"This workshop was very enlightening. It empowered me, as a teacher... I am less intimidated about handling situations of prejudice with students..."
"These workshops were a positive experience for me on so many levels"
"November's presentation answered most of my questions and provided an opportunity to discuss the questions that remained."
"Thank you for finding and organizing these great workshops"
"I found the Religious Diversity Workshop to be well-designed and well-presented. Designed to allow a high level of participation..."
"...exploring the very timely question of "who is an American..."
"Highly recommended for both students and teachers."
"...I left with a renewed sense of self. I was able to discuss and share all my feelings surrounding being an openly gay teacher... I knew I was in a safe environment..."
The Virginia Diversity Network was created as an association for Virginia independent schools to help promote diversity within our individual school cultures.
Each school year, the network offers a variety of workshops and programs for faculty and administration, as well as a space for honest dialogue about identity work and inclusion in our schools.
The Virginia Diversity Network seeks to promote deeper understanding of diversity at individual schools and develops programming that explores the concepts of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, socioeconomic status, ability, and sexual orientation, among all other diverse dimensions.
2011-2012 Board Members
President: Jason Mundy, Norfolk Collegiate School
Secretary: Amy Blake, St. Catherine's School
Treasurer: Lindy Williams, Collegiate School
Members: Lynn Ramsson The Steward School
Sam Chan, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Jennifer Rodgers, Norfolk Academy
David Grant, Potomac School
Karen Moschetto, Fredericksburg Academy
Susanne Swain, Hampton Roads Academy
Paola Rubio, Trinity Episcopal School
Phil Stinnie, St. Anne's-Bellfield
Michael Turner, St. Christopher's School
The Virginia Diversity Network is a group of dedicated educators committed to creating learning environments within our partner schools that ensure students thrive in a setting that fosters a strong sense of themselves as learners along with a deep respect for others and their differences. These learning environments should prepare students and faculty for participation in and contribution to a diverse and democratic society.
Recognizing that each student possesses unique intelligences, talents, and affinities, we welcome students from all socioeconomic, religious, ethnic, and educational backgrounds whose differences may be based on race, color, creed, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, or religion, among all other diverse dimensions.
In 2004, Gussie Bannard, Head of School at St. Catherines (1989-2007), working with Dr. Kim Ridley, Diversity Coordinator at St. Catherines (2003-2008), articulated a vision of bringing teachers of diverse ethnicity together to talk about their experiences working in independent schools.
This idea was later expanded to bring all those who worked on diversity issues and initiatives together to talk about their work. In the fall of 2004, Dr. Ridley hosted a luncheon at St. Catherine's School and invited other independent school faculty to join in to discuss the state of diversity. During this meeting, it was apparent that there was a lot of interest in having subsequent meetings, and there was even talk about the possibility of pooling schools resources to provide training and educational opportunities for area independent school faculty. At this meeting, the mission of the group was identified and written.
In December, 2005, the annual People of Color Conference was held in Dallas, Texas and presented another opportunity for schools around the Virginia region to gather. This meeting allowed participants to further discuss the possibility of a network and plan its next meeting time which took place at Trinity Episcopal School in February of 2006.
At this meeting, it was agreed that this group would attempt to host a monthly meeting at various schools, much like the East Ed program created in the Washington DC metro region. Though each school was responsible for planning their meeting, it became evident that many relied upon Dr. Ridley for assistance as she was the only Diversity Director in the Richmond area at that time.
By the fall of 2006, the network was meeting on a regular basis and it became more apparent that the work for such events needed to be distributed more evenly. By the spring of 2007, the first board was formed and Dr. Ridley was voted President. The board was formed to share the responsibility for developing programming, raising funds, communicating with schools, providing resources, and increasing program participation.
The Virginia Diversity Network now includes both day and boarding schools from the Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Virginia Beach areas in their membership.
vdn brochure 10-11.pdf
vdn brochure09 4.pdf
vdn brochure 2008-2009 final.pdf
Be a part of the Virginia Diversity Network!
VDN Leader Schools
Membership benefits include:
Leader School fee: $650/year
VDN Member Schools
Membership benefits include unlimited numbers of attendees to meetings (lunch available for $10).
