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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Belonging matters at UPrep. When our students feel like they belong, it is easier for them to act from the strong foundation of support provided by the adults in our community. They feel empowered to be brave, take risks, and do great things." –Head of School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau

UPrep's mission compels us to train and educate the next generation of leaders who will create impact and change in an interdependent, complex, and global community. Our students need to see, hear, and understand the diversity of people, perspectives and points of view around them and the world they will lead in the years ahead. Essential to this proposition is the ability of our students to identify, analyze, and act on issues of equity, justice, and inclusion. Our world demands it.

We support our mission by creating experiences for our students to come face-to-face with the issues playing out in society and allowing them the room to grow in their own identity development. From our annual Puma Heritage Celebration to affinity groups and classroom projects, equity, justice, and inclusion are embedded in all that we do.

Through collaboration with grade-level deans and the assistant directors of middle and upper school, we are working to not just react to the needs that arise for our students, but to proactively teach diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) skills to help reduce harm. Our scaffolded DEIB curriculum engages students in exploring their identities, bias, justice, and intersectionality.  Each month, students work with their advisory groups on one of these themes. 

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Office, centrally located within the school, provides a safe space for our students and faculty to have discussions, embrace and confront challenging issues, and hold club and affinity group meetings.

Meet the Team

Taylor Kanemori '09, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
tkanemori@universityprep.org

Flor Hernandez Morales, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Program Manager
fhernandezmorales@universityprep.org

I have learned a lot at UPrep about equity and diversity, like when we enter an activity during Community Time and introduce ourselves with our pronouns. It's helped me gain connection with people who are facing struggles and made me aware of the impact I can have on people's lives." –Upper School student
 


 

Upcoming Events

Below are a few of the community events that we have planned for the 2023–2024 academic year. For more information, please reach out to Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Taylor Kanemori at tkanemori@universityprep.org

September 22: POC/LGBTQIA+ Faculty/Staff Retreat

October 19: Independent School Speaker Series Event featuring Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez

November 3: Puma Heritage Celebration

November 29–December 2: People of Color Conference (PoCC) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in St. Louis

March 13: Independent School Speaker Series Event featuring Dr. Megan Asaka 

May 23: Independent School Speaker Series Event featuring Ruha Benjamin 

Our family is grateful that conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion are happening in the UPrep community—not just for students but for families as well." –Michele Miyoshi, UPrep Parent


 

Our Definitions

At UPrep, we operate with the following definitions: