Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
For the sake of peace, I try to put myself in their place and only judge them by looking through their spectacles."
- Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, Foundress
Guided by the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools and rooted in Catholic faith, Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr (SHA) commits to fostering a community that acts in the interests of equity* and justice for each student. We strive to form a welcoming environment that recognizes and affirms the individual experience of each student.
We support diversity at Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr through curricular and co-curricular opportunities. Our school believes that an inclusive learning community is integral to achieving academic success and individual growth. In our diverse world, Sacred Heart Academy prepares and inspires students to be active, informed, and responsible citizens at local, national, and global levels.
We aspire to nurture students to embrace their inherent value as a human being created in the image and likeness of God.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is played out in curricular and extracurricular opportunities for students, in all divisions, and in the form of SHA Dialogue.
Like vines, the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education, themes of Catholic Social Teaching and NAIS DEI Best Practices intertwine and root out DEI commitment. Click above to learn more.
*Educational equity is ensuring that every student gets what they need. Nothing about a student's identity, ability, or background should impact their access to programs and resources, their care and treatment, or their opportunities to learn. This aligns with the Sacred Heart Goals & Criteria.
SHA Upper School Hosts First Diversity Conference
SHA Student Diversity Board Hosts Diversity Conference After Attending NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference
This March, SHA Upper School and Grade 8 students participated in the first SHA Diversity Conference. The conference aimed to build community by cultivating an environment that encourages self-reflection and allyship. Student facilitators led participants in large and small group activities to develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and others to form alliances. Students also participated in a Silent Movement exercise to build connections and empathy, a workshop to reflect on our own identities, and affinity groups selected by students.
Forming Alliances: Exploring Our Similarities and Differences
Members of BSU Hosts Student-Run Conference
In April 2023, members of SHA's Black Student Union hosted its first diversity conference focused on developing an understanding of and respect for one another. The conference, titled Forming Alliances: Exploring Our Similarities and Differences involved workshops with conversations surrounding diversity and understanding the significance of building an inclusive environment. Jene Elzie, a New York business executive and keynote speaker for the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, addressed the audience and shared insights and practices to form alliances. Students also participated in a Cross the Line activity
Students Attend the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference
The NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of student leaders from eligible independent high schools across the U.S. and abroad. SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. SHA will host a "mini" SDLC in the spring.
DEI&B Programming
Social Awareness & Action
Students engage in direct service, advocacy, outreach, and partnerships to work for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation under the guidance of the Community Service Corp (CSC). All-School programming, which include faculty and staff, bolster SHA's commitment to service and compassion for all mankind. Read more about the SHA Social Awareness & Action program.
School-wide programs and cultural field trips add depth to the curriculum and spotlight diverse cultures. Students participate in on-campus activities as well as conferences and off-campus activities to promote an understanding and awareness of diverse cultures. On-campus activities include student presentations on DEIB-related topics, school-wide programming during heritage months throughout the year, service projects, and classroom lessons and activities.
Staff continues to read professional learning texts to engage in reflection of their own practice.
Clubs
Resources
Let Us Pray
"Social life is made by human beings. The society we live in is the outcome of human choices and decisions. This means that human beings can change things. What humans break, divide, and separate, we can — with God's help — also heal, unite, and restore."
- Except from Father Bryan N. Massingale's book "Racial Justice and the Catholic Church", which examines the history of racism in the United States and the efforts of the Catholic Church to eradicate racism and promote reconciliation and justice.
Contact:
Symone James Abiola
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB)
610-527-3915