Diversity, Equity & Inclusion News
DEI at Shipley: Cultivating Belonging
Strategic Plan Update - Goal #1: Educational Excellence
How is Shipley strengthening students’ ability to engage and lead in an increasingly complex and interconnected world?
The five strategies supporting educational excellence are aimed at equipping students with the skills they will need to thrive and succeed in an increasingly global world, where empathy, critical thinking, and social competencies are essential. In this feature from the Summer/Fall 2023 issue of the Shipley Magazine, we explore how we are addressing these goals through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts.
Cultivating Belonging
Goals Addressed: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5“Unity, not uniformity, must be our aim. We attain unity only through variety. Differences must be integrated, not annihilated, not absorbed.”
~ Mary Parker Follett
One of Shipley’s accomplishments in the last seven years is the creation of the DEI Strategic Plan, stemming directly from Goal 1.4 of Vision 20/26 to “Cultivate a diverse and inclusive community.” Investments have been made in building an Office of DEI to steer these efforts, including three coordinator positions—one in each division, as well as one for the adults in the community. A standing DEI committee was added to the Board of Trustees as well.
Celebrating Joy & Diversity
Diversity is celebrated in divisional assemblies, including a parade for Hispanic Heritage Month in Lower School and a visit from the University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Rev. Charles Howard in Upper School, among others. An All School Assembly with the theme of “Black Joy” spotlighted contributions of Black Americans in the visual arts, literature, athletics, and music.
Professional & Leadership Development
The DEI department led Professional Development sessions for teachers, administrators, and operational colleagues on belonging, microaggressions, gender inclusivity, and Shipley’s Bias Awareness Reporting system. In the spring, the Board of Trustees participated in a workshop led by Dr. Gene Batiste and focused on Board governance through a DEI lens.
Affinity Spaces
Affinity groups create opportunities for people who share a common identity to build strength and pride. This year, Shipley’s affinity spaces were expanded to include Lower School students. Student groups include Jewish, Black/African, and Asian American Pacific Islander heritages, as well as LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies. Adults in the community have formed Colleagues of Color and LGBTQIA+ Colleague affinity spaces. More groups will continue to be created based on community interest.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion News
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Carlotta Walls LaNier Makes Big Impact During Visit to Shipley
Read MoreTo celebrate Black History Month, Shipley was proud to host Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, on Monday, February 3. Carlotta spoke to students and faculty about her story - for the right of every child to learn and grow without discrimination. She also spent time with the Black Student Union. -
Meet Deauntra Thompson-Smith, Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Deauntra Thompson-Smith has been Shipley’s Assistant Director of DEI since January 2024. He holds a master’s degree in secondary education from Neumann University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in history from Delaware State University.Read More -
Creating a Culture of Kindness in Middle School
“Shipley is really special because three kids can go to a teacher and say, ‘I think it would be cool to do this.’ And the teachers and administrators support them all the way through.” Learn more about the Middle School's culture of kindness and November's Kindness Month events.Read More -
DEI at Shipley: Cultivating Belonging
Shipley's commitment to educational excellence extends to cultivating a sense of belonging within its diverse community. This article delves into how Shipley has embraced its DEI Strategic Plan, celebrating diversity, providing professional development, and creating affinity spaces to foster inclusivity and unity.Read More -
Shipley Recognizes AAPI Heritage Month
Shipley’s Asian Student Alliance (ASA), led by co-presidents Amber Feng ’24 and Anne Gu ’25, recognized Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with programming for Upper School students, including a presentation about AAPI Heritage Month by members of the ASA, and one by guest speaker Elvis Zhang ’17 about his life as an entrepreneur and Asian American.Read More -
Shipley Celebrates Lunar New Year with Musical Performance
Read MoreView a performance of the Lunar New Year Overture by Shipley's Chamber Orchestra, in an arrangement by Richard Liu ’25 and Bambi Tang ’23, and conducted by Mr. Jhonnatan Mata. The performance was organized by the Asian Student Alliance and the Chamber Orchestra in celebration of Lantern Festival, or the end of Lunar New Year. -
Shipley's Black History Month Celebrations
Black History Month was celebrated throughout the month of February as divisions and as a school. Take a look at the many activities that happened on campus.Read More -
Celebrating Black Voices During Black History Month