Member School fee: $300/year
Individual Participation
Individuals from non-member schools may attend sponsored events for $50/person (lincludes lunch).
Leader Schools 2011-2012
Collegiate School , Richmond
Fredericksburg Academy, Fredericksburg
Hampton Roads Academy , Newport News
Norfolk Academy , Norfolk
Norfolk Collegiate School , Norfolk
Potomac School , McLean
St. Anne's Belfield , Charlottesville
St. Catherine's School, Richmond
St. Christopher's School, Richmond
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School , Alexandria
The Steward School, Richmond
Trinity Episcopal School , Richmond
Virginia Diversity Network Resource List
East Ed offers a wide variety of services to schools, including consulting to administration, teachers, and boards. East Ed offers a Multicultural Seminar series, institutes and conferences, and online services.
National Multicultural Institute
Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities
The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities conducts programs that promote understanding and respect on all issues of diversity, for all age groups, all across Virginia.
www.inclusiveva.org
Improving Black Student Achievement By Enhancing Student's Self Image, www.nwrel.org/cnorse/booklets/achieve/
This publication aims to help teachers to better understand the factors that contribute to a positive self-image for Black students and to design and implement instructional strategies that will enhance Black students academic self-concept.
National Alliance of Black School Educators, www.nabse.org
NABSE is dedicated to improving the educational accomplishments of African American youth through the development and deployment of instructional and motivational methods that increase levels of inspiration, attendance and overall achievement.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, www.naacp.org
The NAACP home page with resources, news, and links to other organizations.
National Black Child Development Institute, www.nbcdi.org
Since 1970 The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) a nonprofit organization has provided and supported programs, workshops, and resources for African American children, their parents and communities in:
• Early Health and Education
• Health
• Elementary and Secondary Education
• Child Welfare
• Parenting
Member Schools 2011-2012
Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School
Blue Ridge School
Episcopal High School
Flint Hill School
Fork Union Military Academy
The Langley School
The Madeira School
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
Saint Gertrude High School
Saint Patrick Catholic School
St. Andrews School
The Williams School
Fredericksburg Academy
February 22, 2012
10am - 3pm
Dr. Valerie Prince earned her MA and PhD in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. After serving as the Avalon Professor of Humanities at Hampton University, she is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia where she is completing her second book, The Daughter’s Exchange: The African American Woman’s Encounter with the Intellectual Marketplace. Her first book, Burnin'’ Down the House , explores the metaphor of “home” in five novels that have been the touchstones for twentieth-century African American literature.
Dr. Prince'’s workshop will deconstruct the topic of gender in the classroom. Participants will learn to recognize many of the historical barriers that remain in place within academic institutions to hinder learning for female students and to develop strategies for expanding expectations for student outcomes. Through a combination of interactive activities and storytelling, workshop participants will be encouraged to rethink unexamined assumptions about gender that undergird traditional approaches to teaching. Middle School and Upper School teachers in particular will learn the importance of taking the female position into account by identifying texts that appeal to and reach young women. Along with a more gendered curricular perspective, you will leave with a better understanding of strategies that work in reaching young women.
Celebrating TED Women
Dr. Howard Stevenson - Young Black Males: Anger, Aggression and Perception
Dr. Pedro Noguera
Dr. Sonia Nieto - Houston A+ Challenge 2010
Counteracting Muslim Stereotypes
"Life Gets Better" NPR Interview with Dan Savage and Terry Miller, March 23, 2011.
The Virginia Diversity Network collects and maintains a list of suggested books and articles that address issues of equity.
We welcome submissions for inclusion in our list. Please send your suggestions to VDN.
