StC News
StC Focuses on Diversity and Inclusion
A group of StC boys and faculty travel across the country to attend a conference dedicated to promoting school diversity and inclusion.
In December, a group of St. Christopher’s boys and faculty traveled to Seattle to attend The People of Color Conference, a yearly National Association of Independent Schools event. Over the course of three days, the group met with fellow attendees from across the country to share best practices, discuss challenges and discover new ways to make StC more diverse and inclusive.
The group, which included division heads, faculty and students, attended workshops, attended seminars, made connections and reflected on how what they were learning could be applied to their learning or work.
For Ed Cowell, director of community and inclusion, the conference and other events like it are essential for StC’s community. “It’s important to get outside of Richmond, to get outside of St. Christopher’s. We have to see what other parts of the country are doing in terms of their diversity and inclusion efforts.” Cowell pointed to the students who attended and hoped that they found validation from students around the country involved in the same challenges and efforts in their schools.
The conference was a chance for Second Grade Teacher Amy Buerlein to think critically about the books she offered her students with regard to culture. After the conference, Mrs. Buerlein asked herself, “Am I offering multiple perspectives and sharing the whole story, or am I projecting one point of view?”
Junior Mac Suskind found value in examining his life experiences and considered how this has influenced his personal perspective. “Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, as a St. Christopher's student has shaped who I am as a person, and I found that SDLC challenged this identity for the better,” Suskind wrote.
Others, like Benita Griffin, head of Lower School, found it refreshing to attend the event and meet with like-minded peers, but she also appreciated the opportunity to be honest and frank about school diversity. Ms. Griffin appreciated the opportunity to have “difficult and challenging conversations in regards to the work that still needs to be done in private school institutions.”
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