Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

The distinct Dawson learning environment is reflective of the diverse community that surrounds us. The celebration of differences drives the Dawson mission and unifies the school-wide focus of self and social awareness. Students benefit from working with and learning from other students and teachers who are varied in learning styles, socioeconomic backgrounds, race, religions, ideology, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, culture and ethnicity. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming learning community. The Alexander Dawson School Diversity Statement.

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Dawson’s Goal For Equity & Inclusion

Dawson seeks to foster a deep sense of belonging and connectedness for every member of our community. Our collective focus on building and sustaining a culture of belonging and inclusion is deeply ingrained in our school’s identity. It is central to who we are, and we will never stop questioning the meaning or importance of this. Developing an awareness of and appreciation for our differences helps us to acknowledge, embrace, and celebrate the richness of our community. Our equity goals focus on fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all while striving to identify and eliminate the barriers that prevent full participation. Our inclusion goals center on creating environments where every individual or group is and feels welcomed, respected, and valued enough to participate.

Students as Thought Partners

We consistently teach our students that the most important component of communication is listening. Dawson models this belief by carving out the time and space for student voices through surveys, listening circles, and focus groups. Recent results showed that not all community members are being asked to dance.

Because the School is committed to listening deeply, we’ve learned a lot:

We heard that some new students we eagerly welcomed to our school have struggled to feel like an insider.
We learned that our diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice efforts do not necessarily translate to acceptance.
We learned that the lived experiences of our students, faculty, and families vary drastically.

In response to this critical feedback, Dawson made a structural change to our administrative model in May 2021 that provides more perspective on the inclusionary needs of our community.

DEI Ambassador Model

We believe anti-bias and anti-racist (ABAR) work is the job of everyone on our campus. We opted for a team approach toward leading our campus in DEI work and created a team of five diversity, equity, and inclusion ambassadors to serve on the School’s People & Culture Team.

DEI ambassadors go through a rigorous selection process and are chosen because of their devoted commitment to Dawson’s Diversity Statement and their willingness to examine and evaluate our culture through an ABAR lens.

In our efforts to build a community where each individual is included and treated equitably, our DEI ambassadors intentionally cultivate an environment where students and employees learn the essential skills and tools necessary to thrive in an ever-changing, interconnected, and globally diverse world. These campus leaders are mentors and resources for all Dawson employees along our cultural awareness journey. This includes ongoing work in professional development and personal growth, student wellness and support with voice groups, admissions and retention, financial aid, employee hiring and retention, and – along with the Head’s DEI Committee – acting as guardians of the School’s Diversity Statement.

DEI ambassadors also serve on the Head’s DEI Committee with Board members and Dawson parents/caregivers. The inclusion of DEI ambassadors around the decision-making table elevates our leadership teams’ abilities to adopt multiple lenses, learn from the stories and life experiences of others, and build empathy for voices that are absent from our conversations. Research shows unequivocally that diverse groups are more innovative than homogenous groups, and diversity forces teams to think more creatively and critically and better anticipate alternative viewpoints.

The Strength of a Shared Value System

We know the strength of our community lies in our collective value system when it comes to inclusion. We also know that global competency is essential for our students’ future success.

Simply put, academic excellence is only achievable with the presence and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Students who do not have the opportunity to practice and hone these skills will be at a disadvantage during the college admissions process and in the job market.

We often talk about the power of belonging. We also talk about the soul-satisfying work of being part of something that helps one find purpose beyond oneself. Each prospective family applying to Dawson participates in an admissions interview, and one of the questions we ask every family is, “After reading our Diversity Statement, how do you anticipate this will look in your family’s Dawson experience?”

We continue to select Dawson as our educational home because of the collective desire to deliver on our fundamental promise: enable every community member to feel an equal sense of belonging. Living our Diversity Statement is complicated, and we won’t always get it right. But the work begins with committing to our collective beliefs about inclusion.

Listening to concerns and inviting unique voices to sit around the table and tell their stories improves our work and unifies our community around shared values. We want everyone on campus, from our Board of Trustees members to each Dawson family, to be invited to dance.

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Building and Sustaining a Culture of Belonging at Dawson

Culture Ed Collective partnership

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ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Dawson employees participate in ongoing ABAR professional development including:

Attending the NAIS People of Color Conference
Presenting on DEI at the NWAIS Annual Conference
All-Staff Workshops throughout the school year
Participating in ABAR summer reading and discussion groups
Utilizing the DEI Resources curated by the DEI Ambassadors

Get Involved

Student Voice Groups

Dawson is and will continue to be a true learning community where every student has a safe space to participate in critical conversations about race, equity, diversity, and inclusion to grow personally and as a global change agent. Student voice and action groups are designed to increase belonging and actualize our Diversity Statement.

When students are not part of the majority, they may not feel as connected or included. Because Dawson values an inclusive and welcoming environment where students feel they belong, affinity groups allow individuals with similar experiences to share, collaborate, and give time, space, and peer support to sponsor a sense of belonging. Ambassador-based, affinity-based, and ally-based Student Voice Groups support this research.

Affinity Groups: Students find strength through connections with others who have a shared identity.
Ally Groups: Students are rooted in a cause through similar passions and advocate for current issues or injustices.
Ambassador Groups: Students take action by caring for our community.

Middle School students select an SVG each semester.

Employee Affinity Groups

The celebration of differences drives the Dawson Mission and we find strength and pride in our community. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where every person finds a true sense of belonging.

The School offers employee affinity groups and book clubs. Faculty and staff also have the opportunity to participate in the VIP committee, which is dedicated to furthering the School’s antibias and antiracist work.

POC Community

The POC Community is a gathering for all independent school employees in Las Vegas who identify as Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, or person of color.

The purpose of this community gathering is to provide employees of color in our schools with a safe space in which we can leverage our local independent school network and bring our schools together in support of each other. The POC Community gathers throughout the school year to share stories about our experiences, cultures, and more, and we will engage in critical conversations about race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.