Sonia Nieto: “Profoundly Multicultural Questions”
Sonia Nieto: “ Moving Beyond Tolerance in Multicultural Education”
Paulo Freire: “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”
Emily Style: “Curriculum as Window & Mirror”
Elinor Scully: “Boys, Sex, and the Social Landscape”
VDN Bibliography
Equity Organizations
East Ed
GLSEN
National Association of Independent Schools
ROSMY
Teaching for Change
Teaching Diverse Students Initiative
East Ed offers a wide variety of services to schools, including consulting to administration, teachers, and boards. East Ed offers a Multicultural Seminar series, institutes and conferences, and online services
The mission of the National MultiCultural Institute (NMCI) is to work with individuals, organizations, and communities to facilitate personal and systemic change in order to build an inclusive society that is strengthened and empowered by its diversity. Through the development of strategic initiatives, partnerships, and programs that promote an inclusive and just society, NMCI is at the forefront of global efforts to address critical and emerging issues in the diversity field.
Ensuring Virginia's sexual minority youth an equal opportunity for success since 1991.
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community.
The National Association of Independent Schools maintains as webpage of resources that reflect NAIS's "focus on diversity, multiculturalism, equity and justice." Click on the NAIS logo to access their list of resources.
Richmond Peace Education Center
EdChange.org
MOSAIC
The mission of MOSAIC is to expose and educate Collegiates student body to different aspects of society. The group works diligently to promote discussion of various social issues, to explore global ideas and views, and provide support for and education about the Big Eight constituencies. Everyone a part, no one apart anonymous
Collegiate's School Clubs
Lower School contact: Marella Gregory
Middle School contact: Sally Chambers
Upper School contact: Linda Rouse
Diversity Club
The Upper School Diversity Club is a student run club working within the Norfolk Collegiate community to promote inclusivity through programming and discussion. The diversity club works closely with the counseling department and the Dean of Students office to plan special events and to provide discussion topics for students and faculty members as part of the upper school advisory program. Contact: Jason Mundy
Parents of Students of Color Dinner Group
This group of upper school and middle school parents meets each semester for dinner and discussion around a variety of issues. Some topics have included the diversity of academic offerings available to students, the importance of hiring and retaining teachers of color, and the college counseling process for students of color. Contact: Jason Mundy
Unity Day
Unity Day, understanding new ideas throughout the year, is a k-12 initiative focused on global education. An advisory committee made up of teachers in all three divisions works each year to plan a day where students come together to explore a shared theme. Upper School students are involved in the planning and take leadership roles by facilitating workshops and hands-on activities with students in the lower school. Contact: Shannon Parker
Middle School - PAS
PAS is made up of 7th & 8th graders who want to take on the issues of inclusivity, equity and kindness in Middle School. The club name is from the Prejudice Awareness Summit, a city-wide conference held in October that launches the girls into the world of addressing mistreatment and acting as agents of change in their school environment and the world. The students spend the year designing activities, performing chapel services and mediating group discussions to raise awareness of and to inspire action for these issues among their peers.
Inclusion
Inclusion recognizes the mission and vision of St. Catherine's. The work of Inclusion is intentional in developing character, nurturing spiritual growth, celebrating individuals and building community. The students work on activities involving diversity, culture and religions. This group is open to all interested students in grades 3 and 4.
Culture Club
The Culture Club explores the international communities in the Richmond area. By attending local festivals and performances, visiting museums and enjoying dinners at local restaurants, our group of students will learn about various cultures of the world through their own direct experiences. These positive, informative encounters lead to breaking down boundaries reshaping opinions and assumptions about people and places whose cultures are so different from our own.
Model United Nations
Model UN is a Middle School recreation of the workings of the United Nations in our modern world. Working in teams, 7th & 8th grade students research assigned countries, their positions on world issues, and the positions of their allies and foes. Conferencing at William & Mary College with Middle Schools from all over the east coast, the students then take on roles as delegates from those countries and negotiate the solving of the world's most pressing issues.
Model United Nations is open to 10th -12th graders who research, discuss and debate the major issues facing our world today. Through extensive use of national newspapers, research databases and collaborative committee research, students will simulate the role of the United Nations to provide solutions to international issues. Participants will attend conference at William & Mary College and The Governors School. When not researching, students will spend time learning and teaching others about international issues.
GSA
The Gay/Straight Alliance is an organization of both gay and straight students who work to promote equality, human rights and social justice for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Alliance is open to all students in the Upper School.