Shipley's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion asked members of the Shipley community who identify as Black or African American what their race/ethnicity means to them, why Black History Month is important, and what are their hopes for the future.Read More -
Kathy Guy Dawson ’78: Creating a Safe Space for Shipley’s LGBTQ+ Community
Kathy Guy Dawson ’78, an Alumni Council member and former Trustee, became an inaugural co-chair of LGBTQ+ Alumni Association in 2021. She was the first black student in her class and the first member of her family to attend private school. Learn more about this Shipley Changemaker and how she's supporting the LGBTQ+ community at Shipley.Read More -
Rik Morris ’80: Giving Forward to Shipley’s LGBTQ+ Community
Rik Morris ’80 is a strong example of the Shipley spirit and the School’s commitment to supporting everyone in the community. “I don’t believe in giving back,” says the 2020 Alumni Service Award recipient. “I believe in giving forward.” Following his retirement as a Trustee a few years ago, Morris is serving as inaugural co-chair of the newly formed Shipley LGBTQ+ Alumni Association,Read More -
Peyton Turner '22 Named Main Line Student of the Week
Shipley Junior Peyton Turner has been named Main Line Student of the Week for the week of June 6.Read More -
Hakiem Coles ’07: Raising Funds for Shipley’s Black Students and Teachers
“Shipley was life-changing for me. It opened up my world," says alumnus Hakiem Coles ’07. His belief in the power of education to positively impact the lives of other black students inspired him to join Shipley's Black Alumni Association and establish a named endowed fund, the Black Alumni Association Fund, to support the curricular and cultural needs of Shipley’s Black students and teachers.Read More -
Centering BIPOC Voices at Shipley: What Being Tibetan Means to Me
Tenzin Kyizom is one of our Middle School proctors. She shares about her Tibetan identity and what it means to her, exploring what it was like to be an Asian minority during elementary and middle school, celebrating favorite Tibetan customs, and examining some triumphs and painful moments she has experienced as an immigrant to the U.S.Read More -
Identity Interview: Wendy Eiteljorg ’86 Explains Her Purple Hair
Exploring and understanding identity is an important part of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work at Shipley. There are many parts of our identity that we are born into, but others that we choose. Middle School DEI Coordinator and English teacher Lila Corgan interviewed Wendy Eiteljorg ’86, Director of Curricular Innovation and Learning Design about her purple hair.Read More -
Friendly Debates: Should Dr. Seuss Books Be Banned?
In many schools and libraries, especially during Read Across America Week this year, the tension between “canceling” Dr. Seuss and celebrating his iconic books as emblematic to American childhood ran hot. Shipley eighth graders took a close look at this issue in conjunction with their English unit on censorship in Fahrenheit 451. They were asked: Do you think Dr. Seuss’ book should be banned from classrooms and libraries?Read More -
Joy Styles ’92: Building Bridges through Positive Change
What do recording artists and civil servants have in common? “They bring people together,” says Joy Styles ’92, Nashville's District 32 Councilwoman and one of the first Black female country artists to ever sign a record deal. “The time that I spent at Shipley prepared me to be a trailblazer for my community and society as a whole," she says. Learn more about Shipley Changemaker Joy Styles '92.Read More -
Shipley Black Alumni Association Mentoring Program
Shipley alumnus Hakiem Coles '07 reflects on his participation in the Shipley Black Alumni Association's new mentoring program. "I think it is very important for students to be able to reach out to alumni with similar experiences of their own, and the mentorship program has provided a direct line of communication and support for these students."Read More -
Learning Compassionate Participation: A Fundraiser Born from a 6th Grade English Reading Assignment
Inspired by their reading of A Long Walk to Water in English class, sixth graders Lilla Tsvetkov ’27 and Adam Hornberger ’27 have organized a fundraiser aiming to raise $5,000 towards the cost of building a well with the organization, Water for South Sudan. "We aim to inspire our community that no challenge is too big to be resolved or fixed, as long as you try to make a difference, big or small," they say.Read More -
Q&A with Upper School English Teacher John Hornung: Making Rural Classrooms More LGBTQ Friendly with Hope in a Box
Upper School English teacher John Hornung believes that literature can make a positive impact in the world by helping people develop empathy for others. He teamed up with Hope in a Box, an organization dedicated to making rural classrooms more LGBTQ+ friendly, sharing a study guide for the Laramie Project, which he teaches in his Modern American Drama English elective.Read More -
Linda Powell Solomon ’77: Supporting Minority Students in Science
Read MoreFor the past 25 years, Linda Powell Solomon ’77 has supported the efforts of minority students working toward a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through the National Science Foundation’s Greater Philadelphia Region Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program. Learn more about Shipley Changemaker Linda Powell Solomon ’77.
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The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.
