St. Margaret’s professional community came together for an in-service day on Tuesday dedicated to the school’s core value of equity and inclusion.

 

Members of the school’s faculty and staff participated in two diversity, equity and inclusion breakout sessions which were organized and led by the school’s equity team comprised of more than 35 professional community members.

 

The more than 20 sessions that professional community members could self-select from were wide-ranging. A few examples include a conversation about representation in reading materials, cultural experiences of the AAPI community, bridging the racial empathy gap by harnessing the power of emerging technologies, a deep dive into ethics and biases around artificial intelligence, a deeper understanding of the disabled community presented by Special Camp, a session led by Breakthrough SJC on first-generation college-bound students attending St. Margaret’s, and many more.

 

A few of the workshops included Upper School student presenters from both the Tartan Inclusion & Diversity Education student leadership group and the student-run LGBTQ+ club. Professional community members could also participate in affinity groups, where individuals who identify as members of a certain group could gather to build community and share experiences.

 

“St. Margaret’s equity and inclusion core value compels us to embrace and celebrate the identity of every human being, and to advocate for equity, inclusion, and justice,” said Victor Cota, St. Margaret’s director of equity and inclusion. “This is a journey—a marathon, if you will. It requires regular touchpoints and ongoing learning, the same as any other element of an excellent educational institution. This in-service day provided an opportunity for colleagues to share expertise and engage in discourse with each other, always in the spirit of honoring the dignity of every human being.”

 

In addition, St. Margaret’s professional community listened to the State of the School update from several school administrators, ahead of the presentation to the entire St. Margaret’s community on Thursday, Jan. 25.

 

To learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at St. Margaret’s, click here.