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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Marist School Progress Update – Spring 2021

Marist School is committed to fostering a community of inclusion.

As a Catholic and Marist school, we follow the teachings of the Gospel, the Catholic Church, and the Society of Mary, all of which call us to love and accept each other unconditionally. Diversity is a gift from God, and we seek to respect, understand, and celebrate the God-given gifts and dignity of each individual in our school community and beyond. For over a decade, Marist’s Office of Inclusion & Diversity has supported the school in living out that mission. Abiding by the vision and priorities of Strategic Plan 2025, we continue our work to form Marist students into faith-filled, global-ready servant leaders prepared to lead and serve with compassion, integrity, and sense of purpose.

By our baptism, we are members of Christ’s body and sharers in his mission. Imitating Christ, we must care for all members of our communities, honoring each person as unique, sacred, and created in the image of God.”

- Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love - A Pastoral Letter Against Racism, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

A Message from Marist School Leadership

The 2020-2021 school year has been both remarkable and unusual, yet we have remained steadfastly focused on fulfilling our important mission and that includes doing the hard work to create a school community where all our members are respected and feel a powerful sense of belonging. We deem it essential to live out the Marist value of ardent love of neighbor by honoring and celebrating the blessings that diversity brings.

What follows are updates on the various and most recent action steps we have devoted ourselves to in order to foster the inclusive, welcoming, and anti-racist school community our Catholic faith and Marist values call us to have. These steps, focused on the work we have done in the last 18 months, build upon and enhance the significant programming that has been in place at Marist School for many years. We envision a world characterized by equity and justice and are determined to do our part within ourselves, our school culture, and our society to achieve it.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Bill Rowland, S.M., President

Mr. Kevin Mullally, Principal

Below is an update on the following:

Fearless Dialogues Partnership

Diversity Advisory Council

Student Diversity Leadership Council

Anti-discrimination Policy

Summer Reading Program Focusing on Anti-racism

Additional Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Efforts

Fearless Dialogues Partnership

Our two-year partnership with cultural competency experts Fearless Dialogues is well underway. Led by theological educator Dr. Gregory Ellison who has a wealth of experience working with faith-based schools, Fearless Dialogues is helping us advance a culture of openness at Marist School while ensuring we stay true to our mission and core values. We are continuing to develop an inclusive community that is built upon trust, accountability, and mutual support for all members.

Fearless Dialogues Key Initiatives

Program Audit

In May 2020, Fearless Dialogues completed an audit of the 26 programs sponsored or supported by Marist’s Office of Inclusion & Diversity, evaluating them in terms of execution, outcomes, and overall effectiveness in reflecting, reinforcing, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Most programs received high marks, particularly those promoting student participation and leadership. We have made enhancements already and will implement others during the 2021-2022 school year.

Marist will:

We are glad to know that the results of our program audit with Fearless Dialogues affirmed much of what we are already offering in the realm of inclusion work and helped us identify avenues to strengthen those offerings.”

Ms. LaRita Williams, Director, Office of Inclusion & Diversity

Curriculum Audit

Fearless Dialogues has begun a review and evaluation of Marist School’s curriculum to determine strengths and growth areas for embedding the following into the classroom and student experience:

  • Social Justice – The curriculum should work to challenge and reverse the effects of structural oppression in society especially through the lens of Catholic social teaching, service learning, and missionary work.
  • Equity – The curriculum should ensure that no student or group of students is disadvantaged because of their background or other characteristics.
  • Diversity – The curriculum should represent the multiplicity of viewpoints and experiences, facilitate an environment in which all students feel welcome in the learning community, and provide opportunities for students to recognize their voices in the materials being taught.

The curriculum audit will cover course offerings and content, pedagogy, materials, school assemblies, and the summer reading program as well as everyday practices. It also will examine trends in the demographics of students enrolled in Advanced Placement and other elective courses.

Fearless Dialogues will complete a report with recommendations by early summer.

In providing an academic program of distinction, Marist has a responsibility to understand the strengths and weaknesses in our curriculum. The information gleaned from the curriculum audit will provide an opportunity to ensure that we foster ideas, content, pedagogy, and programs that investigate, acknowledge, and celebrate a variety of perspectives as students matriculate through our curriculum. Doing so aligns with the tenets of the Marists and prepares students for life beyond their time here at Marist.”

– Mrs. Kim Premoli, Academic Dean

Faculty and Staff Training

Faculty and staff deliver on Marist’s mission every day, advancing the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and supporting students as they learn to understand those around them through a lens of Christ-like compassion.

In November 2020, Fearless Dialogues led faculty and staff in a half-day workshop focused on transformation and change in self and others. The experience helped to open eyes to gifts rather than stereotypes, to cultivate the hope that leads to sustainable change, and to create an environment for hard conversations. This type of training session will be incorporated into new employee training each year. Faculty and staff will participate in additional ongoing trainings.

