D E F IN ING DIVE RSIT Y AND I NC LUS I O N
Continued from page 23
effective educators lead students to take re-
sponsibility for learning. We are committed
to sustaining a school in which individuals
representing diverse cultures and experi-
ences instruct one another in the meaning
and value of community and in the joy and
importance of lifelong learning.”
What follows is how students at these two
institutions responded to our questions.
Vaishnavi Vuyyuru
11th Grade - Woodward Academy
When I think of diversity, I think ethnicities,
socioeconomic structures, genders, sexual
orientations, and obviously races. I think
most students and faculty mean racially, as
when one sees the student/faculty body,
color of skin is the most prominent feature
and easiest to see. I think inclusion is de-
spite any differences, accepting someone
for who they are and not prohibiting cer-
tain aspects of them, like culture.
As far as diversity goes, I think teachers and
students both think of race-based diversi-
ty... As far as inclusion goes, my guess as to
what teachers mean falls fairly in line with
a student perspective. My friends associate
“inclusion” with calling people over and let-
ting them participate in whatever is going
on. Probably not a high percentage of stu-
dents connote “inclusion” with DEI work.
Nat Thungsunawan
12th grade - Woodward Academy
For inclusion, adults and students might
mean the same thing, and from my per-
spective, inclusion is kind of like when
people that are different in religion, nation-
ality, and culture, are peacefully living in the
same community.
Faiza Mohammed
12th grade - Woodward Academy
I believe both adults and students have
the same definition of diversity, but differ
in their opinions about the enforcement of
diversity. As a student, I define diversity as
an immersion of people from various back-
grounds and circumstances coming togeth-
er to promote individuality and inclusion,
which is a definition most adults would
agree with... I believe that both adults and
students have the same definition of inclu-
sion, but adults tend to push inclusivity
for the sake of being able to say that their
“I believe both adults
and students have
the same definition of
diversity, but differ in
their opinions about
the enforcement
of diversity.”
Page 24 Summer 2020
Merrit Snider
11th grade - Woodward Academy
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