Committing to Cross-Cultural Caring and Competency
“Unity is not uniformity.” That message was a focus throughout the School during February, as students and faculty celebrated International Month and Black History Month. It’s an apt summation of the ongoing, year-round efforts at the School to ensure that all members of the community value their own as well as others’ uniqueness.
Around the country, educational institutions of all types (as well as workplaces) are recognizing the need to increase their attention to and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion—and independent schools such as Principia are no exception.
School administrators believe that enhancing Principia students’ ability to acknowledge, appreciate, and work effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds—linguistic, ethnic, or economic—is an essential skillset for the 21st century. “Each one of us has to be able to relate to and work with people who are not like ‘me,’ who may not look like me or act like me or are not Christian Scientists,” says Upper School Dean of Students Melanie Duffy.
This notion “is not about another person—it’s about each one of us. In the self-reflection about what makes us uniquely individual, we celebrate ourselves and honor others with empathy and compassion,” Duffy says.
Signs of the School’s commitment to expanding the community’s understanding and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion are evident across the School in both curricular and co-curricular activities. In the classrooms, the introduction of an Upper School English elective Marginalized Voices (learn more) and the exploration of the refugee experience through literature and social studies units in Middle School are just two examples.
“If we are not expanding the perspectives of our students” in these directions, says K–12 Principal of Student Life Charley Martin, “we are doing ourselves a disservice.”
When it comes to activities outside of academics, he explains, the goal is not so much launching “initiatives” as establishing and maintaining an environment that “resonates with our students and their lived experience.” He and Duffy work closely with students and adults to create and maintain a community that embraces a range of backgrounds, identities, and perspectives (diversity); that identifies and addresses individual needs in order to provide equal access to opportunity (equity); and that values—and gives voice to—all community members (inclusion).
A Cultural Competency Committee, which grew out of a dual-campus task force formed in January 2018, also supports the School’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. And consultant Alison Park has held sessions with faculty as well as Principia’s Board of Trustees to explore these topics.
In addition, students themselves are increasingly showing interest in—and support for—affinity groups that allow them to develop and explore their unique voices. And students, faculty, and administrators are taking advantage of opportunities to broaden their exploration of these issues beyond campus borders. Two years ago, for example, numerous upper schoolers attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, while administrators attended the parallel People of Color Conference (POCC), both sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. This year—since it was held in nearby Nashville, Tennessee—an even bigger group (14 faculty members along with several administrators) attended the POCC conference.
As Head of School Travis Brantingham points out, this broadening of perspective and practice is essential to preparing future-ready graduates. “Efforts to establish a genuinely diverse, truly equitable, and warmly inclusive community help ensure that our students leave the School ready to bless mankind and better humanity,” he comments.