Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice

 

 

Delaware Valley Friends School is committed to building and sustaining a learning community that respects and embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As a school founded and rooted in the Quaker tradition, we believe everyone possesses an inner light and has inherent worth. Furthermore, we believe that the inclusion of diverse voices leads us to make wiser decisions and enriches the nature of our interactions. We nurture a safe and empowering environment that encourages and values individual expression and collaborative engagement.

 

We recognize our role and shared responsibility in striving to support our community of learners to champion change, eliminate bias, and advocate for the inclusion of and appreciation for all people, regardless of their cultural backgrounds and identities. We joyfully celebrate and are proud of our diverse identities which include (but are not limited to) learning profile, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, family structure, age, national origin, viewpoint, and ability. Our respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion is clear and abundant in our mission, our program, our outreach efforts, and our admission and hiring practices and procedures.

 

It is our aim to promote active participation, empathic understanding, and informed cultural awareness within and beyond the walls of our school.

 

DVFriends Diversity Statement | 2019

The DVFriends community engages in a variety of activities designed to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice inside and outside of our school walls. 

 

Our faculty and staff receive extensive training and professional development on issues of racial and gender bias and creating an equitable and just school community.

 

Students have a long tradition of DEIJ work through student government committees, affinity groups, and social justice action. Some examples include the Black Student Union, which has led celebrations of Black History Month as well as events that raise awareness around the Black Lives Matter movement. The Feminism Group produced a documentary called Grassroot Feminism that won the 2016 Bridge Film Festival and sponsored a film festival and discussion series at school featuring films such as Hidden Figures and Battle of the Sexes. The Latinx Committee collected materials for Bags of Hope for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and a shoe drive in conjunction with the organization Soles4Souls. The GSA (Gay/Straight Alliance), which works with the community around issues affecting the LGBTQ community and holds activities that foster awareness and understanding. 

 

The School shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, age, disability or marital status in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs, or in hiring, use of volunteers or board membership.