Diversity, Equity & Inclusion News
Shipley Black Alumni Association Mentoring Program
When I heard about the Black Alumni Association’s intentions to start a mentoring program with Shipley’s current black students, I was immediately excited for the potential of this initiative. The black experience at Shipley is unique, and I thought this program could serve as a beacon of light for current students to show them that there are more people like them in society than they realize. 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.
I have been meeting with my mentee Sabrina Imes '22 on a monthly basis to speak about life, her aspirations, and how we can work together to ensure that she is putting herself in the best position for success beyond her days at Shipley. I have never been a mentor before, and I have taken the building of this relationship very seriously. These conversations have been mutually beneficial because Sabrina knows that she has someone else in her corner besides her parents/family, while allowing me to pour back into the community that has been a blessing to my life since I arrived on the campus in 2001.
Building a relationship with a mentee in the middle of a pandemic is definitely something that has been different, but Shipley has always taught me to embrace and make the best of any situation in front of me. I am so thankful to have been paired with such an intelligent and ambitious individual and I look forward to being one of her biggest fans in life as she continues to strive for greatness.
If an African American student would like to be paired with a Black Alumni Association mentor, please reach out to Shipley's Alumni Office. Thanks to the Co-Chairs of our mentoring program, Jasmine Powell ’18, Kareemah Parker ’11, and Corrine Gaston ’10!
Hakiem Coles ’07
Member, Black Alumni Association Governing Body
I have been meeting with my mentee Sabrina Imes '22 on a monthly basis to speak about life, her aspirations, and how we can work together to ensure that she is putting herself in the best position for success beyond her days at Shipley. I have never been a mentor before, and I have taken the building of this relationship very seriously. These conversations have been mutually beneficial because Sabrina knows that she has someone else in her corner besides her parents/family, while allowing me to pour back into the community that has been a blessing to my life since I arrived on the campus in 2001.
Building a relationship with a mentee in the middle of a pandemic is definitely something that has been different, but Shipley has always taught me to embrace and make the best of any situation in front of me. I am so thankful to have been paired with such an intelligent and ambitious individual and I look forward to being one of her biggest fans in life as she continues to strive for greatness.
If an African American student would like to be paired with a Black Alumni Association mentor, please reach out to Shipley's Alumni Office. Thanks to the Co-Chairs of our mentoring program, Jasmine Powell ’18, Kareemah Parker ’11, and Corrine Gaston ’10!
Hakiem Coles ’07
Member, Black Alumni Association Governing Body
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion News
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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. -
Lower School Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Lower School students celebrated the end of Hispanic Heritage Month with a music and dance-filled celebration at this week’s Tuesday morning assembly. Leading up to the assembly, each grade level PreK through Grade 5 studied a different Latin American country, learning about the various cultures, animals, food, flags, and dances. Read more and view the performances in a video from the assembly.Read More -
3-2-1 Care to Share? A Quiet Lesson in Diversity
Middle School is a time of physical and emotional growth and transformation, but the process that each child goes through is uniquely beautiful, messy, and complex. Through conversations in sixth grade SEED, teacher and Middle School counselor Lindsay Fick hopes that her students learn to acknowledge that for themselves and build the skills to accept it when it comes to others—a powerful lesson in viewpoint diversity.Read More -
An Update on Shipley’s Affinity Group Efforts
The Shipley School’s DEI Strategic Plan goal 3 is to ensure an equitable experience for all members of the community. One initiative of that goal is to create and support affinity spaces for students, colleagues, families, and alumni. Affinity spaces speak to the efforts of not just ensuring equitable experiences, but also creating experiences that foster belonging in our community. Learn more about our efforts to create these spaces.Read More -
Black Alumni Association Endowment Fund Halfway to Goal!
