Center for Diversity

Mission

The Center for Diversity empowers the Blake community to become the representative, welcoming, and multicultural community it aspires to be. The Center for Diversity hopes to celebrate the current richness and future possibility of Blake becoming a model of pluralism by questioning the status quo, facilitating and encouraging community participation in diversity initiatives, empowering others to lead diversity initiatives, building leadership capacity across the community, and encouraging community members to move outside of their current comfort zone.

Strategies & Goals 2009-2010

The strategies and goals of the Center for Diversity are derived from the School’s strategic plan, “Blake 2010”. In order to achieve excellence as defined by the School’s overarching mission and to be recognized as one of the top independent schools in the nation, The Blake School must be both a diverse and culturally competent community. We define cultural competence as the will and ability to form authentic and effective relationships across differences. By 2010 it is our hope that Blake will be, and will be widely recognized as, a culturally competent institution where all constituents are engaged in self-reflective, ongoing work to make Blake a more diverse and responsive community. The goals are:

• Setting clear and specific goals to improve our cultural competency throughout the entire community — In 2009-2010, The Center for Diversity, in concert with its Advisory Board and a broad range of Blake constituents – administration, faculty, staff, families – will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive Pluralism Plan. The Plan, slated for adoption by the Board of Trustees in December 2009, will address the current level of cultural competency within Blake’s community, as well as the School’s ongoing efforts to foster systemic change. Inherent within the Plan's formulation is this guiding question: "How is Blake preparing students to be compassionate, action-oriented, and contributing global citizens?" (Read more more this goal in CNN Presents: Caucasian in America, Parent News, December 2009/January 2010.)
• Re-assert our high aspirations to build a more supportive school environment — Through continued support for and expansion of initiatives such as Cornerstone, diversity symposia, Circle of Friends, affinity groups, curriculum transformation, and, most importantly, increased numbers of diverse students, families, faculty and staff, Blake will strive to sustain a unique and supportive school culture that truly reflects the goals expressed in its Mission and core values statement.