We Go Together
As part of our mission and guiding principles, Graland Country Day School is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusivity among its students, families, employees, trustees, and alumni.
We create a sense of belonging by knowing and inspiring each student. A broadly diverse community fosters empathy, enriches teaching and learning and promotes intellectual excellence and strong character. We hold everyone in our school accountable for respecting the multitude of identities and perspectives and for promoting a safe and supportive school environment.
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Diversity and Inclusivity Philosophy and Policy
A key part of our mission and philosophy at Graland Country Day School is to prepare students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders. We believe this includes teaching empathy, understanding, and appreciation for all the differing backgrounds and viewpoints that exist in our world. Graland is committed to providing an environment within which all employees, faculty, students, families, alumni, volunteers, and partners are treated with respect. The School prohibits conduct that is disrespectful, disparaging, or unprofessional as well as harassment based on race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, age, pregnancy, childbirth, marital or family status, assigned sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal or state law.
Graland’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity among its students, families, employees, trustees, and alumni grows out of the School’s longstanding commitment to intellectual excellence. A broadly diverse community fosters empathy, enriches teaching and learning, and promotes intellectual excellence and strong character. We hold members in our school community accountable for respecting the multitude of identities and perspectives and for promoting a safe and supportive school environment, free of harassment.
Our students’ leadership skills will be determined to a great extent by how easily and comfortably they are able to work closely and collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. To that end, we help our students understand, learn from, and connect to the broader community. We believe that through involvement with a broader community, our students learn to become responsible, thoughtful contributors to society. Our goals include helping students replace stereotypes, assumptions, and fear with an acceptance for differences and active, intentional contributions to an inclusive community.
Graland Country Day School is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusivity within our community, and will strive to uphold:- the right to obtain an education in a safe learning environment that is respectful of differences and free of hateful and hurtful language and discrimination;
- the right to curricula and educational and instructional materials that are inclusive of diverse perspectives;
- the right to a developmentally appropriate social justice curriculum in order to prepare students to be engaged citizens in an interdependent world;
- maintaining civic engagement which involves individuals and groups actively highlighting and addressing issues of concern around human, social, political, and civil rights locally, regionally, nationally, and globally which allows students to develop and practice key skills for leadership and life-long learning.
- active recruitment and retention of a diverse student body, faculty, staff, and administrators.
May 10, 1994
Revised – May 5, 2014
Revised - January 18, 2021
Message from our Director of Equity and Inclusivity: Oscar Gonzalez
Welcome to Graland. As the Director of Equity and Inclusivity, I oversee the School’s diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives as we seek to embrace, welcome, and support every member of our community. We want our members to feel a sense of belonging and feel like they can thrive and achieve at a high level. We do this by honoring everyone’s individuality. At Graland, we see you, we hear you, and we value you; your voice matters and is included.
What makes a school truly great is its marketplace of ideas. We read literature to explore the world through others’ eyes, we study history to explore worlds gone by, and we examine cultures and languages to see the world from different hemispheres. Ideas don’t just come through the curriculum, they also spring from our community -- from the students, the faculty, and the leadership. The more diversity in these populations, the more lenses through which to view the world, and the more ideas.
To manifest the benefits of diversity, individuals need to feel safe and valued enough to bring their authentic selves to a community where they can share ideas, explore themes as they see them, challenge ideas, and present different viewpoints. Diversity leads to greater innovation and adds to the intellectual currency of our community. Simply put, diversity and inclusion enhance learning and equip our students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders.
At Graland, our goal is to meet your human need to belong. Through our admission process and throughout your Graland journey, we get to know you, and we create a welcoming community with you in mind so that you can show up as your true, authentic self.
Sincerely,
Oscar Gonzalez
Past Guest Speakers
To ensure that the Graland community is exposed to a variety of perspectives and experiences, we frequently welcome outside experts and facilitators.
Examples of Inclusivity Work at Graland
Community Day is an opportunity to dive deep into the values of connection, solidarity, and caring for our community as we continue to create a sense of belonging for all.
Student Focused Work
- Community Day
- STAMP (Students Taking Action and Making Progress) Conference
- Civil Rights Trip
- Connections: The Connections Club promotes inclusivity through conversation, guest speakers, activities and special events.
- Alphabet Club: The Alphabet Club provides a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and their allies to make Graland a more inclusive environment for all.
- Students of Color Affinity* Group: The Students of Color Affinity Group allows students to celebrate their differences and to experience solidarity and support for their shared experiences.
Educator Focused Work
- Diversity and Equity Cohort
- Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity Program (SEED)
- NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute
- NAIS People of Color Conference
- Gender Spectrum Conference
- Future of Diversity Symposium
Parent and Community
- School Culture Advisory Committee (SCAC)
- GPA Vice President of Equity and Inclusivity
- Parent Affinity* Groups
- CIRCLE Conference (Connecting Inclusive, Responsive Communities Leading Education)
- Marade
- Community-Wide Guest Speaker Events
*The term "affinity group" is used as a bringing together of people who have something important in common, e.g., race, gender, religion, or special interests. Affinity groups provide a safe environment in which people who share a specific identity can come together for building community, empowerment, and positive self-awareness.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
