DIGNITY AS A CORE VALUE
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belonging, we cannot erase the differences between students, nor would we want to. What we can do is try to do our best to ensure that those differences do not become an obstacle to boys and families experiencing dignity, or feeling as though they are not as valued as their peers.
At Browning, we protect the dignity of families on tuition assistance by providing subsidies on various activities beyond the academic day to match the percentage of tuition that they pay, making sure that they are reminded discreetly of this fact at the same time as activities with extra fees are announced. We also ensure that our Parents Association activities are welcoming to all families by having modest class activity budgets and asking families to plan low or no cost class activities to allow families and students to bond with one another. This helps level the playing field, promoting an inclusive environment for all.
Boys in Middle and Upper School also have access to participate in identity-affirming groups if they wish. Through activities both for the community and among themselves, they find support and strength that they can share with others. These groups can provide a soft landing place for those who take part, where they can reflect on common experiences, and where allies and peers can learn another side to a classmate’ s story.
Our Middle School pinning ceremony, in which Grade 8 boys present a lapel pin to their new Browning brothers, offers another
“ We believe that this reminder of community has an added benefit of providing an antidote to loneliness and isolation, something far too many young people face today.”
opportunity to recognize dignity. The Head of Middle School speaks about what community both offers boys and what it requires of them, reminding the boys that in a community, they don’ t need to know everyone deeply to benefit from the care of the whole. They are also reminded that being in a community also involves discomfort and conflict. We believe that this reminder of community has an added benefit of providing an antidote to loneliness and isolation, something far too many young people face today.
Connecting Dignity and Storytelling
One of the potent ways that Browning seeks to develop and reinforce dignity is through a storytelling culture— first started among adults, and later expanded to our boys. Developed in response to returning to work in the wake of the pandemic, storytelling started
Page 14 Winter 2025 CSEE Connections