced.
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How to Write the Diversity Essay After the End of Affirmative Action. Essay #1: Jewish Identity. Essay #2: Being Bangladeshi-American. Essay #3: Marvel vs DC. Essay #4: Leadership as a First-Gen American. Essay #5: Protecting the Earth. Essay #6: Music and Accents. Where to Get Your Diversity Essays Edited.
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Here are seven additional suggestions to consider as you write your diversity statement. Tell your story. If you have overcome obstacles to get to where you are, point those out. If, in contrast, you are privileged, acknowledge that. If you grew up walking uphill to school carrying two 20-pound sacks of rice on your back, by all means, tell ...
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diversity training for employees in organizational settings We begin our summary of DT with studies positioned in workplace or organizational settings. Within the United States, employee DT was born in response to the advent of affirmative action policies implemented in US workplaces following the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
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End Notes (Chapter 2) 1 Judy, Richard W. and D'Amico, Carol D. Workforce 2020, Hudson Institute, 1999. 2 Government Accountability Office, Diversity Management: Expert-Identified Leading Practices and Agency Examples, GAO-05-90, January 2005. 3 Leadership commitment is considered by many experts to be crucial to a successful diversity initiative. For example, see: Buttner, E. Holly, Lowe ...
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Abstract. This research paper addresses the importance of diversity training in the workplace. Having realized how pertinent workplace discrimination is globally, this paper will give a broad look into the various ways that diversity is displayed in the workplace. The diversity issues involving gender, sexuality, race, age, culture and religion ...
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Diversity Training Essays. Diversity Training and Its Impact on Human Resources. Abstract The current research analyses the vital role diversity education in human resources (HR) plays in encouraging inclusive workplaces. The research recognizes the distinct demands of organizations depending on their employee headcount, particularly ...
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In addition, organizations can promote cultural awareness through diversity training, inclusive policies, and the celebration of multicultural events. By creating a work environment that values and respects cultural differences, organizations can harness the full potential of their diverse workforce and foster a sense of belonging among employees.
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Diversity Training Essay. It is becoming evident that the working population of the country is much more diverse than it was before. People belonging to numerous ethnic and cultural groups are now employed with us. In light of this situation I recommend to conduct a diversity training program for all employees.
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Diversity Training Essay; Diversity Training Essay. 382 Words 2 Pages. 1. Instead of implementing yet another diversity training class to support our diversity initiatives describes other interventions that an organization should consider to gain more support and interest?
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Supplement Programs to Enhance Diversity and Re-entry into the Research Workforce. NIH-wide supplement programs to enhance diversity and promote re-entry into the research workforce (respectively). Provides additional financial support to program director (s) (PD) or principal investigator (s) (PI) with an active NIH grant in order to onboard ...
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Charity boss used N-word in full
One of the presentation slides, seen by The Independent, said "instead of 'queer' - compare to the N-word, try LGBT+, LGBTQ+, in group term", and Ms Orchard said the N-word in full and ...
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In 1954, Elemash began to produce fuel assemblies, including for the first nuclear power plant in the world, located in Obninsk. In 1959, the facility produced the fuel for the Soviet Union's first icebreaker. Its fuel assembly production became serial in 1965 and automated in 1982. 1. Today, Elemash is one of the largest TVEL nuclear fuel ...
Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery and Museum
Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar ...