Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Churchill School and Center

Our Programs

Here at the Churchill School and Center, our deep expertise matches our deeply nurturing community. Our classrooms are active learning spaces where we employ the latest innovations and pedagogy to create solutions tailored to each student’s needs, talents, and interests. As a result, our students engage deeply with their studies, while learning to understand their talents and pursue their dreams.

Support Churchill

You make our community the fantastic, vibrant place it is for our children, and we are so grateful. There are so many ways you can get involved at Churchill. Financially, the Churchill Fund is the primary way for you to make a direct and tangible difference in our students' daily lives. Whether you are giving of your time, talent, or dollars, philanthropy at Churchill is a critical investment in our children, our programs, and our community. Thank you for your generosity.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Churchill

Welcome to Churchill, a community built on the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are dedicated to fostering an environment where students and adults alike are seen, heard, valued, and respected.

In our pursuit of creating a diverse community, we understand that true learning and growth come from embracing a multitude of perspectives. We believe that a diverse environment, one where justice, belonging, and love are central to our way of being, not only enriches our community but also has a profound impact on the world at large.

We recognize that equity work is an ongoing journey, and we are committed to meeting people where they are in their own personal growth. By continuously striving to move our community forward, we ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into the fabric of our institution.

Our commitment to the diversity of people in our community encompasses every social identifier. We value and celebrate the uniqueness of each individual, including, but not limited to, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, family composition, and ability. It is through this celebration of diversity that we create a community that thrives on inclusivity.

We understand the power of representation and its influence on our community’s growth. To this end, we actively work towards attracting, admitting, and retaining a diverse student body, school professionals, and board of trustees that reflect the vibrant diversity of New York City.

Churchill is a place where everyone can find a sense of belonging and be supported in their individual journeys.

Our Affinity Groups provide safe spaces for students with shared experiences and identities to come together, foster support, and celebrate their unique backgrounds and experiences.

On our Activism in Education Days, students immerse themselves in different social justice topics. We suspend classes, bring in guest speakers, and enable school professionals and students to lead workshops based on the day’s theme. Past A.I.E. Days have focused on themes like elections, discovering differences, and civil discourse. High school students also teach workshops to elementary school students on topics ranging from sustainable fashion and climate change to music from around the world and the portrayal of women and underrepresented populations in comics. We believe that education is a powerful tool for creating a more just and equitable world, and we actively promote advocacy within our learning environment.

Our Equity Institute is a resource for continuous learning and professional development, enabling our educators to grow and refine their practices in creating an inclusive and equitable learning experience for all students. Focusing on topics like institutional racism, gender expression, school culture, and disability awareness, participants gain a foundation of language and skills to help bring equity work at Churchill to the next level. Along with the Equity Institute, we offer several other in-house professional development opportunities for school professionals, and we send educators and students to conferences such as the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, Learning for Justice, the National Association of Independent Schools Annual People of Color Conference, and the White Privilege Conference.

Through a Culturally Responsive Curriculum, we work to ensure that our educational materials and approaches reflect the world we live in. We continually ask ourselves who is and is not being represented, which voices and opinions are uplifted and which are silenced, and how we can adjust lessons, procedures, and spaces to address different student needs. And we explore how our own identifiers could be impacting our roles. We empower our students and our school professionals to embrace their uniqueness and build empathy for others.

Churchill’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends to our hiring practices, where we are trained in anti-bias hiring practices and dedicated to finding candidates who are aligned with our values.

Here at Churchill, we weave the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into every aspect of our institution. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to embrace their uniqueness. Together, we learn, grow, and shape a future that celebrates the diversity of the human experience and leaves a positive impact on our community and beyond. If you would like to know more about our program, please reach out to our Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ashley Greene, at agreene@churchillschoolnyc.org.

Diversity Mission Statement

In keeping with the school's Mission Statement, the Churchill School and Center is dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment that considers diversity, equity, and inclusion essential. We celebrate and respect differences in age, ethnicity, family structure, gender identity or expression, learning style, physical ability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. We will continue to develop programs that aim to ensure each member of our community is seen, valued, and respected. Churchill strives to attract, admit, and retain a diverse student body, school professionals, and board of trustees that reflect the larger community of New York City.

Anti-Racism Statement

The Churchill School and Center affirms its commitment to recognizing, addressing, and dismantling all forms of racism and ethnic oppression. We are a caring community, welcoming and respecting diversity and working for social justice on campus and in the world. We acknowledge that individuals are at various points along their anti-racist journey, regardless of one’s own race or ethnicity. As an institution, we must examine racism beyond the actions of individuals, looking at structural changes as needed. We will continue to work to eliminate racial injustices within Churchill and the greater community. Anti-bias and anti-racism work is ongoing due to the changing nature of a school community. It focuses on uplifting individuals and honoring others’ differences. Churchill is dedicated to continuing the work of education and practice at all levels of the school community. The Churchill School and Center strives to become anti-racist and to reject all forms of racism as destructive to our mission, vision, values, and goals.

DEI Glossary

Glossary
Conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion are broad and constantly expanding. Depending on lived experiences, the words we use might hold different meanings for different people. The purpose of this glossary is to promote dialogue around equity and inclusion work at the Churchill School and Center.