In 2021, the Shipley Black Alumni Association (BAA) set the goal of raising $100,000 to establish an endowed fund at Shipley to support experiences aimed at educating students about American history and culture through the lens of African-American contributions. By the end of Black History Month 2022, the results are impressive: $55,170 given by 116 donors.Read More -
Diversify Your Bookshelf
Read MoreLooking for diverse texts to read for either yourself or your child(ren)? Shipley's Librarians are here to help with a heaping helping of books to satisfy your literary appetite. Get a list of recommended books for middle school, young adult, and adult books, compiled by Shipley's Library Director Liz Cousins. -
Diversity in the Sport of Rowing
Shipley's Director of Rowing, Scott Gavin-Wisniewski discusses the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the sport of rowing and how Shipley's Rowing Academy is working to counteract that. The program's strategic partnership with Philadelphia City Rowing (PCR) both informs how we advance DEI within Shipley's program, while also advancing equity in the broader Philadelphia community through our support of their efforts.Read More -
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 -
Centering BIPOC Voices at Shipley: Rafhia Foster, Director of Enrollment
Rafhia Foster, Shipley's new Director of Enrollment, was the only African American girl in her class at a local independent school. As a Black, Muslim-raised Trinidadian, she brings with her to Shipley a rich tapestry of lived experiences. She knows well the feeling of not being heard or seen. Now, she embraces each opportunity to share her voice and story, bringing an effervescent spirit to Shipley's Admissions Office.Read More -
Shipley Launches DEI Family Network Affinity Groups
In fulfillment of Shipley's DEI Strategic Plan, the DEI Department launched Family Network Affinity Groups with gatherings on campus this fall. Affinity groups are a safe space for our Shipley community members who identify as Black/African Heritage; Jewish Heritage, LGBTQIA+, Latinx Heritage, and Asian & Asian Pacific-Islander Heritage to network, share, and reflect on their experiences at The Shipley School.Read More -
Spotlight on DEI in Lower School Classrooms: November 2021
Exploring and celebrating peoples' unique differences helps our youngest students learn about their own identities. Students learn to respect and appreciate differences and that they bring us together as humans. Using books and hands-on activities, teachers in our youngest grades have engaged deeply in this work, embedding this kind of learning within the academic program. Read about some of the DEI learning that has been taking place in our Lower School classrooms.Read More -
Spotlight on DEI in Middle School Classrooms: November 2021
Representation is an important aspect of building a more inclusive and equitable world. All people—especially young people—need to see themselves reflected back to them in the books they read, the historical figures they learn about, and the leaders who we try to emulate. DEI work compels us to widen our perspectives; we can only do that if we learn about them. From science to history, our Middle School students engage in this critical work all the time. Read to learn more about what they have been up to in their classes.Read More -
Spotlight on DEI in Upper School Classrooms: November 2021
In the Upper School, DEI work in the classroom becomes more complex, requiring students to think critically and engage in discussions that ask them to consider multiple perspectives, challenge commonly held notions of truth, and examine difficult questions around contemporary and historical aspects of identity, including race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, and other defining aspects. Read about some of the exciting DEI work happening in our Upper School classrooms.Read More -
What DEI Means to Us
As part of its commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community, Shipley published its DEI Strategic Plan in March 2021. Though in principle all members of our community might understand what we mean by Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, sometimes the work can seem ambiguous. We asked members of our community to reflect on what DEI means to them.Read More -
Communicating with Empathy through Restorative Circles in Upper School English
Upper School English teacher Julia Workman was inspired by new Head of Upper School Kris Ryan’s interest in Restorative Justice and Restorative Education. With funding from Shipley, Workman attended a workshop at Bard College called “Restorative Words, Restorative Practices.” Learn more about restorative circles and how Workman is using the practice to create a more equitable, thoughtful, and inter-connected classroom.Read More -
Paving the Road Ahead: Examining Shipley's DEI Efforts
Vision 20/26 compelled Shipley to “Cultivate a diverse and inclusive community” as a means of “increasing our ability to work across differences in our school, in our communities, and in the world.” Five years later, Shipley has taken great strides with its DEI efforts. Are we doing enough? Too much? How can we work together as a community to advance this important work? Our panel explores these questions and more.Read More
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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.
