Commitment

QuEST is committed to welcoming and supporting young adults from all backgrounds and identities — including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, class, and ability — and their intersections. We recognize that we operate in a society based on the supremacy of capitalist, white, patriarchal, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied norms, and that we need to do continued work to unlearn those embedded values and create communities where everyone can be whole and free, individually, interpersonally, and institutionally.

We lean on our Quaker tradition as a source of guidance. Our faith and practice comes from the sense that there is God within every person, and our trust in continuing revelation keeps us seeking and growing. We celebrate Quaker leadership in movements for social justice, while maintaining a healthy criticism of our Quaker history and present. The Quaker community that supports QuEST is primarily white and middle-class people who, however well-intentioned, unconsciously uphold white supremacy and other systems of oppression to the harm of marginalized groups. The Spirit calls us to create a better world.

QuEST asks all levels of our program to be involved in the work of collective liberation — Fellows, staff, support committee, agencies, and sponsoring Quaker meetings. This is not a one-time event but an ongoing lifelong process to which we are all called. We invite questions and participation from our constituencies as we deepen our commitments.

Approved by the QuEST Committee May 2019

Practices and Activities

Land Acknowledgement

QuEST recognizes that we are on the unceded territory of the Duwamish People. We make a monthly donation to Real Rent Duwamish in solidarity with the First Peoples of this land. These funds go directly to Duwamish Tribal Services to support the revival of Duwamish culture and the vitality of the Duwamish Tribe.

Admissions
  • The QuEST admissions process is a conversation between the applicant, the QuEST Committee, and the partner agencies. It is a holistic approach that takes into account applicants’ social identities and backgrounds and demonstrated interest in program components like community living and simplicity, as well as the skill sets requested and growth opportunities offered by the partner agencies.
  • Disclosure of race, sexuality, etc, is not required on application, neither is disclosure of citizenship or immigration status.
  • Application invites applicants to self-disclose their identities and backgrounds and reflect on them in the context of social change work and community living.
Fellows’ Support

QuEST provides

  • mentorship: Each Fellow is matched with a local Quaker or alum, from a similar identity group or with similar interests, for support, friendship, and resources. Young alums of color serve as resources for Fellows in formal and informal capacities.
  • opportunities to participate in affinity groups for people of color, LGBTQ+, and white allies through Puget Sound Service Corps Network.
  • outside resources: a list of local groups that provide social opportunities, networking, and support for various marginalized groups, in addition to invitations to specific events and opportunities throughout the year.
  • health care fund that pays for mental health counseling.
  • access fund, which gives extra financial support to Fellows who come from poor and working class backgrounds and those who have self-identified financial needs connected to equity, inclusion, and identity.
  • QuEST recognizes the limits of its housing for people with physical disabilities and provides a document with a description of some of the access features of the house.
Programming

QuEST uses QuEST Time, the twice monthly gathering of Fellows for training and discussion, to forward exploration of identity and inclusion. Specific workshops vary based on interests and needs of the group and availability of facilitators. Examples in recent years include:

  • Undoing Institutional Racism, People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
  • Class, classism, economic equity workshop and discussion
  • Duwamish Longhouse visit
  • Indigenous People’s Day participation
  • Central District Red Line Tour
  • Martin Luther King Day workshops, speakers, and rally
  • “Race, Identity, and Resilience” workshop with Puget Sound Service Corps Network
Agencies
  • QuEST has a growing commitment to partner with agencies that not only serve marginalized populations but are led by those populations.
  • Application questions for agencies include: “What populations does your organization serve? How are these populations represented in the staff leadership or board, or included in determining the priorities or activities of the organization?”, “What diversity/equity training will you provide your Fellow?”, and “What accommodations can you make for a Fellow with disabilities?”
Staff and Support Committee
  • The program provides funds to the Program Director for professional development and expects formal and informal development in equity and inclusion. In the last two years, the Program Director has used QuEST funds to grow her anti-oppression practices by participating in the following trainings: Undoing Institutional Racism; Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment; Intercultural Development Inventory; Storytelling Strategies for Dismantling Racism; and Invisible Disabilities in the Workplace.
  • The QuEST Committee commits to shared learning on this topic by having a standing agenda item at their bi-monthly meetings in which a member shares a resource or learning moment or facilitates a short discussion connected to equity work.
Sponsoring Quaker Meetings

University Friends Meeting has a Minute Welcoming Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People, which is the last statement listed on this website.