Strive Online curricula adheres to DEI principles by:

1. Developing diverse and inclusive course content that:

• Engages the learner
• Uses research-based and theory-driven approaches
• Is anchored in adult learning principles and prioritizes learners and their needs
• Scaffolds and breaks concepts down into manageable pieces
• Integrates values, knowledge, and skills and provides practice activities

2. Anchoring the curricula in multiple cultural perspectives which:

• Ensures that those with broad experience and different lived experiences participate in development (and review) of the curriculum.
• Considers who the curriculum will not work for and when adaptations need to be made.
• Instills cultural awareness and empathy, particularly surrounding experiences with foster care and trauma
• Considers the unique cultural backgrounds of all children and families

3. Utilizing subject matter experts (SMEs):

• These individuals provide either professional content expertise or lived experience.
• Each SME possesses specific expertise, which may include one or more of the following: recognition within their community for knowledge of issues addressed by the curriculum, deep understanding of research and literature, familiarity with accepted best practices and evidence-based practices, or firsthand knowledge gained from direct experience with the training content (such as foster care alumni, long-term caregivers, or parents).
• SMEs support our work by informing training development and reviewing curricula.

4. Incorporates an anti-racist and anti-oppression lens in both content and delivery. This content is explicitly discussed with a lens that helps focus the curriculum through:

• Ensuring an anti-racist anti-oppressive lens of the training
• Including content that explicitly covers anti-racist and anti-oppressive content (such as disproportionality)

5. The course is designed to meet general web accessibility standards including:

• Captioning, subtitles, and transcriptions
• Alternative-text and descriptions
• Appropriate color contrasts
• Font sizes and types
• Organization and structure

6. Using course development software that allows for learners to use the device of their choice.

7. Allowing accommodations. (Learner can take the courses at their own pace)

8. Providing practice opportunities to support diverse ways of learning:

• Through practice questions or activities and review sections.
• Learners are allowed to retake any practice questions and feedback is provided on correct and incorrect responses.
• Practice questions and activities and other low-stakes quizzes are beneficial for a variety of reasons, such as reducing student test anxiety and getting feedback.

9. We also use confidential grading.

• Pre/Post testing scores are connected to the learner are de-identified and aggregated before being shared.
• Each learner receives feedback on correct and incorrect answers at the time of the post-test.