The Diversity Challenge

It is widely acknowledged that communities and organizations that are more diverse, are in fact the most innovative and ultimately achieve greater success. This success can be measured not only in prosperity, but also in the positive impact they have in society. The leadership at Strang recognizes this fact and is continually working to improve the diversity of talent within our offices.

At Strang we believe our actions speak louder than our words. Our mission is to inspire and enable all individuals to participate and reach their full potential. We strive to be an influential values-driven organization.

Our vision is to lead with compassion and build a culture of diversity that is committed to engaging the voices and respecting the humanity of all people.

Our culture encourages professional and personal development. We support lifelong learning and participation in community affairs while building a more diverse, inclusive workplace.

Although our resolve is unshakable, it does come with some very real challenges; historically, architecture, engineering, and interior design have lacked diversity. For example, minorities (Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans) make up only about 3 percent of registered architects nationwide. We do not accept this current reality of our profession and are working to improve it. Our work goes well beyond the governmental affirmative action plans we have in place.

Our approach is multi-faceted, and includes educational partnerships, youth programming, collaboration with minority organizations, governmental agencies, economic development groups and local businesses.

Examples of our current actions include:

• Job shadow opportunities for grade school students
• An annual week-long STEAM Camp to expose minority middle school students to role models and hands-on experiences in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
• Participation in high school career day programs
• An annual college scholarship program reserved for minority candidates pursuing a career in architecture, interior design, or engineering
• Summer internships for college students
• Collaborations with the Urban League, Girl Scouts and the Boy and Girls Club of America
• Active participation in affirmative action programs for recruiting
• Serving on diversity committees within local business organizations

We pledge to continue our efforts with vigor, seeking additional opportunities where possible and never giving up on the vision of a more diverse and inclusive society. This is our promise to you.

–The Strang Leadership Team