News Detail
A Message from Tresa Wilson
Dear of Upper School Parents and Guardians,
Thank you for your continuous support and encouragement for our diversity and inclusion initiatives. As I reflect on the year, I would like to share with you the history and the current programming of the Upper School Student Diversity Board. Read More
The mission of the Student Diversity Board is to provide a safe environment in which to objectively present and encourage brave discussions on topics related to multiculturalism and cultural competency – the advocacy of equality, respect, and inclusiveness toward people of different cultural backgrounds – so that each student may gain knowledge, develop their perspectives, and work to foster a more inclusive community that honors and appreciates diversity. In the spring of 2001, four students returning to Hockaday from an athletic event began talking on the bus about racial issues. As they talked, others began listening and asking questions. It occurred to this small diverse group of girls that although they knew they were receiving an excellent education at Hockaday, the one topic that was seldom discussed was race. With the guidance and support of Candee Keen, their Upper School Counselor, the four students decided to facilitate a discussion forum on the topic, a safe and real conversation about race. The first forum addressed the issue of white privilege and had 40 students and faculty in attendance. The forum had a significant effect on the school as conversations on race, comfort zones, and privilege began in classes, hallways, and the dining hall. When school began that fall, Hockaday provided funding for more student-led forums, and the Race Relations Board (RRB) was born.
That next year, the students on the RRB planned and facilitated several more forum discussions with the primary focus being race and race-related issues. As the RRB matured as a student organization, board members realized that the student body desired the opportunity to wrestle with other diverse social and cultural issues. Using what the National Association of Independent Schools classified as the “Big Eight Cultural Identifiers,” which are gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and socioeconomic status the RRB expanded their forums to include discussion on the many dimensions of diversity present at Hockaday and in the broader community. Because of this shift to broaden the topics discussed beyond race, the Race Relations Board changed its name to Student Diversity Board (SDB), effective for the 2012-2013 school year.
Today, the SDB is comprised of 14 students who meet once a rotation throughout the year planning and serving as a resource to the upper school on relevant topics about diversity and inclusion with the guidance from two faculty sponsors and the oversight of both the Interim Assistant Head of Upper School, Renee Laffitte and myself, the Director of Inclusion and Community. The SDB began the year with an annual retreat in the fall to build relationships, develop leadership and facilitation skills, receive education surrounding multiculturalism and cultural competency, and discuss potential topics for the three forums based upon an extended list of cultural identifiers. The list includes body image, educational background, and academic/social achievement, family of origin/family makeup, geographic/regional background, language, learning style, beliefs (political, social, and religious), globalism, and counting.
SDB researches over a 7 to 10 week period a designated topic that encourages every student’s engagement in preparation for the complex world they will live in. Last year, forum discussions have been on implicit bias, islamophobia, and cultural appropriation. This year the SDB has continued to expand their discussions with a focus on education and inequality, immigration and worldwide policies, and the intersectionality of stress in high schoolers and marginalized groups.
All forums are open to the entire upper school student body with an attendance up to 150 students and several faculty members who join as observers. Continuing the practice established by the founding members, each SDB forum is planned, organized, facilitated and led by students for the benefit of students with adult supervision, thereby providing an open forum for all students to ask questions and share from their own experiences.
If you would like to learn more about our diversity and inclusion initiatives schoolwide, feel free to contact me.
With sincere admiration for your commitment to excellence,
Tresa R. Wilson
Director of Inclusion and Community
The Hockaday School
Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.