By Sarah Healy ’20

Ninth graders were invited to attend a diversity session on Oct. 28, led by Sabrina Coleman and Lisa Ahn from the Human Resources Consultant Firm. In this session, students discussed diversity in the school and areas in which the school community could improve its diversity and help make people feel confident in their own skin.
“Over the course of six days, the facilitators met with students, faculty, staff, parents and administration of our school in an attempt to compile information about the status of the community,” HW Works Administrator Zaakirah Daniels ’10 said in an email.
While all students were allowed to attend, the organizers of the event found it best to extend the invitation specifically to ninth graders because it was during their class meeting, so students would not miss class.
“The goal of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Climate Assessment is to take the
‘temperature’ of our school culture in regards to matters of equity and inclusion,” Daniels said.
According to Daniels, these goals will lead to students feeling safe and secure in being themselves, and through this, the school space will become more welcoming to diversity and individuality.
“Wherever we go, we will share space with people who we may categorize as different from ourselves. For the purposes of the DEI Climate Assessment, we would like to uncover places where we may improve in matters of inclusivity, and celebrating our diverse population,” Daniels said.
Students who attended the session said that they learned how other students feel around campus about inclusivity and diversity.
“I feel that we got a better idea of how the community is in not only individual groups that we belong to but in others as well,” Michael Lehrhoff ’20 said.