Beyond the Fearless Dialogues training for faculty and staff, Marist’s Office of Inclusion & Diversity has begun the rollout of cultural competency training by taking administrators and department chairs through the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a cross-cultural, reflective assessment helpful to building our capacity for understanding and adapting to cultural difference. The IDI training will expand to include faculty and staff in fall 2021 and will be offered during new faculty orientation each year.

Thank you so much for an awesome professional development experience today. It was engaging, thought provoking, relevant, practical, and fun!”
Thank you so much for bringing this dialogue to the table.”

– Marist Faculty Members

Experiential Learning Sessions for Students

In March 2021, Fearless Dialogues began a series of three workshops for 200 Marist students, who will become ambassadors within the school community to foster a culture of meaningful engagement across differences for the remainder of this school year and beyond.

Utilizing the signature Fearless Dialogues methodology and online pedagogy, student leaders were introduced to the five fears that stifle hard conversation, including the fear of the unknown, fear of strangers, fear of appearing ignorant, fear of oppressive systems, and fear of plopping, which is a term coined by master educator Jane Vella that references moments when a person shares their authentic truth in the company of others, and that disclosed truth is disregarded or ignored. In consecutive online sessions, Fearless Dialogues’ team of animators moved students through several interactive experiments that allowed them to develop strategies to circumnavigate these five fears and feel empowered to engage in challenging conversations in their daily lives.

These workshops complement the school’s work to form global-ready servant leaders who understand and express the inherent value, dignity, needs, and perspectives of people from a variety of cultures, places, and experiences around the world, as well as close to home. As expressed in the fourth priority of Strategic Plan 2025, constructive dialogue, community outreach, and spiritual practice are the cornerstones of Christ-centered global readiness.

The Society of Mary, which has owned and operated Marist School since 1901, insists that we equip our students with the confidence and skills needed to engage in conversations with anyone whose walk of life may differ from their own.” – Fr. Bill Rowland, S.M., Marist School President

Diversity Advisory Council

Marist School maintains that while diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work is the responsibility of all its community members, best practices require leadership and accountability in multiple areas. To that end, Marist has created the Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) to ensure that concerns about campus climate regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion are addressed with the input and perspective of multiple representatives of the school community, including administrators, faculty, parents, and alumni.

The DAC meets once per month and as needed to collaborate on strategic DEI-focused initiatives, offer feedback and guidance on school programs, discuss issues or incidents that threaten the school’s commitment to DEI work, and consult with the Student Diversity Leadership Council.

Diversity Advisory Council Members

  • Fr. Bill Rowland, S.M., President
  • Mr. Kevin Mullally, Principal
  • Mrs. Molly Carlin, Dean of Faculty
  • Ms. LaRita Williams, Director of Inclusion & Diversity
  • Ms. Caroline Belden ’12, Inclusion & Diversity Coordinator
  • Mr. Jordan Snellings ’11, Inclusion & Diversity Coordinator
  • Ms. Jeannette Stewart, Science Department Chair
  • Mr. Andrew Johnson, Theology Teacher
  • Ms. Christa-Marie Singleton ’83, Marist parent
  • Mr. Frank McCloskey ’68

Student Diversity Leadership Council

Instituted in fall 2020, the Student Diversity Leadership Council (SDLC) works with the Office of Inclusion & Diversity to promote a culture of inclusivity in student life at Marist. Comprised of six to ten 9th-12th grade students selected through a blind application and subsequent interview process, student leaders are trained by Fearless Dialogues, attend the National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership Conference, and lead the annual Diversity Summit, which Marist opens to students from many area independent schools.

The SDLC meets monthly with the administration for the purpose of communicating issues, discussing how to continue to build a culture of acceptance and compassion, and serving as a sounding board for student initiatives.

We are excited to partner with students who have come forward as leaders for their peers. Last year, they voiced suggestions about things they would like to see done differently. At our recent check-in meeting, it was humbling, but also encouraging, to hear feedback about the positive steps Marist has taken so far to influence student culture.”

– Mr. Kevin Mullally, Marist School Principal

Anti-discrimination Policy

Marist School’s obligation to build a community of inclusion is based on sacred Scripture, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and the spirit and traditions of the Society of Mary. All members of our school community are responsible for advancing an understanding of and a respect for diversity. To that end, Marist has crafted a new anti-discrimination policy that takes a clear stance on the expectations we have for student behavior. The policy includes an explicit description of the unacceptable behaviors that threaten both school safety and human dignity. Moreover, it includes an outline of the school’s response should anyone be in violation of the policy. We introduced the policy at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year via Parent/Student Handbook reviews with students and at Parents’ Night in School.

