Global Community

EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND MULTICULTURALISM

At Perkiomen School, diversity and multiculturalism are positive aspects of our lives and essential components of education. The students, staff, parents, board members, alumni, and friends of the school recognize and embrace the diversity in race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, and family structure that exists within the Perkiomen Community and the wider world. Furthermore, we respect and appreciate the differences that exist in the traditions we observe and the languages we speak, as well as each individual’s unique heritage, personal beliefs, and choices of expression.

We believe that the experience of a Perkiomen education will enable students to value themselves while preparing to participate with pride and confidence in a rich and complex global society. As such, the School’s curriculum and other programs will introduce and explore topics concerning race, ethnicity, family structure, gender, religion, physical attributes, sexual orientation, and socio-economic differences. As a result, when students graduate from our school, they will do so with a strong sense of their identity, a willingness to see the common threads that run through all our lives, and a high regard for the value and breadth of differences and similarities.

As a school, we recruit students and faculty from diverse backgrounds whose goals are consistent with both the sense of tradition we foster and our desire to promote equity and inclusion. Furthermore, Perkiomen School has welcomed international students for generations and embraces the fact that interaction with and understanding of people from around the world is essential to both educational and professional success in an increasingly globalized world and to fostering a sense of global citizenship.

Given our commitment to creating an inclusive community on campus, any behavior deemed discriminatory on the grounds of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic class, physical ability, mental and physical health, country of origin, or religious and/or cultural beliefs, whether overt or covert, falls outside of school norms and cannot be accepted.



Mid-Atlantic Regional Diversity Conference

On November 3, 2018, Perkiomen hosted the Mid-Atlantic Regional Diversity Conference (MARD), welcoming more than 450 students and faculty to campus. The Mid-Atlantic Region Diversity Conference was started by a group of students and their advisors from Abington Friends School and Perkiomen School in the 2012-2013 school year. The goal was to have a regional student-led diversity experience. MARD now serves more than 300 students from 30 different schools each year. The conference includes racial and cultural affinity groups, student-led discussions, a keynote address from noted activist and speaker, Rodney Glasgow, and time for fun and fellowship.

 


 
Calendar of Celebrations 
Student input is always welcome to add to the festivals, holidays, and days of remembrance and the ways in which we honor traditions and beliefs.  


September
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Mid-Autumn Festival

October
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
National Coming Out Day
Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Dinner
MARD - Mid-Atlantic Regional Diversity Conference

November
Diwali

December
Hanukkah
Human Rights Day
Vespers
Christmas & Karamu Dinner

January
MLK Day
International Holocaust Remembrance Day

February
Lunar New Year Dinner
Black History Month Dinner

March
Transgender Day of Visibility
Women’s History Month

April
Perkiomen School Cultural Festival
Ramadan
Social Justice Week
Seder Dinner

May
Eid al-Fitr Dinner

 


 

Safe Space Poster Gallery

Each Advisory group collaborated on designing posters to promote Safe Spaces on campus.

First page of the PDF file: dgleeson
First page of the PDF file: eyorgey1
First page of the PDF file: lroest1
First page of the PDF file: cdougherty


Black History Month Dinner

MARD Conference Silent Movement

Lunar New Year Dinner


NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC)

Unity Project

Kriyol Dance! Collective Workshop

Black History Month Culture Talk

Vespers

Mid-Autumn Festival

 


 

We invite you to listen to our student-led podcast, Cookies & Cupolas, exploring the heart of Perkiomen School. 

Episode 9 of the Cookies & Cuploas Podcast offers a deeper look into the Diversity Collaborative's work during Black History Month 2019, featuring an interview with Olivier Joseph '13, former Diversity Collaborative Coordinator.

In Episode 10, learn more about the origins of the Cultural Festival. 

Episode 15 features a conversation with Teagan Nayak '23, who recently started Perkiomen's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).

in Episode 19, Trevor Smith, one of our Diversity Collaborative Coordinators discusses the founding of DIBS, a DEI conference specifically for Boarding Schools.