Student Programs

The local, national, and global educational opportunities at UPrep are incredible! Students learn and explore cultures while developing critical thinking and understanding of diversity and social justice issues. UPrep's commitment and approach to equity and inclusion fits our family values.” –UPrep parent

Outside of classes, UPrep offers programs, conferences, workshops, and more for students to extend their knowledge about diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Conferences

Every year, UPrep brings six students to a national conference, the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). According to NAIS, SDLC is "a three-day, multiracial, multicultural national student conference that focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community". We also bring about eight students annually to a regional conference, the NWAIS (Northwest Association of Independent Schools) Student Diversity Leadership Retreat. As opportunities arise, we bring students to additional conferences and workshops.

LEAD (Listen, Engage, Acknowledge, Discuss)

LEAD at UPrep is a mandatory, student-led and designed program where students gather in assigned groups for peer-facilitated conversations about current social issues. LEAD provides our students with a safe and productive space to practice their skills in dialogue, develop empathy, and learn how to interact with people who have different perspectives and opinions.

The LEAD program encourages students to practice navigating discomfort by speaking up, listening to others, and sitting with disagreement. It also empowers student leaders to plan and facilitate discussions with their peers.

Recent LEAD discussion topics included:

Standardized Testing
Cancel Culture
Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation
Morality, Cheating, and ChatGPT

Upper School students engage in LEAD conversations approximately five times per year and Middle School students participate twice per semester.

Affinity Groups

UPrep's affinity group program offers voluntary identity and interest-based spaces that enable our students to talk about and bond over their shared experiences. Although members of an affinity group may share a common identity, such as gender or race, it does not mean that everyone in that group has had the same experiences. Rather, affinity group participants recognize that their shared identities have an effect on the way they move through the world.

The goal of UPrep's affinity group program is to facilitate students' positive identity exploration and development towards the larger goal of creating an inclusive and thriving learning environment. Our affinity groups offer a time and space for empowerment of individual students and of the group within the greater community.

Affinity Groups at UPrep:

Asian, Pacific Islander Student Union (APISU)
Black Student Union (BSU)
Indigenous Affinity Group
Latine Student Union
Middle Eastern Student Union
Multicultural Student Union
Muslim Student Association
Queer Student Union
White Aspiring Allies

Clubs

UPrep's Black Student Union at a special screening of The Black Panther 2.

UPrep's Black Student Union attends a special screening of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

UPrep Latine Student Union members serve food during Culture Night

Members of UPrep's Latine Student Union share food with our community during our Puma Heritage Celebration.