Inclusivity Statement in Action: Every Falcon Belongs

AFFIRM (Alumni Falcons Fostering Inclusion, Respect and Multiculturalism) is a group of FWCD alumni and other FWCD community members who serve as resources to the School and work with the Falcon Inclusion Team and other existing diversity initiatives. AFFIRM aids in strengthening ongoing efforts to build and model a diverse, informed and unified community at FWCD. This includes helping to recruit faculty/staff of different races and ethnicities, booking guest speakers, mentoring current students, and planning other events. Overall, AFFIRM aims to encourage the sense of belonging of the entire FWCD community by embracing the diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives that comprise and enhance our learning environment.

Breakthrough Fort Worth, hosted on the Fort Worth Country Day campus since 1992, provides academic enrichment for high-achieving public middle school students from underserved backgrounds. The organization empowers students with the skills to enter rigorous college-preparatory high schools and encourages talented high school and college students to explore careers in education. Breakthrough Fort Worth has been serving students for more than 25 years. For more information, visit breakthroughfortworth.org.

Common Ground launched at Fort Worth Country Day in 2000. A program for students in grades 1-5, Common Ground focuses on appreciating differences, celebrating similarities, building community, nurturing self-esteem and solving problems, with the overarching goal to make each student know that they belong at FWCD while they feel safe, nurtured and special about who they are and about who they aspire to become. These goals are achieved through a variety of hands-on activities and monthly meetings during the academic year.

Since fall 2017, the Fort Worth Country Day Middle School has partnered with the Como Community Center. The relationship began with Middle School Student Council members meeting with Como Community Center students after school on Mondays from 4-5:30 p.m. During their time together, the students connect with one another through arts and crafts activities and reading, as well as simply play together. This service-learning opportunity expanded to all FWCD Middle School students in the fall of 2019.

The Falcon Inclusion Team (FIT) grew organically following an inclusivity workshop co-sponsored by Fort Worth Country Day and Trinity Valley School in summer 2017. The team comprises a group of FWCD parents who meet quarterly as an advisory group to build upon and grow initiatives to celebrate and appreciate FWCD’s different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs that make the School community so unique. Activities have included the “FWCD Together We’re Better: Picnic with a Purpose” (August 2019) and a cultural cooking event hosted by Chef Jon Bonnell ’89 (January 2020).

• NAIS People of Color Conference (Since December 2001)
• NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (Since December 2001)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (2018-present)
• Rosetta Lee Presentations 
• “Bookmarking” (November 2018 faculty presentation providing guidance on navigating difficult conversations in classrooms) 
• “Bystanders Becoming Allies” (September 2019 Grades 4-12 presentation)
• “Cultural Competency” (September 2019 parent presentation)
• St. Stephen's Student Diversity Conference (November 2019)
• Hosted National NEMNET Diversity Faculty Recruitment Workshop (November 2019)

The Upper School Diversity Club morphed into the IDEA Committee in 2020. The committee’s mission is to provide space and programming for students focused on supporting and advancing FWCD’s Inclusivity Statement. In January 2021, the organization hosted a leadership conference for students centered on diversity, inclusion, and community, including FWCD alumni guest speakers. Overall, the IDEA Committee seeks to provide student feedback and promote an environment where all student voices, especially those of underrepresented backgrounds, are sought, heard and valued.

Nemnet, a national resource organization committed to assisting schools and organizations in the recruitment and retention of diverse teachers, administrators and coaches, hosted a national workshop titled “Overcoming Obstacles to Recruiting Faculty and Staff of Color” on the Fort Worth Country Day campus in November 2019. FWCD was chosen from several school applicants to host the workshop. NEMNET works with more than 500 public and private JK-12 schools, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations annually. FWCD has had a relationship with the organization for more than 10 years.