Multicultural education at Park means nurturing a belief in the dignity of each individual and teaching children to understand diverse perspectives, the importance of historical viewpoint, and the existence of individual and group bias. Students learn to question and critique the variety of beliefs and interpretations they encounter within the curriculum, the School, and the wider community. Park prepares students to participate responsibly as citizens of a global community that struggles with issues of truth, justice, and equality.
Diversity Beliefs and Aspirations
At Park School, we are guided by the belief that a diverse community is a necessary component of an excellent education. Of equal importance, we are committed to offering a curriculum that exposes children to a range of cultures and to multiple perspectives on the human experience. Our fundamental goal is to create and maintain an inclusive learning environment evidenced by:
A commitment to academic achievement for all students
Respect for the dignity of each individual
Open, non-judgmental communication
Freedom to take risks, to learn from mistakes, and to grow
All children and adults at Park should feel that important aspects of their individual identity can be comfortably shared here and that their unique stories can be fully heard. At the same time, members of our community should learn to appreciate our interdependence and to make connections with a broad range of others.
We believe that being a diverse community is a journey that requires constant attention, at times involving moments of confusion, misunderstanding, or disconnection. Therefore, we dedicate ourselves to openly confronting discord and working through it when it arises.
To be effective in this work, we believe that the adults in the community (faculty, staff, and parents) must be engaged in an ongoing examination of our individual and collective assumptions and biases.
By welcoming and celebrating a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, Park becomes a stronger and wiser school community. Our diversity beliefs and aspirations are central to every aspect of daily school life who we are, what/how we teach, how we behave, and what we are committed to having our students learn here.
