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Equity & Justice

Living and learning in a global and inclusive community requires persistent and purposeful practice of the skills necessary to build and sustain equity and justice.

With the goal of creating an inclusive community, Emma Willard School teaches and models empathy, curiosity, and constructive dialogue. Curriculum is designed with the intention to develop learners capable of holding competing views in their minds while remaining engaged in challenging conversation. Through understanding and embracing difference, and through studying historical context, students gain a deeper appreciation for shared humanity and consider how they will use their strengths to be of service in the world. Students learn to practice critical thinking and self-reflection to identify and root out bias, to recognize the impact of power and privilege, and to pursue knowledge and truth. Within classrooms and across the school, students gain experience using their intellect and their voices to bridge the gap between understanding and action in the ongoing effort to make the world a more equitable place.
 

Community Engagement and Social Impact - students working at the food bank
A two-page magazine article titled 'A Hunger for Change' with a vector graphic of a box full of food on the bottom left.
A Hunger for Change

The Spring 2023 edition of Emma Willard School’s Signature magazine focuses on aspects of academic excellence on Mount Ida, including how curated service learning projects and community engagement opportunities (CEOs) help investigate food inequities throughout the United States. 

Students volunteering at the local food pantry as part of CEO weekend activities!
A Hunger for Change

Gemma Halfi, associate director of equity and inclusion at Emma Willard School, is using the new academic year to turn our attention towards the discriminatory systems and policies that perpetuate food inequities in the United States and helping the school community think about making tangible, lasting changes in this city. 

Head of Equity and Inclusion Christine Gilmore launches MLK Day activities at Emma Willard School
A Vision of Equity: MLK Day 2023

Each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Emma Willard School community gathers for special programming to honor his legacy. This year’s theme, “A Vision of Equity,” explored both Dr. King’s dream of equity for all, as well as the equity work that has been done and is still to come in a variety of intersecting areas.

10 students pose on the stage of Kiggins after a Bollywood dance performance.
AAPI Heritage Month Assembly

May marks the beautiful celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States. At Emma Willard School, we gathered for a moving Asian Heritage Assembly to recognize the many contributions of AAPI culture in our country and institution.

Alumnae of Color Gather in New York
Alumnae of Color Gather in New York

Emma Willard School recently hosted a gathering in Brooklyn, New York, for alumnae of color to reconnect, share personal stories and experiences, and meet Prince Botchway, the newly appointed head of institutional equity and inclusion.

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