In an effort to keep us all connected and informed about
important work within and across divisions here at GA, the following post
summarizes the work of the Diversity and Community Life Coordinators at
Germantown Academy. If you have any
questions, please ask any of the DCLCs, Division Heads, Maggie McVeigh, or
Karen Mason.
In 2014, Germantown Academy created the position of
Diversity and Community Life Coordinator in each division of the school. The DCLCs are charged with developing
age-appropriate diversity programming in their divisions as well as initiating
discussions with faculty about making our classrooms safer and more inclusive.
In Lower School,
1st Grade teacher, Sarah Na and Leigh Serra, Health and Wellness Coordinator,
serve as the DCLCs. They have shared the
following projects:
·
Affinity Groups, both divisional and
cross-divisional, have provided opportunities for students of color to
build community together and support for the positive development of their
identity. Affinity groups create
environments where children of color can feel comfortable to share their
experiences. Currently, the affinity
groups have included girls who identify as Black (African-American, African,
and Afro-Caribbean). Lower School is
actively considering additional affinity groups beyond our African American
community.
·
The Health and Wellness Program in the Lower School includes both implicit and
explicit curriculum around noticing, discussing and celebrating our
differences. Through the LS Health and Wellness program, they are explicitly
introducing kind language for discussing our physical, religious, cultural and
familial differences while guiding our students toward empathic thinking. The
photos depict a project that brought 1st graders and their MS buddies
together to search for their exact skin tone.
·
In the beginning of January, the Lower
School DCLC's, along with Mrs. Flynn (School Librarian), hosted a "Book
Talk" workshop, which gave teachers an opportunity to learn more about
resources they could use to supplement class conversations around MLK, Civil
Rights, and the overall idea of justice and injustice.
· Thirty-five
faculty members from the LS will have attended the Race Institute by the end of the 2017
school year, including our DCLCs, head of LS school, and assistant head of LS
school. At least one grade level teacher or more has attended.
·
Following the SEED
format, fourteen members of Lower School meet
monthly to discuss issues of difference.
·
A bi-monthly Difference Matters
meeting for faculty is facilitated by DCLCs to provide a safe space for
teachers to discuss issues related to difference that might occur in the
classroom.
· Twice
yearly EnGAged diversity workshops help Lower School parents share the
diversity work happening in the LS and share a framework for understanding
issues around diversity.
In the Middle School,
Modern Language Department Head, Jarrett Anderson and Jay Wright, Health and
Wellness Department iHead, serve as this division’s DCLCs.
·
The
DCLCs lead a student group called STAR, Students Taking Action for Respect.
Students meet on a weekly basis to discuss issues of diversity and inclusion in
the Middle School community.
·
The
DCLCs also lead a faculty lunch conversation series that provides an opportunity
to discuss a variety of topics, including most recently “What does it look like
to intervene?”
·
The STAR
group also recently discussed the topic of “What does it look like to
intervene?” They decided that they would like to join with the faculty as part
of the conversation and as a result they led a student panel for interested MS
faculty members in February.
·
In
early March twenty Middle School students attended the Haverford Diversity Conference: Being
Brave and Crossing the Line. Historically, this conference has inspired MS
students to continue their diversity work in Upper School.
Finally, in Upper
School, Modern Language Department Co-Chair, Carol Ayers and Chidi Asoluka,
House Head and English teacher, serve as the Director of Diversity and
Assistant Director of Diversity respectively and perform the same function as
the DCLC.
·
In late February the Black Student Alliance
planned and executed the Black History Celebration Dinner, during which Daryl Harper provided a history of
jazz I the United States, highlighting African-American influences.
·
The Upper School enjoys monthly diversity talks,
the most recent focusing on the article 4 Ways
White People Can Process Their Emotions Without Bringing the White Tears.
·
The Black Student Alliance partnered with the
Women’s Forum in February and March to discuss racism and gender issues.
·
African-American parents hosted a potluck dinner
for families of color in late February.
·
The Upper School is in the middle of season 3 of
the popular podcast Invisible/Visible, in which seniors tackle important social
issues, teenage drama, and their anxieties about the future. LINK
·
Tangent
13, a freshmen-only podcast, invites freshman to tell unstructured tales about
various topics. LINK
·
BLKGRLMAGIC,
investigates black femininity in traditionally white spaces. It is an honest
and beautiful podcast that delves into dating, transitions, and their
hair. LINK
