Diversity at Berkeley Carroll

Diversity in Admissions

Berkeley Carroll's student body is representative of a wide range of backgrounds. In addition to community outreach by the Admissions Office, the school works with organizations such as Prep for Prep, The Oliver Program, The TEAK Fellowship, Boys’ Club NYC, and The Breakthrough Collaborative to enroll students who will further add to our economically and racially diverse community.

Lower School

In the Lower School, lessons and discussions help children learn to identify diversity in our community (in terms of gender, ethnicity, family structure, religion, etc.) and to participate in respectful dialogue around these issues.  It is our belief that students should be practicing the skills and learning the values necessary to create and live in an inclusive society on a daily basis.  To this end, as we review existing curricula and plan new units, we make teaching diversity an integral part of our program.  We strive to ensure that lessons and events are age-appropriate and connected to the students’ experiences, interests, and learning styles.  Activities are themselves diverse and have ranged from a unit exploring family life and structure in PreK, to the study of physical similarities and differences through self portraiture in Kindergarten, to the Venn diagrams and graphs that the First Graders create to compare winter holiday celebrations of various religious and ethnic groups.

They also include a series of read-alouds which help students consider the topic of “difference” in Second Grade and an in-depth study of immigration in Third Grade.  Fourth Grade students delve into research and conversations about different cultures and historical periods to consider how perspective affects one’s viewpoint of history. Our over-arching emphasis on respect for all people provides the basis for conversations and activities surrounding the topic of diversity in the Lower School.

Middle School

Professional Development

High School

Diversity is the cornerstone of the High School Program. Tolerance, respect, connection, an open mind, these are just a few of the ideas that drive the discussion about what it means to be an ethical and global citizen in the 21st century. Students read, write, debate and analyze their responses to a diverse range of literature, history and language. The Visiting Speakers Program reinforces this conversation by hosting published writers of political science, the environment and racial relations. Students and Faculty broaden their perspectives about difference through participation in the Student Leadership Conference (SDLC), People of Color Conference (POCC), the United Nations Student Conference on Human Rights, the 9th Grade New York at Night Program, the World Affairs Breakfast Club, and the leadership and service courses in Costa Rica, India, and Kenya. These experiences give students the skills to facilitate affinity groups and workshops on Diversity Day and Awareness Day, tackling questions such as “Does Gender Matter?”, “Who Gets a Voice?” and “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” Understanding diversity in all its forms is ongoing and is a key to building empathy and leadership in our community and in the world.

Berkeley Carroll High School Clubs Related to Diversity

G.A.S.P.

(Gay and Straight People) is a support and advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their straight allies.

Girls To Women

Girls To Women is an affinity group that creates a space in the school environment for young women and girls to have thoughtful discussions of critical issues affecting them and encourages leadership development.

Nia

Nia, which means “purpose” in Swahili, is a monthly discussion group for students of all backgrounds interested in exploring issues of power and identity.

P.O.C.

(People of Color) is an affinity group that creates a space in the school environment for students of color, helping them to develop a deeper sense of belonging.

The Psychology Club

The Psychology Club, advised by the Upper School psychologist, is a group in which Upper School students, talk, read and think about the field of psychology. Since the inception of this co-curricular, they have included the concept of diversity in their discussions as it applies to personality, sexuality, gender, race, etc.

The Radical Film Society

The Radical Film Society screens films related to class, power, and other political and advocacy issues.

Annual Diversity Events

In addition to our daily curricular engagement with diversity, we organize the following annual diversity events:

• Lower, Middle and Upper School Assemblies in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Middle School Diversity Day
• Upper School Diversity Day (students, with faculty support, lead discussions, workshops and activities related to a diversity theme such as “Gender and the Media” or “Bringing it Home: Diversity at Berkeley Carroll.”)
• Upper School Awareness Day (a student-centered, student-created day of workshops and speakers, which was initiated by the US Student Council in 2008) This event addresses such themes as "The Impact of One", or the issues of social injustice in Darfur.
• Upper School students attend DAIS (Diversity Awareness Initiative for Students), an organization facilitating students from independent, public, and parochial schools, who wish to discuss and improve human relations within the community and society at large.
• Each year we send a group of Upper School students to the annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference sponsored by NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools).
• The POC (People of Color - Student Affinity Group) annual Spoken Word Night.
• Diversity Matters (Berkeley Carroll’s parent diversity group) hosts the annual Multicultural Fiesta.
• School sponsored community service events (e.g. work in soup kitchens and homeless shelters, participation in the AIDS Walk, working with Best Buddies) promote awareness and involvement in social justice outreach.

Professional Development Opportunities at Berkeley Carroll Related to Diversity

Faculty and administrators participate in several professional development opportunities throughout the school year, both on campus and off, which enrich our understanding of diversity in our community. Some opportunities include:

• The NYSAIS Diversity Conference on Social and Economic Class in Independent Schools
• Each year we send a group of faculty to the annual POCC (People of Color Conference sponsored by NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools).
• On campus meetings of SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity)
• Undoing Racism Conference (The Anti-Racist Alliance)

Berkeley Carroll’s Statement of Non-Discrimination in Employment

The Berkeley Carroll School ("Berkeley Carroll") is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Berkeley Carroll does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, ancestry, sexual orientation, as defined by law, or on the basis of age, as defined by law, disability or genetic information.

Berkeley Carroll provides health insurance for the domestic partners of its faculty as well as maternity and paternity leave for birth or adoption of a child.