Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Our Mission and Vision

The SAS Mission and Vision speak of inclusivity, opportunity, voice, empowerment, and the health and well-being of each individual in our community. SAS strives to build a community of individuals and families from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, cultures, races, religions, and sexual orientations to prepare our students to live in and serve a diverse and multicultural society. Our goal is a truly inclusive school community that welcomes and supports all of its members. We believe that the work of inclusion is the responsibility of all members of our community.

An Inclusive Christian Community

Since the beginning of our school’s history, our identity as an “inclusive Christian community” has remained central to our mission. We believe that Inclusion is more than just the tolerance of difference. Rather, the vibrant presence of differences in belief, gender, sexuality, faith tradition, race, ethnicity allows our community to grow more fully into what Desmond Tutu calls “God’s dream”: a community in which diversity is strength, where each child knows themselves as infinitely worthy and beloved of God, and where justice and forgiveness prevail over hatred and prejudice. As political divisions and systemic racism fray the bonds of our human family, we strive to make God’s dream a reality as an inclusive Christian community.  

...we need not be paralyzed by our past or our present. We are not slaves to fate but people of faith. That work of racial reconciliation and justice – what we know as Becoming Beloved Community – is happening across our Episcopal Church...and it is work that belongs to all of us.

Our Curriculum

As an educational institution, much of the important work that we do takes place in the classroom. This is where students are challenged to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world they have experienced, of the world they have not yet experienced, and of the possibilities for a better future. To that end, our curriculum includes a diverse collection of voices and our classroom discussions include the most contentious topics of our day. We believe that by helping students to explore these issues in a safe environment, we are helping them to formulate their own beliefs and encouraging them to continue to assimilate new information as they gain new experiences.  

Student Activities

DEB-themed Student Activities for 2021 include Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Movie Nights each month and SAS club and affinity group engagement. Movies showcased this year will be Moxie, Coco, Step Sisters, Soul, The Hate U Give, Love Simon, and Mulan (2020). Communication between the Asian Student Union (ASU), Black Student Union (BSU), and Gender & Sexualities Awareness (GSA) will allow students to participate in conversations that bring together groups with shared concerns regarding empowerment and fostering meaningful discussion of difficult topics. Clubs and affinity groups will have the opportunity to have books and reading lists specific to the shared interests of their club showcased in the library.

Creating a Safe Space for Difficult Conversations

Responding to concerns voiced by our students that we too often avoid difficult conversations surrounding DEI issues, study rooms in Agee Library have been designated as spaces for students, faculty, and staff to discuss current events, our shared history, and effect they have on members of our community.