About

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Welcome to Gilmour Academy, Where Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Continue to Thrive!

We are excited to welcome you to Gilmour Academy, where we are diligently working to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive school environment. This year, our initiatives are centered around the theme of "Embracing Empathy and Grace: Celebrating Diverse Perspectives," which reflects this year's Holy Cross charism theme of forgiveness. Our efforts are dedicated to building a school culture where every individual feels understood, respected, and valued for their unique background and experiences.

Inspired by the call to forgive and appreciate one another, our initiatives this year focus on fostering a culture that moves beyond judgment to understanding and embracing our differences. We aim to achieve this through community engagement, professional development, and restorative practices that help us build a compassionate, inclusive community that honors the dignity of every person, in keeping with the Holy Cross tradition.

Here’s what you can look forward to this year:

Community Engagement Activities: We will engage in workshops, assemblies, and classroom discussions that promote active listening and understanding, helping us build empathy within our community. Our second annual Cultural Celebration will invite students and parents to share their stories, customs, music, dance, and food, enriching our collective appreciation for diversity.

Cultural Connections Newsletter: Through our weekly parent newsletter, we will provide updates on our ongoing DEI efforts, DEI resources, highlight upcoming events, and continue to foster a sense of community among our students, parents, and staff.

Affinity Spaces and Clubs: Our affinity spaces and clubs offer designated environments where students can share their backgrounds and interests, connecting with others who share aspects of their identity, whether centered on gender, sexual equality, or cultural background.

Professional Development for Faculty and Staff: This year, our faculty and staff will participate in a workshop series titled: "Fostering Empathy: Identity-Conscious Approaches in Education." These sessions will equip educators with the skills needed to understand and embrace diverse perspectives, nurturing a culture of empathy and grace. As part of this effort, we will also be reading The Identity-Conscious Educator by Liza A. Talusan.

Inclusive Curriculum and Equitable Grading Practices: We are making strides in integrating DEI into teaching and learning across all subjects, incorporating diverse perspectives and advancing equitable grading practices.

Restorative Practices: Our ongoing work in restorative practices continues to focus on promoting unity and addressing harm within our community. This year, we will enter the second phase of our multi-year plan, which emphasizes foundational work, with future phases focusing on expansion and sustainability.

Our DEI initiatives collectively represent our steadfast commitment to celebrating the richness of our cultural differences. Through these efforts, we are dedicated to cultivating a community where every member feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

We invite you to join us in these initiatives as we continue to build a Gilmour Academy that reflects our shared commitment to empathy, grace, and the profound respect for human dignity at the heart of the Holy Cross tradition.

In unity,
 
JaiCynthia Farmer
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
 

DEI Staff

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of JaiCynthia Farmer

    Ms. JaiCynthia Farmer 

    Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
    (440) 473-8000 x4005
  • Photo of Crystal Patrick

    Ms. Crystal Patrick 

    Chief Human Resource Officer
    (440) 473-8000 x1004
  • Photo of Evan Richard

    Mr. Evan Richard 

    Education Consultant, EID Consulting
    (440) 473-8000 x4004

Inclusion Statements

List of 2 items.

  • Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

    Gilmour Academy recognizes, embraces, celebrates and values that each member of our community is unique and that diversity is a highly valued principle of our institution. As a school, we are focused on increasing the diversity of the Gilmour community; promoting equal employment opportunities; ensuring nondiscrimination in all aspects of our programming and instruction; and preventing implicit bias in the actions of members of the Gilmour community. Further, we prioritize being an inclusive community that engages groups of diverse individuals and allows them to connect in ways that increase each participant’s awareness, knowledge and empathetic understanding. We are committed to creating an environment where underrepresented populations have equal access to resources and opportunities to learn and grow in the most holistic fashion.
     
    At Gilmour Academy, equal opportunity assumes that the concept of merit, based solely upon a person’s ability to perform their job duties and academic responsibilities, will govern all personnel and educational decisions. Gilmour Academy is committed to achieving equal opportunity through proactive measures, which require intentional efforts to recruit, admit, employ, compensate, understand and promote/transfer members of groups previously underrepresented. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy Statement is meant to ensure equitable opportunities, consideration and treatment for all current and prospective students and employees.
     
    Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Gilmour Academy is more than mere compliance with laws and regulations. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion benefit our community by promoting an inclusive environment free from constraint on the basis of culture, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, religion, family structure, relationships or economic status. Gilmour Academy offers students, faculty, staff and administrators a home rooted in the Holy Cross charisms, specifically hospitality and inclusivity. It is an institution that develops in its community members the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society, as stated in the school’s Mission Statement. Gilmour Academy foster fair and just leadership, expands minds, opens hearts, broadens awareness, refines skills and challenges individuals to grow. Through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy Statement, we encapsulate these characteristics to make all aware of the value we at Gilmour Academy place on this expected experience. Our task is a focused one that takes on a complex issue; it is one that calls us to demonstrate how diversity, equity and inclusiveness in all areas can directly influence the culture of Gilmour Academy and enhance the experience of its community members. The mission and culture of Gilmour Academy can never be mandated and protected by statements alone. Action is required through the continued use of targeted and specific programs that address both the systemic and systematic oppression facing our society. As a school community, our support for efforts to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in our student, faculty, staff and administrative populations is continuous and is based upon the following belief:
     
    Diversity, and its inclusive practices, are an educational function of paramount importance to the Gilmour Academy community. Additionally, the value that diverse and inclusive practices and focus provide in the development of our students, faculty, staff and administrative populations aids in creating a world of just, humane, competent and decent individuals.

  • Non-Discrimination Policy

    Gilmour Academy does not discriminate in its hiring or admission on the basis of culture, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, religion, family structure, relationships or economic status.

Affinity Spaces and Clubs

Affinity Spaces (spaces to interact and discuss topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion with people who have a shared likeness)
Clubs (groups of students from a range of backgrounds with a shared interest)
 
Below are our Affinity Spaces and Clubs. These spaces provide a safe space for members to connect, share experiences, and support each other in navigating the world, whether socially and/or academically to promote understanding, acceptance and inclusion.

Diversity Clubs

List of 9 items.

  • Black Student Alliance

    where black students can gather to discuss issues affecting the Black community, celebrate their culture and collaborate on events

  • Butterfly/Neurodiversity Club

    dedicated environment for students who identify as neurodivergent aimed at promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion for neurodivergent students who have atypical neurological development (e.g., autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others)

  • Club Latino

    an inclusive and supportive affinity space where Latino students in Grades 7 through 12 can connect, celebrate and embrace their rich cultural heritage, while supporting one another on their academic and personal journeys

  • Feminism Club

    dedicated space to empower students by fostering a supportive community that promotes gender equality, celebrates diverse voices and advocates for social equity through dialogue and education

  • International Club

    seeks to celebrate the cultural richness of our student body and the international presence that exists within our greater community

  • Jewish Heritage Club

    dedicated environment where students who identify with Jewish culture, heritage and experiences come together to connect with others who share similar backgrounds and traditions

  • Lancer Alliance

    where LGBTQ+ or non-heteronormative students and their allies can come together to share experiences and discuss relevant topics related to those experiences

  • Pan-Asian Heritage Alliance

    where Asian students can explore their cultural heritage, address common challenges and engage in conversations about Asian identity

  • Student Diversity Leadership Team

    dedicated group of students who share a strong commitment to civic-minded principles allowing them to collaborate, learn and work together toward creating positive change both within the school and in the wider community

DEI Strategic Goals

List of 5 items.

  • Diverse Community

    We work to promote a diverse, inclusive, just community rooted in the Holy Cross mission and charisms where every student feels they belong.

  • Education

    We provide opportunities for all stakeholders to develop or increase their cultural competency with principles of inclusivity, belonging, justice and liberation. 

  • Equitable Experiences

    We ensure these experiences by providing access to resources, outcomes, relationship formation and identity development, promoting the ideals of human dignity and respect.

  • Engagement

    Inspired by the Catholic social justice teachings and viewed through the lens of awareness, analysis and action we work to instill empathy. Empathy leads to compassion, which leads to understanding and connection.

  • Accountability

    Using the Holy Cross charisms as guideposts on the path to equality, bring about healing and authentic change through the use of restorative practices and by revisiting policies and procedures to ensure equity.

DEI News

List of 8 news stories.

Mailing Address:
34001 Cedar Road, Gates Mills, Ohio 44040
Phone: (440) 473-8000
An independent, Catholic, coed, day and boarding school in the Holy Cross tradition. Toddler-Grade 12.
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