{"id":53,"date":"2012-10-26T08:46:03","date_gmt":"2012-10-26T08:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/hiking\/?page_id=53"},"modified":"2023-10-30T13:24:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T17:24:42","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/americanhiking.org\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\tOur Mission:\n\t<\/h3>\n\t

Empowering all to enjoy, share, and preserve the hiking experience.<\/h1>\n

\n\t\t\n\t\tOur Commitment\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\n\t\tOur Vision\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\n\t\tOur Core Values\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t

Our Commitment to All Hikers<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

At American Hiking Society (AHS), we envision a world where everyone feels a sense of belonging in the hiking community and has lasting access to meaningful hiking experiences, be that in urban, frontcountry, or backcountry settings. At our core, we are a community of hikers, or more simply, a community of people who more broadly share a love of foot (or assisted) travel outside along paths, trails, sidewalks, and more.<\/p>\n

However, we know that being able to move freely outside is not an opportunity available to all communities. Issues of systemic oppression, including, but not limited to, racism, sexism, colonialism, ableism, ageism, bigotry against LGBTQIA-2, and more, have prevented individuals and communities from readily having financial and proximity access to hiking and trails, feeling safe and welcome while hiking, and seeing their identities and values reflected in the hiking community and outdoor industry. To ensure we are truly moving toward our vision where everyone feels a sense of belonging in the hiking community, it is our responsibility to understand and address historic and current barriers, disadvantages, and mistreatment experienced by people as they hike or consider hiking. It is our responsibility to serve as a catalyst for positive change in service of a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive (JEDI)<\/a> hiking community.<\/p>\n

We are committed to this work because it’s simply the right thing to do. First and foremost, embracing JEDI<\/a> will help us innovate, be resilient, and do our best work, with a thriving workforce and thriving constituencies. Further, doing our best work also means that we are reaching, listening to, and representing the entire hiking community, especially those who have previously not felt welcome or heard in the hiking world. We believe the strength of the hiking community is dependent upon every hiker being seen, heard, and valued. Finally, we simply believe that everyone-and not just the privileged few-should be able to access the benefits of hiking, including health and healing, fostering connections with nature, and building community.<\/p>\n

While AHS historically has not prioritized JEDI<\/a>, when leadership changed in mid-2017, AHS Board and Staff took it as an opportunity to recognize this failure and correct it.\u00a0 We began two years of work on a 2020-2024 Strategic Plan that looked at who we were and how we wanted to be moving forward as an organization. JEDI was unequivocally made a priority, starting with acknowledging our prior Mission<\/a> was inadequate and redefining our Mission to: Empowering all to enjoy, share, and preserve the hiking experience.<\/p>\n

As part of this work, we are revising our previous diversity statement<\/a> and laying out this new commitment to more clearly guide us toward our Mission and Vision. We will:<\/p>\n