Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
What's your culture on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion?
Today, educational excellence means creating learning environments where EVERY student feels safe, included, and empowered to achieve.
Strategizing for diversity, equity and inclusion is a pressing concern for institutions, including schools, all over the world as a result of the shocking and brutal death of two black African Americans, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, which drew attention to the ongoing existence of systemic racism.
This page provides pointers to help inform policy, curriculum and pedagogy as you address the challenge of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
Reflections
"I am both a victim of and a beneficiary from structural racism. As a black man, I am still dealing with the fresh pain resulting from recent racial injustices culminating with the murder of George Floyd. At the same time, as an international education professional, my livelihood depends on an industry that benefits from and perpetuates structural racism. Wrestling with this dichotomy has led me to the conclusion that international education must make anti-racism a core value. Despite our best intentions, we, in the international education community, must admit that we have not done enough to confront and dismantle the racist structures that underpin many of our societies… Our institutional mission statements are centered around words like “interculturalism”, “global citizenship”, and “international mindedness”. The ubiquitous use of these words projects a certain universalism within international education which masks a deeper understanding of cultural differences. The Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC™) describes this as minimization. According to the IDC™, “when minimization exists in organizations, diversity often feels ‘not heard’”. (Nunana Nyomi)
"It is very difficult to give up our certainties - our positions, our beliefs, our explanations. These help define us; they lie at the heart of our personal identity. yet I believe we will succeed in changing this world only if we can think and work together in new ways. Curiosity is what we need. We don't have to let go of what we believe, but we do need to be curious about what someone else believes. We do need to acknowledge that their way of interpreting the world might be essential to our survival." Turning to One Another, Margaret Wheatley (2002, pg. 35)
“The global reckoning on racial justice in 2020 did not spare schools. Indeed, the universal cries for a reckoning on equity in education forced us to conclude, in a variety of equity-centered conversations with school leaders, your house is on fire…With 66% of LGBTQ students experiencing verbal assaults, and over 50% of Asian students reporting bullying in the classroom, school feels unsafe for too many young people….Schools must go deeper than diversity, to consider racially literate and culturally responsive practices that embody respect, appreciation, trust, joy, deep listening -- elements that contribute to meaningful relationships and unleash creativity and innovation.” (Will Richardson and Homa Tavangar, 9 Big Questions Schools Must Answer To Avoid ‘Going Back To Normal’)
Each school needs to define the terms equity, diversity and inclusion. This image may be helpful if you ask colleagues to SEE, THINK & WONDER - the wonderings help explore what they think these terms look like in practice, in school life.
These are some commonly used definitions, quoted in Know How:
Equity means treating people in ways that make sure they are not unfairly prevented from accessing resources and opportunities nor that others have an unfair advantage. Simply providing the same opportunities to everyone is not an effective way to create equality of outcomes. Rather than giving everyone the same thing, it is about giving people what they need for fair access. This is about removing inequalities to make sure everyone has the chance to realise their ambitions.
- Diversity means having differences within an organisation or setting. Diversity recognises we are all different in many ways. People with differing identities, backgrounds and experiences should all have equitable access to resources and decision-making. Some people prefer to use the term ‘representation’ to focus on how organisations should be reflective of the society we live in and the communities we serve.
- Inclusion means being proactive to make sure people of different backgrounds, experiences and identities feel welcomed, respected and fully able to participate. It is not only about creating a diverse environment but also about ensuring a culture exists where individuals can be their full selves.
Intersectionality refers to the fact that a person can have many social identities that overlap. Examples of these identities include (but are not limited to) gender, sex, race, religion, nationality, disability, class. These intersecting and overlapping social identities can lead to systemic oppression (or privilege) that a person may experience. In other words, the obstacles faced by an older black woman are vastly different than those of a younger white man. These two people will view the world differently because of their various social identities.
The term ‘intersectionality’ was coined by legal scholar Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989. Until that time many people viewed someone’s social identity as a single distinct quality.
In the following TED Talk Kimberley Crenshaw talks about the compounding effect of different forms of marginalisation. Her talk encourages to reflect on the various depth of identity we have and challenges us to ask what are we going to do to ensure people have a voice.
