Community
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Diversity, equity and inclusion are integral to Country School's mission, history and forward-thinking practices. We believe learning is at its best when students are exposed to stories and events that are both similar to and different from their own.
Conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion introduce healthy discourse and increase our communication skills. When coupled with action, a focus on DEI ultimately leads to a productive and enlightened school environment.
At Country School, we practice mindful learning and sharing as a means to connect and grow as an institution. We value the diverse experiences our families bring to our school community and work to provide a space in which all voices can be heard. We practice an ethic of listening for greater understanding. Our professional growth and development programs for the adult community supports an expectation that we will seek both national conferences and workshops, as well as leverage the resources that we are fortunate to employ from our talented faculty and staff.
Our professional community believes that there is always something to learn. Our ongoing engagement with outside professional development facilitates a network of informed people and perspectives with a global lens. In addition, our internal teams offer a broad range of expertise including our Diversity Equity & Inclusion Facilitators; Student Advisors; Service Learning committees; Learning Resources team. We access the special interests and talents of our family community, most directly through a partnership with our Parent DEI Task Force.
Country School offers a number of vehicles to support a culture of inclusion. Some of the initiatives we have in place include:
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Annual participation in the CAIS, Student Diversity Leadership Conference (Grades 7-9)
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Annually selected delegation to the NAIS People of Color Conference for faculty & staff and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (Grade 9)
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Parents' Association Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force focused on understanding and responding to the needs of our family community, while supporting education around topics of inclusion for our families.
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Upper School: Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) clubs
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Renowned speaker opportunities
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Ongoing faculty & staff training
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Formal and informal teachable moment platforms for adults and students
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Partnership programs with Horizons
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Integration of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with broader Wellness initiatives
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Application of Restorative Practice principles in building a positive climate
- Donor support in ensuring representation of diverse groups
- Student-led classroom Buddies program
We welcome ideas and thoughts as we work to build a vibrant, equitable, inclusive and diverse school culture.
List of 1 members.
Diversity Facilitators
In order to make diversity, equity and inclusion part of the school’s overall fabric, a Diversity Facilitators group was formed with representatives from the schools’ divisions, the staff and Horizons. Much of the group’s role revolves around peer leadership, facilitation and support.
This group includes: Kindergarten Teacher Jessica McKinney, Upper School Teacher Nika Skvir-Maliakal, Second Grade Teacher Abigail Newport, Sixth Grade Teacher Brayden Henry, Fifth Grade Teacher Andrew Bevan, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Kojo Clarke and Horizons Family and Program Director Nehemie Moise
This group includes: Kindergarten Teacher Jessica McKinney, Upper School Teacher Nika Skvir-Maliakal, Second Grade Teacher Abigail Newport, Sixth Grade Teacher Brayden Henry, Fifth Grade Teacher Andrew Bevan, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Kojo Clarke and Horizons Family and Program Director Nehemie Moise
Parents' Association Contact
Kathryn Knight
Parent DEI Task Force Chair
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion News
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From Head of Early Childhood: Transforming 'Doubt' into 'Do'
Read More"People are opting out of vital conversations about diversity and inclusivity because they fear looking wrong, saying something wrong, or being wrong. Choosing our own comfort over hard conversations is the epitome of privilege, and it corrodes trust and moves us away from meaningful and lasting change." ~Brene Brown, Dare to LeadLast May, I took a photo of this image. It spoke so powerfully to me about my current mindset in regard to diversity and inclusion conversations. For so long, doubt plagued me. Doubt about my ability. Doubt about saying the wrong thing. Doubt about thinking in my role that I needed to know how to do it all perfectly. Basically, I felt everything author Brene Brown so honestly and poignantly captures in the quote above. So I wrote DOUBT and crossed out the ‘UBT’ and I began the work. -
Apprentice Teacher Reflects on Identity
Read More“Where are you from?”
I’ve heard the question millions of times. It's the kind of question I've grown used to hearing and it took a while for me to realize that most people don’t want to hear that I am from Connecticut.“No, where are you really from?”It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized the truth behind the question of where I was from. Being an Asian American, I often struggled with understanding my identity and that I was different from others. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to understand that my identity as an Asian is an important facet of who I am and I hope to further share that heritage with my students. -
Board President: Belonging is a Continuous Act of Community
Read MoreWhen I’m asked what makes Country School special, I often point first to our deeply held value of community.At the heart of the NCCS mission is a belief that children learn and grow best when they are rooted in an unshakeable sense of belonging. Country School students are fully seen and known, valued for all they are and can become, and surrounded by adults who inspire them to reach their highest potential. -
Ninth Grader Leads Discussions in Upper School
I have a vivid memory of when I learned about the Student Diversity Leadership Conference for the first time. I was in seventh grade and six ninth graders gave a presentation on the eight identifiers - religion, age, ethnicity, socio-economic-status, race, sexual orientation, ability, and gender. As much information as they shared in that presentation, I still had so many questions:Read More -
Dillon Mims ‘18 Releases History Podcast, "Precedented Times"
Read MoreDillon Mims ‘18 has released a 6-episode history podcast, Precedented Times. The weekly podcast aims to debunk the notion we are living through “unprecedented times."“We may not be able to control that history will repeat itself, but we can know what to do when it happens.” -
$2.5 Million Gift from the Jefferson Family will Support Diversity and Financial Accessibility
Read MoreNew Canaan Country School parents Cathy and Brett Jefferson have made one of the largest gifts in NCCS history, recently pledging $2.5 million to support diversity and financial accessibility for students.“Our vision is to identify and support outstanding students who do not have the economic means to attend NCCS and afford them the opportunity to pursue the American Dream. We hope that there will be many outstanding Chao Scholars that will benefit from our gift and we are also hopeful that NCCS will benefit from the diversity this program will offer,” said Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson in a letter to Head of School Aaron Cooper.The gift will create the Chien and Taina Chao Scholarship Fund, named in honor of Mrs. Jefferson’s parents who came to the U.S. to pursue their advanced education, both earning PhDs in chemistry and building successful careers in science. The gift is being made through The Catherine Jefferson Foundation, which Brett and Cathy founded, and, in part, by Hildene Capital Management. -
Advancing Our Climate of Belonging
A group of 15 NCCS administrators, trustees, parents, faculty, students and alumni participated as a “pod” in the inaugural Pollyanna Conference in Connecticut on April 10. The conference, which was entitled, “Climate of Belonging: Challenging Our Past to Reimagine Our Future,” was hosted virtually by Westover School with the intent to “allow us to think about and examine the current structures, biases, and privileges in place at our schools as well as how we might adapt our schools and policies to be more inclusive.”Read More -
DEI Task Force Reads Anti-Racism Book
Dear NCCS Parents & Guardians,Read More
Thank you to the 30+ participants in our most recent DEI Community Meeting, where we discussed a follow-up to the virtual visit from Daryl Davis, musician and race relations expert, and the first half of Ibram X. Kendi’s “How To Be An Antiracist”. Here are some notes from the conversation, and some resources to explore: -
Daryl Davis, Race Relations Expert, Emphasizes Dialogue
In commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, New Canaan Country School hosted Daryl Davis, a race relations expert and a celebrated American R&B musician, on Jan. 19 and 21.Read More -
Lower School Remembers Dr. King's Life and Legacy
Country School’s Lower School (Grades 1-4) celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with curricular activities, reflections and gatherings culminating in an assembly, Jan.15, held using online platforms.Read More
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New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
