Gateway Equity Institute

Gateway Equity Institute activates and supports communities to advance equity and justice. We achieve our mission by empowering leaders to drive institutional and systemic change, providing a wide range of transformational training and coaching opportunities, and engaging youth through in-depth diversity programs.

Diversity Awareness Partnership and NCCJ logos side by side.

History & Organization Merger

Gateway Equity Institute (GEI) was founded in 2024 as the result of a merger between Diversity Awareness Partnership (DAP) and NCCJ St. Louis. Thanks to the decades of experience in community education accrued by each organization, we are uniquely poised to work in a wide array of spaces: schools, businesses, grassroots networks, faith-based organizations, and more. All of these sectors can foster psychological safety and work proactively toward justice.

Prior to their official merger, DAP and NCCJ St. Louis successfully collaborated on events like Dialogue for Change 2020 (community sessions that fostered vulnerable, growth-minded discussions about race and racial justice) and the 2021 Diversity Summit. While upholding the effective components of both DAP and NCCJ programs, GEI has tailored them to address emerging challenges in the ever-evolving landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as well provide a complete continuum of training and education services for businesses and organizations.

We extend a special thanks to Commerce Bancshares Foundation and Enterprise Holdings Foundation for their support and contributions during the merger of DAP and NCCJ St. Louis.

Make a Donation to GEI for Give STL Day

Give STL Day is Thursday, May 9, and early giving is now open! We invite you to make a contribution to GEI and help us advance equity and justice in the St. Louis region and beyond.

Click Here to Donate ›

Training & Education

GEI’s education and training programs are delivered through presentations, seminars, community forums, and interactive sessions where the focus is understanding and dialogue. These sessions raise awareness around topics of diversity and strategies for inclusion. We take a comprehensive approach to inclusion by working with your organization to contextualize training within a broad array of other services.

Group of five individuals attending a training session. One attendee is smiling and pointing forward.