DEI Initiatives Update, Fall 2023

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 edition of the Gaynor Gazette

One of the major goals of the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan is to focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. To help achieve this goal, Gaynor welcomed Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Stella Heyliger-Mulatu to our faculty as a way to advance these initiatives, and support students and families within the school and greater community. Over the course of the last few months, Ms. Mulatu has been working hard to help foster a community of belonging. Below follows Ms. Mulatu’s description of some of the DEI initiatives undertaken this fall.

IN THE CLASSROOM
• Reviewing and implementing Gaynor’s DEI curriculum:
» In the summer of 2020, a team of Gaynor faculty worked to create a DEI curriculum that would be implemented across all clusters. The curriculum was divided into four different categories, also known as bands, for classes to work on throughout the year. The bands are: identity, respect, social justice, and combating inequality.
» From the EC through the Blue Cluster, the DEI curriculum is routinely updated and modified. The DEI Office has supported this ongoing work since the summer of 2023.
• Our faculty have created multiple opportunities to learn about and explore various holidays and monthly celebrations this fall, including Hispanic Heritage Month, Indigenous People’s Day, Diwali, Hanukkah, and more. They often feature lessons in the classroom about the holiday, such as learning about specific historical figures for Hispanic Heritage Month, or painting diyas for Diwali.

CLUSTER-SPECIFIC AND SCHOOL WIDE EVENTS
• This fall, we added an LGBTQ+ and Jewish affinity group to the Blue Cluster student affinity group offerings, in addition to the existing Students of Color affinity group. An affinity group is a group of people linked by a common bond. This common bond is something they identify with and can speak about from the “I” perspective. Affinity groups provide a safe and supportive space for those in historically marginalized communities to gather and share their experience. It is a powerful tool for building community and belonging.
• The all-school Hispanic Heritage Month assembly featured a visit from our neighbors Ballet Hispánico. Students learned about different types of dance in South America in an engaging and multisensory presentation. Town halls in the Lower Division and Upper Division discussed holidays such as Indigenous Peoples Day, Thanksgiving, Diwali, etc. to learn about the background of each holiday and how people celebrate it.

PARENT PROGRAMMING
• This fall saw the introduction of two DEI Parent Coffees, a new opportunity for parents to gather and foster a space of learning and community among various cultures. The first was a welcome and interest gathering, to discuss how the meetings will operate, and what the group would like to take away from them. The second Parent DEI Coffee was focused on current events, and how to talk about antisemitism with children.
• New this year are family affinity spaces, which are opportunities for different groups to meet, foster community with each other, and speak about issues affecting them. So far this year, Gaynor hosted an affinity space for Jewish parents/guardians on October 19, a BIPOC Family Affinity Group meeting on November 8, an LGBTQIA+ Family Affinity Group meeting on November 15, and a Jewish Family Affinity Group meeting on January 18.
• There have been two Breakfast My Ways so far this year, one which celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, and the second which celebrated Hanukkah.

STAFF PROGRAMMING
• The Employee DEI Committee (EDEIC) continues to operate as a “think tank” to discuss upcoming DEI initiatives and build leadership opportunities.
• This fall, the employee BIPOC and Jewish Affinity spaces continued to meet on a regular basis.
• This year’s Summer Institute focused on making a personal commitment to DEI values, and an upcoming workshop will focus on story sharing as a method of building listening and perspective-taking skills.

RECRUITMENT EFFORTS FOR NEW STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES
• The DEI Office and the Office of Human Resources and Talent Management are actively assessing recruitment procedures with the ultimate goal of removing bias from our hiring system and increasing the diversity of our faculty and staff.
• The DEI Office and the Admissions Office have been working on updating the admissions application, making the language more inclusive and user-friendly. They are also working on expanding our recruitment efforts to underrepresented populations that may not have heard about Gaynor, and on updating language to reassure prospective families about how they can afford Gaynor.

We are looking forward to more events and initiatives this spring and invite you to continue to visit our website and follow us on social media to stay informed!