St. Catherine's School Clubs
LOWER SCHOOL:
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
PAS
UPPER SCHOOL:
Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)
BTC2
(Break the Cycle, Be the Change)
BTC2 is an Upper School student club that promotes awareness and appreciation of diversity through discussion and programming in hopes to improve interpersonal relationships overall.
Contact: Lynn Ramsson
Student Clubs
Collegiate School
Norfolk Collegiate School
St. Catherine's School
The Steward School
August 2010
August 12-September 9 Ramadan (M)
August 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virginia Mary (O, P, RC)
September 2010 - Hispanic-American Heritage Month
1 Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib in the Golden Temple (S)
6 Labor Day (F*)
9-10 Rosh Hashanah (J)
10 'Id al Fitre (M)
18 Yom Kippur (J)
20 VDN Workshop: Applying Principles of Multicultural Education
23 Autumn Equinox
23-29 Sukkot (J)
30 Shmini Atzeret (J)
October 2010 - Interfaith Month, Diversity Month
1 Simchat Torah (J)
7 VDN Workshop: Lies My Teacher Told Me and How To Do Better
8 Navaratri (H)
11 Columbus Day (F*)
16 VDN Workshop: Thinking Critically and Teaching Differently
17 Dusserah (H)
20 Birth of Bab (Ba)
20 Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib as Eternal Guru (S)
20 Martyrdom of Guru Har Rai (S)
31 All Hallows Eve
November 2010
1 All Saints Day (O, P, RC)
5 Diwali (H)
11 Veteran's Day (F*) People of Color Dinner
12 Bahaullahs Birthday (Ba)
16 Id al Adha (M)
24 Martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur (S)
25 Thanksgiving (F*)
28 Advent begins (P, RC)
December 2010
2-9 Hanukkah (J)
57 Al Hijra (New Year) (M)
8 Bodhi Day (Bu)
22 Winter Solstice
25 Christmas Day (Mo, P, RC)
26-1/1 Kwanzaa
January 2011
1 New Years Day (F)
3 Chinese and Vietnamese New Year
5 Birth of Guru Gobind Singh (S)
5 VDN Workshop: 3rd Annual Alumni Panel
6 Epiphany (O,P,RC)
7 Christmas Day (O)
14 Maghi (S)
17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (F)
February 2011 - Black History Month
11 Building a Toolkit
15 Mawlid al Nabi (M)
15 Nirvana Day (Bu)
20-26 Brotherhood Sisterhood Week
21 President's Day (F)
26-3/1 Ayyam-j-Ha (Ba)
March 2011
2-20 Nineteen Day Fast (Ba)
7 Lent Begins (Clean Monday) (O)
9 Ash Wednesday/Lent Begins (P,RC)
20 Holi (H)
20 Purim (J)
20 Spring Equinox
21 Naw-Ruz (New Year) (Ba)
April 2011
22 Good Friday (O, P, RC)
24 Easter (O, P, RC)
13 Vaisakhi (S)
19-26 Pesach (Passover) (J)
21 First Day of Ridvan (Ba)
May 2011 Asian American Heritage Month
1 Yom Hashoah (J)
5 Cinco de Mayo
10 Wesak (Bu)
17 Buddha Day (Bu)
30 Memorial Day (F)
June 2011 Pride Month
2 Ascension Day (P,RC)
8-9 Shavuot (J)
12 Pentecost (P,RC)
13 Pentecost (O)
16 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (S)
19 Juneteenth
21 Summer Solstice
July 2010
4 Independence Day (F)
9 Martyrdom of Bab (Ba)
24 Pioneer Day (Mo)
To report problems with website, please contact webmaster
Job Listings
The Virginia Diversity Network is an association of independent schools working together to promote a deeper understanding of diversity in our individual schools and greater community. To accomplish this mission we rely heavily on communities of professional educators dedicated to equity and diversity. Please see the position openings below for the 2012-1013 school year and join us in our efforts.
PE/Health Teacher
Part-Time Chinese
Athletic Director
US Biology
EE Ford Fellow
US Math
US Physics
US History
MS Science
Associate Director of Communications
Open Positions:
Postings.pdf
Rcoll.pdf
Director of Athletics Posting.pdf
NCS postings.pdf
