Equity in Our Practice

At Schuler Shook, we believe that our designs contribute to a better world. We design spaces for people to experience, and we aspire to make those spaces inviting to all. We hold Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as essential values in our practice.

Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is vital for our firm. It creates a wide span of thought, breadth of participation, and shared rewards among our team. We want to recognize and engage with people of all identities, abilities, and socioeconomic positions.

Where We Have Been

In 2018, Schuler Shook’s Partners committed to advance our efforts to build a more equitable company. We developed specific internal goals and honed our outreach work. Examples of our work to date include offering mentorships and internships for young professionals; engaging with DEI Committees at professional groups such as AIA, USITT, ASTC, IALD, and IES; participating in organizations such as Women in Lighting and Design, Women in Theatre, Women+ in Theatre Consulting, and the Studio School of Design; contributing our design work to projects with social justice goals; and financially supporting student opportunities through ACE Mentor programs. We value the work we have done to date, and we recognize that there is more to do.

Where We Are Now

The ongoing calls for racial reckoning in our country clarify that we can and must do more. Racial Equity is our current focus as we work to grow in all matters of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

We continue to listen and learn, and we are taking the following action:

  • Continuing to engage with expert consultants to improve our understanding of racism and how we can make meaningful changes.
  • Continuing our diversity and equity training for everyone at Schuler Shook.
  • Maintaining a safe environment that welcomes open dialogue and increases awareness among our team.
  • Evaluating our recruiting practices and developing ways to increase diversity within our staff.
  • Broadening our outreach efforts through school programs, internships, and training opportunities.
  • Increasing Schuler Shook’s participation in projects with social justice goals.
  • Actively supporting minority-owned businesses in our subcontracting and business operations.
  • Encouraging our team to engage in personal efforts to promote social justice.
  • Continuing to advocate for inclusive design for all people.

We know that meaningful change requires work, and we are encouraged by the steps we are taking. We will continue to provide updates to this page as we advance this effort.