“At the level of the individual and of the College (Cheltenham College) as a whole, we are many months into what feels like an unprecedentedly open and thought-provoking set of conversations about what it truly means to have a deep understanding of “inclusion”. Recognition of the central importance of intersectionality - as reflected in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Danger of a Single Story” - is becoming a core foundational principle of the deep listening. Race - Faith - Neurodiversity - Disability - Gender Identity - Sexual Orientation - Socioeconomic background. None of us are defined solely by any one of these; few issues are binary.” (Eve Jardine-Young)
Image: the work of Nairobi based artist Mbugua Kimani (woodblock) - titled “Intersectionality”
The transcript of the film is:
Open a door, and it opens all the others. Open a mind and see what happens next. No great thing, no beautiful invention, was created in a vacuum. It happens when we leave our comfort zone and come together. Embrace faiths, cultures, disabilities, differences. Embrace races, ages, ideologies, personalities, creating a tool or devise nobody saw coming. Humanity is plural not singular. The best way the world works is everybody in, nobody out. So, who we are made of is everyone. The truth is we don’t see things the same. The power is we don’t see things the same.
How Diversity Makes Us Smarter, Scientific American (2014) argues that exposure to diversity alters the way individuals think by promoting creativity and innovation, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills. As the article summarizes, “Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not.” This is a great article highlighting how DEI and critical thinking are interwoven and mutually reinforcing. By embracing DEI, critical thinkers can gain a broader range of perspectives and experiences, and by using critical thinking skills, individuals can challenge biases and systemic inequalities, leading to a more equitable and inclusive society.
Viewpoint
“The IB's definition of equity is a bit different than what we use in the States. For instance, I am my school's "guardian of equity". I work with our district's Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Initiatives Office to make sure that all of our students feel welcome and "seen." That their backgrounds and ethnicities are not seen as obstacles to overcome but resources to be utilized and that what we teach is not just representative of a white, western European point of view. So, it goes beyond what IB sees as equity ("making sure that personal and social circumstances—for example gender, socio-economic status or ethnic origin—should not be an obstacle to achieving educational potential").” (Elise Banas, DP, CAS, and EE Coordinator for City Honors School)
Viewpoint
Images can be helpful ways of starting a coversation. They can provoke thought. Here is the image from British Schools Overseas
- Diversity refers to peoples' perspectives:as educators we need to be sensitive to welcome and positively embrace perspectives that may radically differ from ours.
- Equity does refer to policy and practice, but we should also be aware of how students feel in their learning environment, since school climate can have a great impact on them.
- The inclusion aspect is like a megaphone and our modelling the right approach speaks volumes and decibels as we are respected in our community and what we do and say carries weight.
I am very grateful to Peter McDonald (Deputy Principal and Head of Junior School and Early Learning at Canberra Girls Grammar School, Australia.) for being willing to share the following presentation he created. He uses a mix of powerful pictures and quotes to communicate an important message.
Slide 1:
For impact, have the slide showing and remain silent before passing to the next slide. Allow the quote to speak for itself. This slide is a provocation for my thinking. A reminder of the experiences of others and a way of tuning into how others may be.
Slide 2:
Remain silent and allow tension to settle for impact. This slide is again about how I’ll tune in, ensuring a valuing of the diversity of the group and creating the context for diverse perspectives. Who cares - I do!
Slide 3:
Make the connection between access to voice and opportunity and the different socio-cultural perspectives present in our everyday lives, our classrooms, our school, our communities, and our workshop. This slide is a reminder to me of the potential diversity of the group (of students, teachers, people in community) and the benefit of diverse perspectives.
Slide 4:
Discuss the power of diversity. Highlight, however, how listening to, embracing and seeking out differing perspectives and the diversity of our group can spur creativity, learning and innovation in our workshop. Ensuring I use different strategies and tools (COLLABORATION) to support the diverse perspectives in the classroom / workshop will enable greater creativity, learning and innovation. This slide is about how I’ll create a harmonious and safe learning environment for my participant. Learning about them and their readiness to learn and self-concept prior enables me this think carefully about how I’ll curate a safe dynamic for learning and an understanding of the learners Similarly, facilitating an essential agreement that reflects the learner profile and the mission (COMMUNICATION) supports a respectful learning environment (COLLABORATION).
Slide 5:
Highlight research into the benefits of classroom diversity and perspectives and workplace diversity. Researchers have observed that classrooms filled with teachers and students who share their perspectives and cultural identities build trust and foster stronger relationships, which leads to student engagement, higher motivation and excitement about learning together (Arzu Soysal Altugan 2015). Discuss diverse teams and relate to workshop and workplaces. Cite HBR, Apple, Google and Price Waterhouse Coopers. This slide reflects the need (ORGANISATION) to employ different strategies and approaches (COLLABORATION) that enable diverse and robust conversation in a safe and supportive environment (COMMUNICATION). These may include diverse group strategies, clear communication of tasks, checking for readiness to learn and participants orientation to learning and motivation. This slide serves to remind me to explicitly seek out different perspectives (CRITICAL THINKING and COLLABORATION), highlighting diversity.
