Community Programs

UPrep believes in the importance of building connections with our families, other schools (both independent and public), community-based organizations, colleges and universities. The equity and inclusion programs listed below are for students, faculty and staff, parents, trustees, and invited guests.

Puma Heritage Celebration

Every fall we hold a night for our students, faculty/staff, and families to come together on campus to learn about, share, and celebrate the many cultures, religions, ethnicities, and countries represented in our school community. In addition to a potluck dinner featuring foods from around the globe, the event includes sharing and learning tables hosted by students, families, faculty, and staff. Participants are also invited to join workshops, including calligraphy, dance, games, cooking, and more! One goal of this event is to remind our community that we all have a culture. Celebrating our differences, whether grand or subtle, fosters understanding and belonging and makes our community stronger.

Family Affinity Socials

We host annual parent and guardian/family socials on our campus to connect families with students of similar identities. Last year, these socials included:

Parents and guardians of Black students
Parents and guardians of Latino/Latina/Latine students
LGBTQIA+ families (for families with members who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community)
Parents and guardians of Asian/Pacific Islander students
Parents and guardians of multiracial students
Parents/guardians of students with disabilities
Eid Celebration for Muslim-identifying families

Social Justice Day

Each spring, we suspend classes for a day to learn about different diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging issues. We invite guest speakers like Ijeoma Olou, Draze, Sharon Chang, Cinnamon Kills First, and Christian Paige, to join us on campus and share their wisdom. Our students and faculty/staff attend affinity groups and choose workshops to attend like Exploring Food Justice; Living and Leading with Learning Differences; Race, Gender, and More in Comics; Native Environmental Justice; Causes, Coalitions, and Challenges in LGBTQ+ Leadership; Paper Cranes for Peace and Justice; Women in Sports; Identity and Belonging through Poetry; and more. Some workshops are student or faculty/staff led while others are led by guest educators. It is a day for us to pause and come together to explore and think critically about social and global issues.

Latinx Family Bridge

Latinx Family Bridge is a program that brings together our Latinx families to help them understand the programs and structure of the school. We have an annual gathering to introduce new families to returning families, invite alumni to help students transition and understand the culture of an independent school, and provide opportunities for families to integrate into the school. Our leaders provide interpretation services for families as needed. This programs helps Latinx families feel a part of our community at UPrep and was presented at the People of Color Conference in 2015.