Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice

Westridge School students

Westridge was built on a mission to provide gender equity in education.

Today, we are working to expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) on our campus.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are essential components of the Westridge program. They are imperative to the wellness of students in underrepresented populations, central to academic excellence for all Westridge students, and critical to the development of thoughtful, compassionate human beings and informed global citizens committed to ethical action.

Our work to understand and expand diversity in all its forms, including racial, ethnic, socio-economic, neurological, and gender, and to create an equitable and inclusive environment to support all community members, is an ongoing process—and one we are deeply committed to.

DEIJ is one of four focus areas of our 2020-2025 strategic plan, prioritizing resources of time and funding to make substantive and meaningful change at our school. We recognize that students of color are having different experiences at Westridge, and we believe students deserve to be in a learning environment where racism is explicitly addressed, and where all students can learn to be advocates for change. 

We are actively working to:
  • Identify and eliminate biases and gaps in our programs and policies.
  • Make the programmatic changes and do the community-wide education and growth necessary to make Westridge a school where all students, families, and faculty and staff feel they belong and are affirmed, valued, and supported.
  • Increase diversity of all kinds, especially racial and socioeconomic, because we know that all students benefit social-emotionally and academically from learning in a more diverse environment.
Westridge School Director of Equity Ian Tatum
Ian Tatum
Director of Equity

I celebrate our commitment to this work! It has the power to transform our culture and community in ways that will dynamically improve students’ experiences and outcomes, and I am excited to engage in it alongside you.

—Ian Tatum 
Director of Equity

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Recent DEIJ News

The Power of Language & Connection: Westridge Global Scholars Program Hosts Project Olas Founder Rebecca Cox

Continuing our Global Scholars speaker series, Westridge was pleased to host Rebecca Cox, social entrepreneur and Project Olas founder, last week! Cox kicked off the day at an Upper School assembly where she spoke about her background and experience founding Project Olas, the background of the women participating in the program, and the power students have to create change.

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Student Voices & BSU Highlight Women of Influence in the Civil Rights Movement in MLK Day Assembly

Yesterday, faculty and students led two Martin Luther King Jr. Day assemblies. For Middle and Upper School students, Upper School Student Voices and the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted "Women of Influence: Dismantling Iconism in the Civil Rights Movement." The Lower School assembly was led by Dean of Student Voices Tamara Jaffe ’08 who led a discussion about Dr. King and why we celebrate this national holiday, as well as the role of Coretta Scott King in the Civil Rights Movement. 

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Middle School Students Introduced to Affinity Spaces

On Wednesday morning, Middle School students gathered in the PAC to learn about affinities! With guidance from Dean of Lower and Middle School Student Voices Tamara Jaffe ’08, students learned about what affinities are (spaces for students of shared cultural, racial, ethnic, or other backgrounds to meet, support one another, and discuss various topics) and why creating identity-based spaces is important.

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Alumna Alicia Henry ’01 Talks Her Career in Politics, DEIJ Work at Westridge, & the Power of Fearlessness

Westridge alumna Alicia Henry ’01 currently serves on the Alumnae Board as co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice (DEIJ) committee. A resident of Washington D.C., she has worked in politics for 12 years, including for Senator Barbara Boxer, then-Representative Karen Bass, and currently for Washington D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.

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Engaging in DEIJ on Campus & Beyond

Our Community Updates:
Overview of Our Work So Far

As we work at both institutional and individual levels to become an antiracist community, we are also committed to sharing transparent, holistic updates on what that work looks like in practice. 

Together, these updates provide a comprehensive overview of our work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice at Westridge, with more to come.

Download January 2023 Update
Download April 2022 update
   Download August 2021 update   
   Download November 2020 update   
Download June 2020 update