Slide 6:
VISUALISE THE FUTURE: ‘A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone’ - Sundar Pichai - Google CEO. Share the IB Mission Statement. This slide reflects the need to continually reflect and assess the effectiveness of the strategies employed (REFLECTION), checking in with participants to gauge the temperature - altering and adjusting my performance to meet the needs of the participants and to ensure each perspective is valued (TRANSFER).
Slide 7:
Our purpose is our learners! Returning to mission and learner profile throughout my reflections during the learning experience will ensure diverse perspectives are heard, valued and celebrated.
The Reimagining Integration: Diverse and Equitable Schools Project (RIDES) started at Harvard University in recognition that having students of different races in school together does not automatically translate to educational equity.
“We believe that true integration is more than diversifying the number and types of bodies in a school building. It is more than having one-off events celebrating minoritized groups, adding stock images of people of color to presentations, or organizing isolated professional development sessions on race and unconscious bias.”
They provide two tools to help develop your work on diversity, equity and inclusion:
(1) Their Systemic Improvement Map allows you to take a whole school approach.
(2) Their ABCD Outcomes provides a framework of four categories to structure your work. They believe true integration is when schools achieve the ABCDs. Click on each of the terms and you will find a lot of very helpful resources. Although produced in the USA they are very helpful for schools around the world.
Academics (Curriculum & Pedagogy): Do all students have strong academic preparation, capitalizing on and connecting to students of all backgrounds, with high levels of knowledge and skills?
Belonging (and psychological safety): Do all students have a strong sense and appreciation of their own culture and heritage, as well as of those of their diverse classmates?
Commitment to dismantling racism and oppression: Do all students understand the role that institutional racism and other forms or oppression play in our society and have the skills, vision, and courage to dismantle them?
Diversity: Do all students appreciate and value different perspectives, thoughts, and people and have friendships and collaborative working relationships with students and adults from different racial and economic backgrounds?
What if … we were a school where diversity, equity and inclusion were Standard Operating Procedure?
- students, community members, staff and faculty would feel like their individual differences were valued - and WHERE they could share their differences.
- voice for any stakeholder would be supported/strengthened/amplified
- our curriculum would reflect both our international community and our host country culture
- all policies, from hiring to admissions, would action this value
This is a powerful way to use IMAGINE - What if...? to drive change and provide clear focus. What strikes me is the power to develop identity, belonging, student (all stakeholders!) voice and agency / empowerment.
Links with the IB programme standards and practices:
Purpose
- Purpose 1: The governing body and school leaders articulate a purpose for learning that aligns with the IB’s philosophy and mission. (0101-01)
- Purpose 1.1: The school develops a mission, vision and strategy that reflect the IB mission and philosophy. (0101-01-0100)
- Purpose 1.2: The school develops a mission, philosophy and/or strategy that includes a holistic approach to education that goes beyond academic development and encourages awareness beyond the individual and the immediate community. (0101-01-0200)
- Purpose 3: The school community fosters internationally minded people who embody
all attributes of the IB learner profile. (0101-03) - Purpose 3.1: The school ensures that the school community is aware of the IB learner profile and is committed to international-mindedness and its importance in embodying the IB mission. (0101-03-0100)
Culture:
- Culture 2: The school implements, communicates and regularly reviews an inclusion policy that creates cultures that support all students to reach their full potential. (0301-02)
- Culture 2.3: The school describes in its inclusion policy the rights and responsibilities of all members of the school community and clearly states the school’s vision for implementing inclusive programmes. (0301-02-0300)
- Culture 6: The school implements, communicates and regularly reviews its IB mandated policies to ensure they are cohesive and reflect IB philosophy. (0301-06)
- Culture 6.6: The school considers international-mindedness in all of its IB-mandated policies. (0301-06-0600)
Do you have ethnic diversity? Gender diversity? Racial diversity? Inclusiveness is a state of mind. It’s an emotion. Are you going to make everybody feel welcome and included? That requires deep involvement by all people in power to make sure that you identify bad behaviour that’s not inclusive, nip it in the bud, and model the right behaviour. A D&I officer can’t do it. It has to be a responsibility and a tone at the top. And boards have to ask CEOs, “Why are your metrics not trending in the right way? Are you really looking for the right talent? What does the retention number look like? How many [diverse employees] are getting developed and promoted? Let me see the organization’s health scores. Do diverse people feel included? Does everybody feel included, but particularly the diverse people? Are they underrepresented in the country?” (McKinsey & Company, Author Talks: Indra Nooyi on leadership, life, and crafting a better future).
