Diversity Services

One of the Association's highest priorities is to promote diversity in our member schools. To that end, the AISNE Board has approved a Diversity Statement that explains why we believe this work is so important for all the students in our schools. For a sampling of other diversity statements see School Diversity Statements at the bottom of this page.

AISNE Board: Statement on Diversity

 AISNE represents many different types of schools. In the context of the missions and values of our schools, AISNE seeks to encourage an environment in which all members of the community are valued and included. We believe that appreciating diversity is an essential part of an effective learning environment.

 For AISNE, diversity is an umbrella term that includes race, gender, age, ethnicity, culture, nationality, sexual orientation, social and economic class, physical and learning differences, and religion, as well as other characteristics that contribute to each individual's full identity.

 We acknowledge and value the tensions and conflicts all schools experience as they work to become truly multicultural institutions, recognizing that progress comes from embracing, not avoiding, this important struggle.

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The AISNE Board approved the above statement in order to be clear about why AISNE is committed to significant, ongoing work on diversity. We offer it to our member schools, not so much as a model, but rather as an encouragement for each school to clarify its own thinking about this most important topic. Asking groups within your school to consider the statement, its meanings and implications could be a useful way to further your own conversation.

Please share with us (steve@aisne.org) any statement your school has

AISNE's Diversity work is divided into four areas, each with its own goals and programs:

• Outreach to Families & Students of Color
  The goal is to inform families of color about independent education and to increase applicants of color at our member schools.
• Outreach to and Support of Adults of Color
  The goal is to help schools in the recruitment and retention of adults of color and help support those adults in our schools.
• Diversity Education
  The goal is to educate adults and students in our member schools about issues of diversity and multiculturalism.
• Support for Students of Color in Our Schools
  The goal is to provide support to the students of color already in our schools.