Pilates Diversity Scholarship
Together we can increase diversity in the field of Pilates. Because Pilates is for everybody — every shape, every size, every color.
Breaking Down the Barriers to Entry
The Pilates field should reflect our larger society and be a leader in creating diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces for movement.
The goal is to begin breaking down the homogeneous composition of the field so that everybody — every shape, every size, every color — can fully participate. Based on the premise that the Pilates field should reflect our larger society, the Pilates Diversity Scholarship seeks to support and develop racial diversity and inclusion in the Pilates field.
Pilates is for everybody, and we feel it is not currently reflected in the field's training programs, client base, and certified trainers.
Inspire the Industry
Inspire other Pilates training programs to join Equilibrium in offering a teacher training Diversity Scholarship — based on the Pilates Diversity Scholarship project, whose Founding Members were Ashlee Johnson, Holly Furgason, and Lorlelei Lee-Haynes.
We believe that representation matters in every room — especially in a room designed to support wellness, healing, and human potential.
Download ApplicationFeeling included — or being able to see oneself in a leader — has been shown to be beneficial to participation. With Pilates teachers of color, there may be a "new" kind of exercise for BIPOC to look to.
Stretching Access
Breaking Financial Barriers
Acknowledging limits to expendable wealth to invest in education means an opportunity like this can be life-changing for the individual teacher. Economic boundaries are often the main limitation of access to professional education — this scholarship changes that.
Teachers of Color = Better Health for BIPOC
Representation is more than people give it credit for. Opening the floor to teachers of color may give BIPOC the opportunity to try new ways of caring for their physical — and subsequently mental — health in an environment where they see themselves reflected.
A More Inclusive Field
Pilates has historically been inaccessible to many — not just economically, but culturally. By actively supporting instructors from underrepresented communities, we help reshape what the Pilates profession looks like for generations to come.
Apply for the Pilates Diversity Scholarship
Download our scholarship application, complete it, and return it to our education team. Questions? Reach out — we're here to help guide you through the process.
The Pilates Diversity Scholarship Project
This scholarship is inspired by and based on the original Pilates Diversity Scholarship project, whose founding members were Ashlee Johnson, Holly Furgason, and Lorlelei Lee-Haynes — movement leaders who believed the Pilates field must reflect the full diversity of the people it serves.