Does your organization have a DEI vision & a formal roadmap for the DEI journey?
Diversity refers to the unique traits individuals possess. These can be understood in two general ways:
- Inherent diversity: Traits that are central to identity and that we are typically born with or are less likely to change, such as race, sex, disability status, or sexual orientation.
- Acquired diversity: Traits that are acquired through experience, e.g., diversity of thought/education, cross-cultural communication skills, language, and social skills.
While equality focuses on fair treatment, equity focuses on the outcome of fair treatment. Fairness looks different based on an individual’s power and privilege in society. Equity considers individual differences and addresses the accommodations required to achieve a fair outcome.
Inclusion refers to an environment of mutual respect in which differences are not just tolerated or even accepted, but actively welcomed and leveraged for organizational benefit. In other words, an organization that wants to be inclusive must adopt a “learning and integration” approach to diversity. This approach has the following features:
- It emphasizes that every individual has unique insights that others can learn from.
- It also integrates diverse perspectives to improve organizational strategy.
Source: McLean & Company
This section is written as a professional reflection / inquiry.
- GUIDING STATEMENTS (Mission | Vision | Values): To what extent could these be enhanced by reference to diversity, equity and inclusion? How are these embedded and articulated in policies and procedures? What does your website say? Start by asking 'why?' are we looking at the school through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion? Which values are we projecting as a school? What are the misconceptions and barriers to discussing issues around diversity, equity and inclusion?
- AUDIT: How do you know what students and teachers are experiencing? How do you measure students' experiences of diversity, equity and inclusion in school? Using student voice data can add value to conversations about improving school climate from an equity and inclusion lens. There are various tools on the market, such as the Panorama Equity and Inclusion Survey.
- CURRICULUM: Christine Counsell notes: "Curriculum is all about power. Decisions about what knowledge to teach are an exercise in power. What we chose to teach confers or denies power." Conrad Hughes comments: "Decolonising the curriculum is about being more accurate, more inclusive, and more interculturally responsive." Consider what “decolonizing education” looks like in your specific role. Who are the experts you learn from? What sources of knowledge, traditions, practices need to be questioned, added or replaced? What does it mean to you to make the curriculum culturally responsive? How are you making lessons culturally responsive? Identify units of study in each grade that uplift diverse authors, scientists, innovators and thought leaders. Whose work has been overlooked in your traditional canon? How do you articulate what it means to be a global citizen, embody intercultural understanding, transformative citizenship education and international mindedness? Where in the curriculum do you discuss these issues (around race, sexuality, disability etc.)?
PEDAGOGY: Do you have a consistent understanding of equity pedagogy? How do you implement equity pedagogy in your classrooms? What are we proactively doing to creates cultures of inclusion in our classrooms?- SAFEGUARDING: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a human rights issue – it is about belonging and identity; it is a child protection issue – because if a child doesn’t feel safe and recognised, they will not be able to thrive. How do we ensure student agency and voice, especially as they relate to ensuring students can speak out about abuse and discrimination? What systems do we have in place, and what do students feel about these systems?
- LEADERSHIP: What conversations do you have on diversity, equity and inclusion at governors and leadership meetings? How mature is our intercultural competency? How do we ensure a diversity of constituent voices in the decision-making process? What processes do you have in place to recruit for diversity and fostering equitable practices? Do we provide intercultural competency training for staff? Does our staffroom mirror the cultural diversity of our classrooms?
Increasingly schools are providing training for all staff on diversity and inclusion. What might this look like?
