Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Wheeler

For us, “diversity” refers to any of what we call “socially significant identities”, i.e., an identity that can matter in terms of how people are treated in contemporary American society. Major examples include race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, age, and physical or mental ability.

Why do [Wheeler students] seem so emboldened to take risks, to share talent, to emote, to express themselves, to be themselves? It is created through a student culture that moves beyond withholding judgment (no mean feat) to actively endorsing one another’s individualities and particular passions. Wheeler’s Mission: “To Learn Our Powers And Be Answerable To Their Use” supports an environment where all our members can say “Wheeler is my school.” Our Statement on Diversity and Community further defines the connections between our overall mission and diversity work.

At Wheeler we focus on the whole child, which includes social and emotional development. Research has shown that children become better critical thinkers, better students, and better people if they engage with people who are different from them, including in socially significant ways, and this is especially true for members of majority groups, who tend to see themselves reflected in their surroundings more than they see people who are different from them. We also recognize that our current generation of students is going to enter an adult world in which they will be expected to be able to work successfully in environments with all different kinds of people.

• Ongoing professional development for faculty and staff around socially significant identities and the opportunities and issues they raise for us, both on campus and at regional and national conferences
• Ongoing professional development for middle and upper school students around socially significant identities and the opportunities and issues they raise for us, both on campus and at regional and national conferences
• Grade level focuses on various aspects of diversity N-12
• Required diversity curriculum (“Unity & Diversity”) in grades 4-9
• Racial, ethnic, and religious affinity groups for students
• Parent diversity discussion groups

The Student Support Program is the first of its kind at Wheeler and the surrounding area. It provides additional support for students who are traditionally underrepresented in independent schools and on college campuses (students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, students who will be the first in their family to complete a four-year degree program, and/or students who will be the first in their family to attend college in the US).

Under the auspices of the Unity & Diversity Office and College Counseling Office, the Student Support Coordinator/Associate Director of College Counseling leads the initiatives of the SSP to encourage, assist and celebrate the achievements of underrepresented students throughout high school and into college.

Established in 2004, the Wheeler School Community Spirit Award recognizes a person in the Providence Community who advocates for those who have fewer opportunities. Recipients are recognized for their efforts in four key areas: · Passion for equity and social justice , both locally and globally · Appreciation for and promotion of the benefits of education · Commitment to creating opportunities in the community for those who otherwise might not have a voice or an advocate · Resilience in the face of challenge and adversity. We ask each recipient to attend the annual Wheeler School Community Potluck Dinner, where the award is presented. The Family Potluck dinner is a school-wide event, sponsored by the Upper School’s diversity club Students Involved in Cultural Awareness (SICA), the Office of Unity & Diversity and the Wheeler Parent’s Association.

Community Spirit Award Recipients

Wheeler is building an anti-racist culture of belonging and accountability, where people can show up being their true selves and is working to model anti-racist practices in our institutional and personal behavior. Each division at Wheeler has developed a process to follow when a student or employee has a microaggression to report. This process is part of an effort to support members of marginalized groups to feel safe in the Wheeler community and to actively address and interrupt microaggressions, harassment, discrimination, and other misconduct. Our microaggression policy is grounded in the lived experiences of community members who have traditionally been marginalized at Wheeler and beyond and our commitment to addressing and reducing racial grievances in our community. Wheeler’s culture is growing to be truly more representative, so people of color and other marginalized members of our community have organizational support and feel safe. 

Terms we use at Wheeler

• A microassault is a “verbal or nonverbal attack meant to hurt the intended victim through name-calling, avoidant behavior, or purposeful discriminatory actions.” Example: Students wear Confederate flag clothing.
  
• A microinsult is an insensitive communication that demeans someone’s racial identity, signaling to people of color that “their contributions are unimportant.” Example: A teacher corrects the grammar only of Hispanic children.
  
• A microinvalidation involves negating or ignoring the “psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a person of color.” Example: An Asian American student from the U.S. is asked where she was born, which conveys the message that she is not really an American.