By Orlando Greene, Director of Inclusion and Community
As Hockaday moves into its centennial year, a commitment to providing girls essential skills for becoming successful women remains at the core of its charge. Central to this commitment is the cultivation of skills that aid in the ability to successfully navigate a rapidly changing, mediadriven, multicultural world. Technology, social media, and greater travel opportunities have yielded a society characterized by interconnected relationships, broader world views, and a sense of global citizenship. Egocentric identities of the past have given way to notions of international civic duty, and a desire to become key players in the global arena. This expanded world view requires a new set of skills of its participants. This skill set, more appropriately termed “cultural competencies,” is at the core of work in the areas of inclusion and community. Diversity work of the past is often defined by the narrow black and white lens through which many experienced it. Issues were black and white; offenses were black and white, solutions were black and white, and most importantly, people’s opinions regarding those affected by diversity were individuals who were either black or white. Under the Inclusion and Community component of the Center for Global Citizenship, students will experience “diversity work” through an expanded lens. The black and white views of the past will be explored through a lens with an ability to appreciate a broader spectrum of colors. The move from fixing mistakes or negative interactions between communities to developing strong, inclusive, multicultural communities is the nucleus of this work.
What does this mean for Hockaday students? Inclusion and Community work will have three central objectives: 1) Creating a deeper understanding of one’s own culture 2) Understanding, communicating, appreciating, and effectively participating in various cultures throughout the world 3) Understanding and respecting different world views and cultural norms
How will these objectives be achieved? Inclusion and Community work will be realized by: 1) Providing resources for learning about different cultures A. Books, tapes, library resources, speaker series 2) Teaching effective communication strategies A. Community-wide communication workshops to aid with skill development B. Focus group to practice skills and address specific concerns 3) Deepening understanding of one’s own culture to better understand how to successfully interact with others A. Teaching students through curriculum, about cultural norms B. Through programming and class curriculum, exploring the parallels that exist between cultures and learning to appreciate the differences that exist Ultimately, through skill building, the promotion of cultural awareness, and the celebration of differences, students will be fully equipped to navigate their own community and communities throughout the world.
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2013