A cultural competency training in diversity and inclusion should cover a wide range of topics to help participants understand, appreciate, and navigate diverse perspectives and experiences. Here is an outline of content for such a training:
Understanding diversity and inclusion
- Definitions and concepts: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity
- Benefits of a focus on diversity and inclusion
- Why inclusive classrooms matter
Recognising diverse identities
- Exploring personal identities
- Embracing intersectionality in the classroom
- Nurturing empathy and understandingEmbracing i
Unconscious bias
- Definition and types of bias
- Identifying and addressing unconscious bias
- Strategies for mitigating bias
Communication and language
- Effective cross-cultural communication
- Non-verbal communication
- Inclusive language and terminology
Cultural awareness and sensitivity
- Developing cultural awareness
- Avoiding cultural appropriation
- Respecting traditions and beliefs
- Celebrating diversity through curriculum choices
Microaggressions and macroaggressions
- Understanding microaggressions
- Impact of microaggressions on individuals and groups - empowering students to address microaggressions
- Creating safe spaces for learning and growth
Creating inclusive spaces
- Inclusive leadership and management
- Designing inclusive workplaces
- Inclusive policies and practices
Allyship and advocacy
- Being an effective ally
- Advocating for inclusion
Reflection
“DEIJ work is not always easy as it comes with its challenges and hurdles. It is often emotionally charged as it requires us to look at ourselves, examine our beliefs and positionality and lean into discomfort, a discomfort that can be daunting and unsettling at times. This work often leads us to face some parts of ourselves that we never thought of before, unconsciously harming some people under our care, which ultimately makes DEIJ work difficult and uncomfortable. But we cannot make systemic change unless we make personal change. DEIJ pushes us to examine our own racial biases, look at our own privilege and how power is distributed within our school, teams and classrooms. This work calls us to relearn and unlearn what we thought was the truth, whether it’s conscious or unconscious.
This work challenges our own identities and beliefs as we battle between our implicit biases that can be harmful as they show up in our behaviour and our rational conscious thoughts that refute and contradict these implicit biases. We have subconsciously absorbed racial preferences throughout our lives and together, we will look at how we can lessen our roles in perpetuating this pattern in schools and classrooms.” (Doline Ndorimana)
In my opinion, the ‘Equality Emerging’ statue demonstrates inclusion and equally accessible educational opportunities for everyone.
The 'Equality Emerging' statue is located in Galway, Ireland. It was sculpted by John Behan and unveiled in 2011. John’s inspiration originally came from Eddie Higgins and Nuala Keher, who founded a non-profit community and charity organization called ‘Equal Ireland’. The aim of this organization is to provide equal chances for everyone to become educated, in particular for those who have been deprived of proper education, through affordable education and training.
The ‘Equality Emerging’ statue is dedicated to all who are struggling for equality due to one or several obstacles, whether it is themselves, others, or institutions. As depicted, the person sculpted is held back by obstacles surrounding them while they are struggling to fight them and become free.
I chose this statue because I believe it has truly portrayed every person’s equal right to choose, learn, and grow, regardless of their abilities or circumstances. This is the main goal of the inclusion policy implemented for all students who may have been disadvantaged. Inclusive education provides a fair chance to students with learning difficulties to reach their full potential, because everyone should have an equal opportunity to learn. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) policy is a program that challenges the traditional systems of education, in which students with learning difficulties and/or personal/social circumstances may have been deprived of suitable education. This program however, provides an equal chance for all to have access to proper education irrespective of their difficulties or circumstances.
Zahra Chabokrow, Principal and Head of MYP in Mehr-e-Taban International School (MIS), Islamic Republic of Iran.
IB documents
The IB have published their Diversity, equiry and inclusion statement, which starts with the words: "At the IB we want to understand and celebrate differences within our community, while recognizing and valuing the things we have in common. As we all strive to achieve our mission of creating a better world through education, we cannot underestimate the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)." Click HERE for their statement.
The following documents are available on your MyIB site: Meeting student learning diversity in the classroom Removing barriers to learning, IB, 2019
The IB Director General speaks out about inclusivity: Building practices for inclusivity within the IB community.
Harvard University, Glossary of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) Terms
Notre Dame University, Writing a DEI Statement
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Educational Resources: a curated list of educational resources on various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) topics.
Democratic and inclusive learning community: Information and teaching materials for teachers and principals, Council of Europe, 2021
McKinsey & Co., What is diversity, equity, and inclusion? August 17, 2022: Good article providing definitions of these key words.
International School Leader Magazine, articles on diversity, inclusion and equity.
The danger of a single story is a great TED Talk to provoke conversation around the single stories we all have. Use the Harvard Project Zero protocol on stories to explore our diverse perspectives. Find Harvard routine HERE.
What is otherness? This article provides a sociological definition of otherness and how it works in societies.
