This fall, the school’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council turned one year old. The first year was full of many unpredicted changes and events, but this school year the Council seems to be finding its footing. Following the events of the Summer of 2020, it seems that now more than ever there is a heightened sense of an emphasis on values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The EDI Council is working to make Cincinnati Country Day a more inclusive and accepting environment of all individuals, no matter their differences.

From the beginning of this school year The EDI Council has been meeting weekly. Every meeting offers a different topic of discussion. The board then plans how to incorporate what was learned in the meeting into the community. In a meeting in October, the council had an open-ended discussion about culturally appropriate Halloween costumes, which often proves to be a tricky line to tow. After the meeting, the activities committee recorded a video making sure Halloween costumes were respectful of everyone’s cultures. This kind of education is a primary focus of the council. Many people often find themselves doing things without the intention of holding a bias or disrespecting their peers, but they still do. The EDI Council wishes to make people aware of their implicit biases and teach them how to correct them. Larger change starts with smaller battles.

This year the EDI Council welcomed 14 new members. Each of these members were placed into one of the three possible committees: service, activities, and communications. Every meeting the EDI splits up into groups to plan and discuss. The communications committee manages the council’s social media, the activities committee plans council events, and the service committee puts together service opportunities for the EDI Council both on and off campus.

The goal of this council is to educate the entire Country Day Community, including students, faculty, and even parents. The service committee is currently working on lessons plans that they can bring do the different grade divisions to teach about things like implicit bias and how to interrupt it. Their focus is not solely on the Country Day Upper School because change can be made at all levels.

The members of this council are dedicated to making the environment of this school to be one that reflects the core virtues of the school. We are done ignoring issues due to discomfort.  It is time to have the difficult and courageous conversations that it takes to bring about a better and more inclusive Country Day, and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council is going to make that possible.

The EDI Council’s first year has been nothing short of tumultuous, as many can concur with over the course of this year, but they are working hard to create opportunities to inform and educate the Cincinnati Country Day Community.