Equity and Inclusion
Choate cultivates a vibrant community of principled individuals from diverse backgrounds and unites them through common purpose, active engagement, and mutual respect.Choate Rosemary Hall Strategic Plan, 2013-2020
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force
This new Task Force serves as a commitment to developing authentic, effective, and sustainable initiatives to ensure we create the most just, inclusive, and equitable Choate Rosemary Hall community possible. Dr. Rachel Myers, Director of Equity & Inclusion, is leading an eleven-member staff and faculty group in the development of a plan of action that spans all elements of school life.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force will execute in three phases:
Interested in what the DEI Task Force read?
All members of the DEI Task Force read Dr. Bonnie French’s 2018 work Race at Predominantly White Independent Schools: The Space between Diversity and Equity. French’s book promotes positive change in Independent Schools through various diversity efforts and includes supporting quantitative and qualitative data to go along with her claims.
Choate’s Office of Equity and Inclusion continues to build upon the impressive groundwork of Driving Equity at Choate and the Choate Diversity Student Association, to develop a school-wide approach to diversity, inclusion, and multicultural competence. Since 1989, when the first Office of Multicultural Affairs was created, our commitment to diversity remains a core value of the School. Through day-to-day activities, curriculum, and school-wide celebrations, we seek to raise awareness and encourage understanding of differences of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, geographical origin, and sexual orientation.
Programs & Initiatives
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Task Force
The Task Force is committed to developing authentic, effective, and sustainable initiatives to ensure we create the most just, inclusive, and equitable Choate Rosemary Hall community possible.
Driving Equity at Choate
Driving Equity at Choate (DEC) is charged with advancing productive conversations about diversity at Choate and helping to ensure that ours is a community where difference is celebrated, not just tolerated. The DEC works with faculty and student groups to heighten awareness and attention to issues of diversity.
Pathways
Pathways is a program designed to support the academic and social transition for new students of color. Pathways provides an opportunity to arrive on campus before other new students so that you have time to feel more acclimated before the new student orientation kicks in. This two-day pre-orientation is optional for students and parents, and includes special programing intended to smooth families transition to Choate.
Choate Icahn Scholars
Originally created through the generosity of the Icahn Charitable Foundation, The Choate Icahn Scholars Program aims to make a difference in the lives of up to ten students per year who are bright and motivated and whose families qualify for full (or nearly full) tuition assistance. In addition to financial assistance for tuition, school expenses are covered including school supplies including books, transportation to and from home for vacations, and other stipends. The summer before matriculation, Choate Icahn Scholars also attend the School’s Summer Programs free of charge.
Gakio-Walton Scholars
The Gakio-Walton International Scholars was established in 2006 through the generosity of The Walton Family Foundation and alumnus Benjamin S. Walton ’92 in an effort to attract students primarily from Kenya or continental Africa. In addition to receiving full financial aid, Gakio-Walton International Scholars also receive full assistance to attend Choate’s Summer Programs prior to matriculation.
Community Service
Service-learning opportunities seek to link Choate students with the community of Wallingford and the surrounding towns by blending education and compassion with civic responsibility and citizenship. Through experiential learning and reflection, the Community Service program helps individuals at our school build character, develop moral foundations, and nurture a lifelong commitment to service. As an able community, we strive to acknowledge and implement our global responsibilities towards understanding and helping others.
Spiritual Life
Choate recognizes, supports, and affirms the multi-faith nature of society, the student body, and the school community. Spiritual Life programming seeks to encourage ethical practice and moral development, to support students from diverse religious and spiritual traditions, to guide students in their spiritual formation and search for meaning and to foster multi-faith dialogue. The Director of Spiritual Life, visiting chaplains, and faculty advisers in Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Roman Catholic traditions guide students in a variety of religious expressions.
Dialogues on Difference
This popular series is part of our faculty and staff professional development during the school year, we offer 6 faculty led presentations and structured dialogues on a variety of equity and inclusion topics.
Current Events Forums
In a time of uncertainty and rapid change, the Office of Equity and Inclusion will offer community forums throughout the year to share accurate information about a current event and time for community members to discuss and ask questions. Sometimes we will invite a community expert to present and share information about the event.
Faculty SEED Seminar
The Faculty and Staff SEED (Seeking Educational Equity through Diversity) Seminar at Choate is a group that meets monthly and is offered to those in our faculty and staff who want to go deeper in their learning about diversity and multicultural practice. This group is facilitated by faculty who have trained with the National SEED Project.
Diversity Day (Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday)
A full day of student led workshops for students, professional development for faculty and staff, and a key note speaker providing inspiring/thought provoking words of social justice and equity.
Equity and Inclusion Beyond Choate
In addition to our on campus/in house programming, we offer and encourage students, faculty and staff to attend other diversity/equity/inclusion workshops in Connecticut and nationwide.
