Our Story
The Equity Team at CMTHS has been working hard over the past three years to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their school community. In year one, the team collaborated with West Chester University students to plan a Diversity & Inclusion Festival, which was a school-wide event that took place on January 7, 2020. This helped open the conversation surrounding diversity and inclusion to the entire staff and student body.
In year two, the team focused on supporting faculty and staff in creating culturally responsive teaching practices through a series of professional development workshops with educator and author, Matthew Kay. This series provided tools to help navigate difficult conversations and address issues related to racism and discrimination that arose within the school community during that time. Additionally, the team organized a professional development series for the UM Police Department on developing racial literacy as partners in serving our local communities.
In year three, the Equity Crew worked on a joint effort with the Penn Consortium for Mental Health & Optimal Development to develop the Student Equity Crew and Mural Project. This initiative aimed to provide an opportunity for students and staff at CMTHS to reconnect to school in a meaningful way that promotes positive school culture, improved social and emotional well-being, as well as ownership and pride in the school. The project also aimed to develop student leaders through training provided by leadership researchers and presenters at the University of Pennsylvania.
In year four, the 2022-2023 school year, our team changed its name to the EIB team and is continuing the work of building a more equitable and inclusive environment for all members of the CMTHS community through conducting research seeking feedback on the perspectives of the students, staff, administrators and parents. Moving forward, we will use this data to propel us into additional projects that will support our team's mission and vision for our school.