A Balanced Education Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We believe schools should be spaces where students explore the unfamiliar, but also see their own lived experiences reflected, validated, and valued. Our strong belief is that children do not have a complete education until they are immersed in communities which represent a variety of ideas, cultures, and social groups. Our community is intentionally diverse, and the makeup of our student body is purposeful. Over 50% of our students and over 40% of our faculty and staff are People of Color. 7% of our students have same-sex parents. 22% of our students’ families receive financial aid. We value our diversity of family make-up, including adoptive families, single-parent families, LGBTQ+ families, multigenerational households, and so much more. We know how important it is for children and families to see themselves reflected within a school and we continually work towards that goal. Diversity isn’t just about enrollment though. Students must experience a diverse and inclusive program throughout their schooling. We design curricula for students to study the diverse world beyond our school walls. Through a culturally responsive curriculum and faculty who actively learn, live, and teach diverse perspectives, we strive to provide opportunities for all students to have access to a rich multicultural curriculum, develop bias awareness, explore social justice and global issues, and analyze issues related to race, culture, language, adoptive families, socio-economic class, LGBTQ+ families, gender, ability, and religion.
Character Development & Social-Emotional Learning
CEE’s mission rests firmly on the belief that happy and emotionally resilient children make the best students who will lead the most joyful and purposeful lives. We know that successful learning cannot take place unless a child feels safe, loved, and has a strong sense of self, so social-emotional learning (SEL) is woven into our school’s fabric, and it is something that is continually integrated into daily life at our school. We utilize several different approaches that foster positive social-emotional growth for students of all ages. R.U.L.E.R., an acronym for the five core skills of emotional intelligence (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating) is the evidencebased approach to social and emotional learning developed at Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence. Additionally, we use the Responsive Classroom model
The Center for Early Education | Page 22
