Introduction

Quaker Dimension

Diversity

Diversity:

Programs (Past and Present)

Cross Divisional

• All Faculty and Staff engage in regular cultural competency training.
• Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust (B.E.S.T.) Scholars Program – Financial support for testing, tutoring, and other school expenses above tuition for students who entered Friends School through the B.E.S.T. program.
• Mission Fund – Financial support for testing, tutoring, and other school expenses above tuition for any student in need of financial assistance.
• Foreign Language Trip Fund -  This fund supports students who cannot otherwise afford to participate in Upper School Foreign Language Trips afford to do so.
• Computer Loan Program – Families without a home computer are provided a loaner computer through this program.
• Opening Picnic – This is a collaborative event, sponsored by members of the Diversity Council and the Parents Association. Parents Association grade representatives and Diversity Council members welcome new families to the community at this informal and fun BBQ.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service – On the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, students, families and community members are invited to participate in a wide range of service activities in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life.

Lower School

• Kids of Color group – an affinity group for students of color
• International Movie Night – Screening of a film about a diverse cultural experience. Parents are invited and encouraged to bring a dish for the potluck dinner.
• The Lower School Visiting Author Program:
• 2006 - Naomi Shihab Nye came to talk about her book about a Palestinian girl experiences in the West Bank 
• 2007 - Nancy Patz and 2008 Douglas Florian (Jewish authors) were invited to read their books and share their diverse experiences
• 2008 - Carole Boston Weatherford (an author of color)
• 2010 - Catherine Thimmesh came to talk about her books about women in politics and women innovators  
• 2011 - Jerry Pinkney (1st African American Caldecott Medal winner) came to talk about his books and experiences
• Lower School Friday Assemblies - Programs are brought to LS on Fridays to teach children about world views and cultures. Some of the many diverse programs that the children have experienced are: Nada Brahma’s Production of The World of Music which explored a variety of unique ethnic instruments and vital role that music plays in many regions of the world; Smithsonian Production of African Roots and Latina Soul which told the challenges and triumphs experienced by today’s multicultural youths.  The Smithsonian Production of Mothers of Inventions – African American inventors of our past; Lesole’s Dance Project – an African dance troop that demonstrated Zulu customs, drumming, dancing and costumes; Vocal Motion Six – a Namibian singing and dance group that performed native songs and dances to raise money for their country; The Spilling Ink Project – storytellers that told South Indian folk tales. 

Middle School

Ongoing Diversity Work

• Sixth and seventh grade students engage in cultural competency training as part of their "group" class.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Collections and advisory
• Students for Diversity group
• 6th grade pen-pal program with school in Pakistan
• Ongoing videos during Collection which focused on anti-bullying, community building, and diversity
• 7th grade music project with school in Ramallah.
• 8th grade group class she shows Tough Guise by Jackson Katz which discusses race and masculinity.  Also just begun to show “Bullied” from the Southern Poverty Law Center which is based on a true case of a gay man taking a school to court for not keeping him safe in school.
• October weekly presentations in collection on bullying; they have to do more with being tolerant and standing up for the oppressed, not necessarily focusing on race or sexual orientation.
• In 6th Grade- we show “Let’s Get Real”- from www.respectforall   -it is all about bullying both sexual, verbal and physical. 
• 7th Grade Group – Lessons on the power of language like “ghetto” and “gay”
• The quote from OWL talking about allowing equality regarding sexual activity and preferences, and how we try to talk inclusively, not just in terms of couples being a “he” and a “she”
• French:  The “soap opera” the kids watch includes a young girl from Morroco and how hard it is for her to be French, yet have Muslim parents with “old-fashioned” values who want to choose her husband for her.  We talk about how hard it is for her, and similar situations.  These are discussions I take the time for in English, even though it takes away from the 90% in French that I’m supposed to be doing.  I also show a clip from “Paris, Je t’aime” that shows a bunch of idiot teen boys flirting with sexy girls, then making fun of a young woman in a hijab, but one of the boys helps her, follows her to the mosque, meets her and her grandfather as they leave the mosque.   It’s all very tender.
• Spanish:  We constantly talk about cultural difference.  Specifically, I show the “Teaching Tolerance” video about the life and work of César Chávez in 8th grade during Martin Luther King month.

Past Programs

• Darius Goes West – screening and discussion of this movie about a young black boy traveling the country, speaking out for equal treatment for people with physical disabilities
• Prep School Negro – screening and discussion of this documentary with director, Andre Lee
• Pakistani speaker about growing up a Muslim in Pakistan (emphasizing the similarities and differences from Friends School students upbringing) – in conjunction with the 6th grade novel Shabanu
• Visiting Author 2011 – Neela Vaswani – Indian American writer sharing her life experiences.
• 2011 Advisory – PowerPoint and Puzzle Pieces on Cultural Diversity
• 6th Grade trip to Saudi Arabian Embassy and Washington DC Islamic Center
• Mix-it Up lunches
• Advisory on Community and Diversity
• Two Diversity focused faculty meetings 2010-11

Upper School

• Ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade students engage in cultural competency training as part of their "seminar" class.
• Affinity and Diversity Groups in the Upper School: Student Diversity Council, Black Awareness Club, Asian Student Alliance, Jewish Student Association, Gay/ Straight Alliance, Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) group, Boys to Men, an African American young men’s group and Sister to Sister, an African American young woman’s group
• Martin Luther King Jr. Collection
• Prep School Negro – screening and discussion of this documentary with its director, Andre Lee
• National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference- Student Diversity Leadership Conference: each year, the Diversity Council supports six Upper School students to attend this conference
• Association of Independent Maryland Schools Local Diversity Conferences: Diversity Council representatives organize and chaperone these local conferences
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities  tour, Quaker College Tour, Westtown Fair: in conjunction with the College Guidance department, Diversity Council representatives organize and chaperone these college tours