Palmer Trinity School

bird's eye view Diversity at PTS By: Korée Hood, Diversity Coordinator From the first time I stepped foot on the grounds of Palmer Trinity School, I knew there was something different about it. I wasn't yet a member of the school. At the persistence of a friend who raved about the transformative soul of this place—and of course, their amazing salads—I went to the campus as a visitor. Before arriving at Palmer Trinity School, I was a fourth grade teacher at another independent institution in South Florida. Prior to that, I earned my undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where I really began to understand and refine my position as an educator. As an educator in the evolving and globalized landscape of the world today, I came to realize that young people need to have more than just an understanding of traditional classroom academia to be successful. Now, one's success—both personal and professional— is dependent on how well they understand, and can navigate, "People Knowledge" different people. Professionally, our students will have jobs and operate businesses that have yet to be created; and in the process, they will likely interact with colleagues who do not share the same culture, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomics or religion as they do. As Diversity Coordinator, my job is to teach "People Knowledge." It starts by facilitating a conversation that further creates an environment where students are knowledgeable about people, understand what makes people unique and different, and are assured that their identity is recognized and affirmed on campus. By doing so, we let the students know that Palmer Trinity School isn't a place they are merely visiting—it's their home. During a time where unpleasant school experiences follow kids home through technology, we need to turn our differences into appreciated gifts, rather than hurtful curses. Furthermore, we can ensure that, as graduates, our students will be knowledgeable, understanding, compassionate and relevant leaders in society, as a result of their humanistic understanding of others. In today's society, the ultimate goal for a group of individuals is often to become a "melting pot"—where people blend together and are all, essentially, the same. As we examine that further, however, we find that that expectation is not only unachievable, but it is also hurtful to a community—as our differences are no longer celebrated, and instead, everyone has become mirrors of each other. Metaphorically, Palmer Trinity will aim to become a mixed salad. We will have lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, avocado, croutons, bacon bits, red onion, sesame seeds, feta cheese, yellow peppers and a small dab of Italian Dressing—let's keep it healthy. Every ingredient has a different taste, texture, smell, consistency and color, and each adds a purposeful, distinct, and appreciated contribution to the salad. If 6 Korée Hood, PTS Diversity Coordinator, leading an outdoor activity with members of the sixth-grade class. the salad were a melting pot, we would put the ingredients into a blender before consumption to ensure that every sip tasted the same. During Advisory next year, students will begin to learn about the different aspects of people in society in an age- and maturityappropriate setting. Of all of the issues they explore, we will focus primarily on ability (differences in learning and physical capabilities), religion, cultural awareness, sexual orientation, gender equality, ageism, race, and socioeconomic status. Learning to appreciate our diversity does not mean that everyone will agree on every issue. It simply means that students will be aware, knowledgeable, and appreciative of the differences we see in one another, and the different ways we perceive the world around us. No matter who you are, everyone shares one, general truth: We all want to know that we matter, and we all want to know that we are loved. This is true whether you're tall or short, rich or poor, young or old, black or white, male or female, child or adult. Palmer Trinity School will continue to motivate students intrinsically to appreciate what they add to our salad. We want everyone to know that their ingredient matters, and that our school would not be the same without them. We will make sure the croutons understand the importance of the onion. The lettuce appreciates the dressing, the avocado is aware of the tomato, the bacon bits celebrate the feta cheese, and the yellow peppers work together with the sesame seeds—and vice versa. We may not all like the same salad, but surely we can agree to understand each ingredient. Our students depend on this knowledge, and more importantly, the world depends on our students. "No matter who you are, everyone shares one, general truth: We all want to know that we matter, and we all want to know that we are loved."

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