Written by: Angel Garcia, Natalia Alvarez Rodriguez
Georgia Tech EcoCAR is committed to fostering a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive (DEI) environment for all our members. Georgia Tech’s EcoCAR members have fostered harmonious working relationships, which have made the team stronger and more effective. We believe that a diverse team brings different perspectives, skills, and ideas to the table, which leads to more innovative and effective solutions.
One of the key ways we promote DEI within our team is by actively seeking out individuals from diverse backgrounds to join our team. We understand that diversity is not just limited to race, ethnicity, and gender, but also includes individuals with different abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and experiences. By actively recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds, we can bring a wide range of perspectives and ideas to the table. This becomes especially helpful when the team encounters issues with the car as the team members’ diverse background provides creative solutions.
Another way we embrace DEI is through team building activities that encourage open and honest communication. These include social events such as game nights, car show outings, and Kahoot! trivia games, ensuring all team members learn about the importance of diversity. DEI Manager, Michelle Warren, focuses on learning opportunities for the team to ensure that they focus on inclusivity to solidify our strong team culture.
These team building exercises also encourage team members to listen to and understand different perspectives and experiences. The experiences Michelle creates help ensure that every team member in attendance will have the opportunity to get to know the other members, which helps foster an environment where the team members are accepting of each person’s unique perspective. Collaboration across and within sub-teams is essential when working on this project, so we believe that in order to work well together, there needs to be a strong sense of solidarity and inclusion across the board. Fostering an equitable and inclusive environment makes it so communication runs much more smoothly and therefore all parts work well together.
As a team, we are proud to be a part of a diverse and inclusive community that values different perspectives and ideas. We believe that DEI is essential to creating a successful team. By actively recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds and implementing team building activities that encourage open and honest communication, we are able to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment for all team members. Our goal is to provide support and ensure that all members feel included in the team to build a collaborative and cohesive team. We invite you to join us in our mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team at Georgia Tech and within the automotive industry.
For more information on how to join our team, click here!
