Madame Toussaint, the upper and middle school Director of Diversity and Inclusivity and Ms. Nelson, kindergarten teacher, are the co-chairs of the Diversity and Inclusivity Steering Committee (DISC). DISC was founded two years ago to address issues of diversity and inclusiveness among students and faculty in the Hewitt community. Comprised of Hewitt faculty and Administration, the committee focuses on increasing the diversity of the community and changing our curriculum to reflect all Hewitt students and the variety of people in the world.
DISC is not just something that is behind the scenes of Hewitt. It’s something the whole upper school community can be a part of in some way. Members of the Young Women of Color Alliance (YWoC) and Action have attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), which is held annually, and, according to their mission statement, “focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community.” Students also have the opportunity to attend similar events throughout the year such as the Dalton Conference.
The work of DISC has been amazing so far, but they are far from finished. Madame Toussaint believes, “We live in a world that is always changing, and there are a lot of discussions to be had in society and school before we can achieve true inclusiveness,” and she is very excited to see what herself, Ms. Nelson, and D.I.S.C. will bring to our community for the 2016-17 school year.