Summer Reading Program Focused on Anti-Racism

An avenue for incorporating social justice into our curriculum is through our “On the Same Page” summer reading program, which focused in 2020 on anti-racism through the book selections of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.

The entire school community—students, faculty/staff, parents, alumni—participated and had the opportunity to discuss and react to the themes the books revealed related to race and racism. Importantly, our Catholic faith and the Marist theme of ardent love of neighbor were interwoven into the conversations about the books.

Student Programming Day

During a special programming day, students heard from Associate Professor of African American Studies and Historian at Georgia State University Dr. Maurice Hobson for a historical perspective of race here in Atlanta and for a personal perspective from retired Catholic priest, Fr. Bruce Wilkinson, as well as from death row exoneree Mr. John White with the Georgia Innocence Project.

Beyond the Books

Parents and alumni took part in virtual book discussions, and faculty found ways to help students relate a particular discipline to the anti-racism theme. A notable example was the fall Marist theater production, Unprecedented, where a senior composed an original song that offered commentary on the state of Black lives in America, especially in light of the historic and ongoing killings of unarmed Black people by police. Marist students have been challenged to confront both the history and current day reality of racism in our country so they might actively work against such discrimination. The summer reading program focused on anti-racism helped to raise awareness and bring perspective to the work.

Additional Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Efforts

In an effort to live out our Marist values and prepare students to be global-ready servant leaders, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are emerging across campus.

Black Student Alliance

Among Marist’s newest clubs is the Black Student Alliance (BSA), which offers a sense of community and belonging for Black students at Marist and provides them with a safe place to gather, discuss relevant issues, process their experiences, and be themselves comfortably so that they can experience personal growth and connection to their racial identity. The BSA joins the Latin American Studies Culture Club and the Mosaic Club in providing focus and education on the many diverse groups we are fortunate to have at Marist.

Peer Leader Program

Campus Ministry and the Office of Inclusion & Diversity are partnering to build capacity for peer leaders to understand the Marist value of radical hospitality. In March, a consultant with expertise on the science of belonging trained the peer leaders who will welcome newly accepted students in April and help them to feel comfortable being their authentic selves in their new Marist home.

Contemporary African-American Literature Course

Marist is offering a new elective which advances the diversity of the literature studied in the English curriculum as well as important conversations on the topics of identity, individuality, race, and history within and beyond the Marist community. For the students enrolled, the course provides an increased level of social awareness that they can apply to their understanding of Marist and their own lives.

Presentations on “Benefits of Attending a ...”

Marist’s college counselors put together virtual presentations for parents and students highlighting the benefits of attending certain groups of colleges and universities, including historically Black colleges and universities, women’s colleges, Catholic colleges, and public honors colleges.

New Parent Mandatory Meeting

The new parent mandatory meeting is an opportunity for Marist School to elaborate on our important mission and share the values that our community embraces. The meeting now includes an overview of Marist’s ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion on campus, given by the Office of Inclusion & Diversity. This provides a good opportunity to affirm why diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to who we are at Marist and to explain our expectations for all families and students in the community.

Hiring

We continue to broaden our nationwide efforts to recruit a diverse faculty and staff, including attending multiple teacher of color hiring fairs, visiting historically Black colleges and universities, and partnering with search firms which specialize in bringing forward diverse candidates who share our commitment to the Marist mission and are well equipped to become a part of Marist’s talented, faith-filled faculty.

Admissions

The Office of Inclusion & Diversity continues its partnership with the Admissions Office to help connect and engage with prospective Marist families of color. Through collaborations with community partners like Black Parents Forum, A Better Chance, and Reach for Excellence, we are able to broaden our reach and provide important information on the Marist experience. Marist Parent Ambassadors continue to be an incredible resource, chatting with parents via our website, organizing parish events, volunteering for virtual admissions sessions, and, most recently, serving on a parent panel at a new event for 9th grade applicants.

Looking Forward

The work we do at Marist School in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion is fundamental to the fulfillment of our school’s mission to form students in the image of Christ. The Society of Mary maintains that an essential component of a Marist education is to educate students how to confront social injustices, help build their capacity for empathy, and provide them with the knowledge and tools required to live and work in today’s diverse society. As a community of faith and in keeping with our Catholic heritage and tradition of excellence, we follow the example of Jesus and his mother Mary as we honor the dignity of each individual that God has brought to our school community.

A Marist student should learn to collaborate with other men and women of goodwill no matter their creed, race, or social standing to help build communities where the dignity of the person is manifest.” - #216, Society of Mary United States Province: Criteria of a Marist School

We look forward to providing future updates on the work we’re doing in this important area. To share ideas and feedback with us, please email info@marist.com.