Building a More Safe, Open, and Authentically Inclusive Community Dear SCH Community: I write this in a cozy corner of our 62-acre campus as 42 student facilitators have gathered to practice the Social Action Workshops that they’ve designed in preparation for the seventh annual SCHout conference. Forty-two students who have dedicated an entire Saturday to this important work. As they meticulously prepare their slides and icebreakers, the action-oriented energy is palpable. Just like our navigation of a global pandemic, our journey to building a fully inclusive community is ever evolving. But we are up for the challenge. As these students and their faculty mentors refine workshops such as "Inside Out: Changing the Mindset about People with Disabilities," "White Privilege in the LGBTQ Community," and "Reframing Sustainability and Confronting Environmental Injustice," I can’t help but be inspired by the dedication and enthusiasm with which our students approach this work and feel it’s a great time to reflect on what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) looks like in action across our campus. Allow me to share a bit about what has transpired, what’s happening now, and what we are looking forward to in the world of DEI at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. With gratitude, Rayna Guy Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Looking Back For some, the journey toward an inclusive community began in 2020 when the United States faced a moment of reckoning as people across the country gathered in protest of violence against Black and Brown citizens. These were raw and honest moments that served as a catalyst in the acceleration of the work that was already under way in our school community. Through candid conversations with families, students, and alumni that were honest, fruitful, and cathartic, four pillars of action were identified that would drive our work moving forward. Those four pillars are: 1.
Forming a trustee-level DEI Committee composed of trustees, parents, and alumni to consider and recommend practices and policy across all aspects of SCH.
2.
Creating a platform for discourse within our parent community.
3.
Hiring a workforce at SCH that better represents the diversity of the student body.
4.
Training our faculty and staff in DEI practices, rethinking curriculum, and analyzing the lenses through which we teach.
Student holds a sign of support during SCH's Day of Silence, a national student-led initiative to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people in schools.
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school magazine spring 2022
