Mission & Vision

Mission

The Henry Ford provides unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories, and lives from America's traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Our purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future.


Vision

The Henry Ford will be a force for inspiring every individual to innovate, create and invent.


Values

We are curious: We are a community of learners committed to growing as a collaborative and inclusive team.

We are authentic: We set high standards of excellence to bring the past forward by sharing what we know and respecting what others bring.

We are passionate: We are flexible and resilient as we think big, work smart, and grow wisely to create engaging and fulfilling experiences for everyone.


Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Commitment Statement

The Henry Ford is an international destination, an educational resource, and an equitable employer. We strive to actively increase equity and inclusivity in all our work to create meaningful and accessible experiences and engagements that foster a sense of belonging for people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the institution is an ongoing process. As such, The Henry Ford will intentionally make decisions that celebrate diversity and that prioritize representation and acceptance.

It is the policy of The Henry Ford to prohibit discrimination based on age; gender expression; gender identity; learning, mental, or physical abilities; race; religious beliefs; sex; sexual orientation; or any other such characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

This pledge is a shared responsibility extended to all people who work and partner with us and is upheld by our institutional mission, vision, values, strategic goals, and service commitment.


Land Acknowledgement

The venues of The Henry Ford stand on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded homelands of the Three Fires Council—the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi peoples. The Miami, Wyandot, and Fox Nations also called this land their home. The 1807 Treaty of Detroit led to the forcible removal of these First Peoples, and they dispersed throughout the United States to parts of current-day Michigan, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Kansas, and into Canada. The Henry Ford acknowledges the impacts of settler colonialism and commits to deepening its relationship with Indigenous communities in the present—and future.