Diverse Educators: a rich source of resources, including some great blogs.
Equity Work: Too Much Talk, Too Little Action, by Jal Mehta, Harvard GSE, for NextGen Learning
Diversity, equality & inclusion across the curriculum. It is vital that our curriculum reflects the diversity of the world in which we all live. Following a series of Pearson webinars looking at diversity, equality, and inclusion across key subjects, this supplement distils some of the lessons, advice and tips for reviewing and updating our curriculum provision and looks at Pearson’s work in this crucial area
Diversity is being invited to the party: Inclusion is being asked to dance: In this video for the Women’s Leadership Forum, Vernā Myers explores the meaning of Diversity and Inclusion terms and the main barriers to building an inclusive workplace environment. Myers discusses the importance of recognizing one’s implicit biases as a potential hindrance to creating and cultivating inclusive spaces and interactions.What is the difference between diversity and inclusion and how would you define your work or school space with these terms in mind?What implicit biases exist in your school or workspace and how can you and your colleagues build inclusive spaces?
Blog—Read Anti racist, responsive leadership in international educationBlog—Read The groundwork for anti-racism: Deep individual and institutional reflection
Blog—Read Beyond 2020: Improving the values and actions of international education worldwide
Blog—Explore a wide range of information and guidance on the CIS Perspectives blog.
Article: Dzenana Kurtovic-Ceman, “If You Have a Problem, You Are the Problem”: A Day in the Life of an International School Student (July 2022), The International Educator. This excellent article is written by Dzenana Kurtovic Ceman who is an IB educator at the Vienna International School. . It raises some key questions such as: what type of identities we were cultivating in an international school setting? What is the dominant discourse in our school? How do we embed DEIJ into all elements of school life?
Article: Creating a diverse curriculum: A subject-by-subject approach, Stephen Whitney, 21 June 2021
Video—Watch and listen to Jane Larsson and Nunana Nyomi’s candid discussion about their different thoughts and feelings in the days that followed 25 May.
Webinar—Listen to two webinars on Anti-Racist Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Approaches in Schools and Universities that facilitate dialogue among leaders from our school and university communities who have undertaken this work. Find them in the webinar libraries in the CIS Community portal.
The Social Justice Standards are a road map for anti-bias education at every stage of K–12 instruction. Comprised of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes, the Standards provide a common language and organizational structure educators can use to guide curriculum development and make schools more just and equitable. Divided into four domains—identity, diversity, justice and action (IDJA)—the Standards recognize that, in today's diverse classrooms, students need knowledge and skills related to both prejudice reduction and collective action. Together, these domains represent a continuum of engagement in anti-bias, multicultural and social justice education.
Education Week, “Six Ways Teachers Can Foster Cultural Awareness in the Classroom”
National Education Association, “Diverse Student Populations Are in the Classroom”
Scientific American, “How Diversity Makes us Smarter”
The Century Foundation, “How Racially Diverse Schools and Classrooms Can Benefit All Students”
The Edvocate, “Ways to Promote Diverse Cultures in the Classroom”
Tolerance.org, “Critical Practices for Anti-Bias Education”
Guide to Developing a Strategic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan, SHRM
What is privilege is a video in which a diverse group of Atlantans think about their own privilege.
In the article, ‘Eight ways to make your D&I efforts less talk and more walk’, Aubrey Blanche comments that whilst diversity, inclusion and equity have been trendy hot topics, efforts to put them into action have stalled due to several reasons: D&I ‘fatigue’, the sheer complexity of issues that need to be addressed, a lack of shared understanding of what we mean by D&I. She goes on to suggest eight strategies to make sure caring about D&I results in actions. The following especially resonate:
“There’s overwhelming evidence that if you don’t have diversity on your team, you’re going to miss something,” says Blanche. “That’s because balanced teams are better at problem identification. They see more problems, they hold each other more to account and they're also a lot more uncomfortable and challenging, but that’s what pushes us to be great.”
“Blanche and her colleagues worked to standardize how they interviewed and evaluated candidates, making sure everyone was assessed against the same technical bar. They also got rid of the practice of looking for “culture fit” by focusing on values instead. “I’m totally allergic to this concept of culture fit. It’s actually just an intractable morass of unconscious bias,” says Blanche.”
When facilitating a workshop participants selected the following two films as a helpful way of exploring the whole subject of diversity, equity and inclusion. See what you think.
This calendar is provided by a teaching union in the UK - a useful resource to create our own.