Diversity Mission Statement
Cary Academy fosters a learning community where the richness of diversity is recognized, respected, and embraced. Our view in diversity includes, but is not limited to ability, age, appearance, gender, national origin, personal qualities, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Our vision is to nurture and sustain an inclusive environment where everyone is valued.
Cary Academy is my eleventh school community – first as a student, then as a teacher and administrator. While some may think that eventually a school just looks like a school that looks like a school, I continue to be awed by one characteristic that makes CA stand out above the rest: we know our mission.
From 6th grade to 12th, staff member to alumni parent, not a breath is spent in hesitation when asked. Cary Academy is a learning community dedicated to discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
The universal commitment to this mission is what drew me to Cary Academy in 2008 and it is the foundation of my enthusiasm as I embark on my new role as the Director of Admissions. I have always been deeply committed to our learning community. However, in my previous role as Head of Upper School, my focus was primarily on our students’ learning experiences. Now, as a member of the Admissions Team, I enthusiastically turn my attention to the important work of cultivating our community.
It is without question that we more fully achieve our mission’s aspirational intentions within a diverse community. As students are exposed to a variety of perspectives, they are challenged to think more deeply and broaden their views of the world around them. We have witnessed time and again the impactful learning that occurs when different people, disciplines, and ideas connect to address human and community needs. And we know that inclusive environments create a secure and affirming culture that enables both the individual and the community to flourish.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusivity is noted in several of Cary Academy’s guiding principles. From our strategic plan to our employee culture profile, Cary Academy commits itself to embracing, recognizing, respecting, and celebrating the unique array of experiences, perspectives, and contributions that each person brings to our community. We recognize that the diversity of our voices is the wellspring of our creativity, creating new possibilities that broaden our worldviews and deepen our learning.
Our students will ultimately be contributing, leading and working in a world more diverse than the one in which we currently live. Our partnership in providing them a “learning community where the richness of diversity is recognized, respected and embraced” will undoubtedly help them build success.
With this commitment to diversity in mind, the Admissions Office reviews our community across many different identifiers. In our last admissions cycle, the team took a deep-dive into our diversity recruitment efforts. Prompted by their success, I offer a snapshot of our learning community’s racial and ethnic diversity:
2018-19 Cary Academy Student Ethnic/Racial Diversity
The National Association of Independent Schools offers comparative data each year, noting that in 2017-18 35% of independent school students were students of color. We are very proud that our community is above this national measure.
That being said, we still have work to be done, especially when we turn our focus to local comparisons. Our school’s population does not reflect Cary Township’s demographics in African-American and Latino/Hispanic students. The challenge is before us. And, affirmed in our commitment to cultivating a diverse learning community, we are excited to take it up.
As we kick-off the admissions season (the application for the 2019-20 school year is now live!), the admissions office is coordinating our outreach efforts to cultivate more touch-points with African-American and Latino families, from visiting more local elementary and middle schools to partnering with educational foundations who specifically support underrepresented populations.
We do not do this work alone. The faculty and staff support our diverse community through inclusion programs such as affinity groups, attending conferences with students (i.e. Triangle Diversity Alliance and NAIS’ People of Color Conference), and employing a vast array of voices in our curriculum.
We also partner with you, our current families, who prioritize their children’s education and who are aligned with the mission and share our commitment to diversity at Cary Academy. Do you know of other families who would be similarly aligned? Please encourage them to attend one of our Admissions Information Sessions later in the fall.
On behalf of the Admissions Office, I thank you. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you.