Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Community & Commitment

Fundamental practices that have advanced our commitment to diversity at Dalton.

  • Students

    Curriculum: From our mission statement to the Strategic Plan, Dalton’s commitment to equity and diversity mandates the development of curriculum for the academic classroom that is inclusive and extends globally.
    Read More.

  • Faculty/Administrators

    Hiring: Dalton believes that educational excellence in the academic classroom cannot be achieved without an inclusive, racially and culturally diverse faculty.

    Read More.

  • Trustees

    In 2007, the school embarked on a ten-year Strategic Plan that included Diversity as a separate initiative.


    Read More.

  • Parents

    The partnership between the Parents Association’s Community Life & Diversity committee and the school is one that has strengthened diversity work throughout the years.
    Read More.

  • Alumni

    The Development and Diversity Offices collaborate to build and sustain strong connections with Dalton alumni of color and LGBT alumni.
    Read More.
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Dalton is committed to supporting affinity groups for our students, parents, alumni and employees.

We also greatly appreciate the dedication of many committee volunteers helping to create a more inclusive and supportive community. Below are descriptions of committees, events, educational opportunities and activities for students, faculty and administrators, parents, trustees, and alumni.
 

Alumni

In 2004, Alumni Council members interested in promoting a more diverse and inclusive environment at Dalton formed the Alumni Community Life/Diversity Task Force. This active group works directly with the Director of Alumni and the Director of Diversity with the goal of increasing the participation of alumni of color and LGBTQ alumni in the Dalton community.
 
Members of this Task Force work to stay current with diversity and community life at Dalton across all constituents, raise awareness, plan events focused on diversity topics and help build the growing network of alumni participants for the successful Student-Alumni Mentoring Program, established in 2005.  
 
The Alumni Council Community Life/Diversity Task Force aims to provide expertise, ideas, and manpower to initiate new, exciting initiatives. The members expect that this Task Force will continue to play a vital role in building an inclusive and diverse Dalton Community.

Students

List of 10 items.

  • Aatma

    is a high school student group focused on exploring and celebrating South Asian culture.

  • Asian Cultures Club

    is a student group whose purpose is to spread awareness of Asian Cultures to members of the Dalton community. To do this, the Club has sponsored such activities as an annual Asian Teahouse, an annual Banquet to Honor Dalton Teachers, Kamishibai (Japanese storytelling) presentations at First Program, a Tai Ko drumming assembly, movie viewings and trips to various Asian events. Members include both Middle and High School students.

    ACC annual Banquet to Celebrate of Teachers

  • High School Student Diversity Leadership Committee

    consists of student representatives from a range of clubs and committees in the High School who meet with the Director of Diversity in order to articulate the questions and shape the agenda for student dialogue on diversity issues in grades 9-12.

  • HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latino Awareness)

    is a student club open to everyone who wants to learn more about the Latino Culture and the different countries that share this culture. Members use discussions and other activities to bring the wider Dalton community to a better understanding of the similarities and differences among Latino countries and cultures. Members also try to increase awareness of Dalton’s Latino community.

  • Men of Color

    is a group committed to the personal and collective empowerment of young men of color at Dalton. This affinity group provides a safe and free environment where its members may openly express their views, concerns, and experiences as minorities at Dalton. Men of Color forum encourages free speech, respect, and camaraderie among its members. The existence of this diverse forum is crucial for the emotional support of its members within the minority community.

  • Middle School Affinity Group Forum

    is an informal discussion group for students of color in grades 6-8 designed to provide a safe space for students to share their experiences, challenges, and successes during their upper Middle School years.

  • Peer Mentoring Program

    is designed to develop the leadership potential in students and provide opportunities for friendships, support, and social connections across the divisions. High School students in grades 9-12 volunteer to be mentors for a Middle School peer in grades 4-8.

  • Spectrum Club

    is a community-wide discussion and support group. The club is a safe space within the Dalton community and provides resources for anyone dealing with the issues that its members target. GLASS attempts, with the help of students and faculty, regardless of sexual orientation, to raise awareness and combat homophobia within the Dalton community and the larger society through discussions, assemblies, speakers, and films. Participating in the club or attending a meeting does not mean that a student or faculty member is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, but a supporter of its mission.

  • White Anti-Racist Educators (WARE)

    WARE is a network of white educators in independent school whose goals are to deepen our understanding of white racial identity, white privilege, and white cultural dominance in our institutions. They strive together to develop skills as activists/organizers for more equitable schools. They aim to work in solidarity with, and accountability to, People of Color in creating anti-racist communities.

  • Women of Color

    is a discussion group comprising female students of color in grades 9-12.  The group focuses on creating and maintaining an emotionally safe space for the discussion of social issues relevant to the lives of young women of color.  The group seeks to enhance the development of leadership skills and a healthy and positive core identity.

Faculty, Staff & Administrators

List of 1 items.

  • Open Space

    is a forum for faculty, staff, and administration to discuss issues of diversity that impact the lives of adults who work at Dalton. We collaborate to intentionally value each individual in the community as an active agent of change, to commit to a free and open dialog structure, and to adhere to conversation guidelines and the understanding that “…community, like democracy, must be continuously built.”  

    Open Space Has Two Subcommittees:

    The Dalton Faculty Gay-Straight Alliance
    

    The Dalton Faculty Gay Straight Alliance (DFGSA) offers a forum for all faculty members who wish to discuss issues and share experiences pertaining to sexual orientation, gender expression, and GLBTQ topics, both personal and professional. The group meets monthly and since establishing itself in 2009, the group has seen many developments in gender/sexual orientation education at Dalton and the sense of
    inclusivity and comfort level around the GLBTQ topics.

    Prism: Faculty Diversity Media Forum
    Prism is a forum created to initiate and sustain conversation among Dalton faculty and beyond regarding socially significant difference, sparking these conversations through the use of selections from various media. By offering these opportunities, we hope to encourage the development of conversation on multi-cultural issues and pedagogy.

Parents

List of 8 items.

  • Community Life & Diversity Committee (CLDEI)

    conceptualizes and organizes panels or speakers for the entire Dalton community or a particular division, on topics concerning community life and diversity.

  • Community Life & Diversity Steering Committee

    and CL&D Committee co-chairs meet for opportunities to discuss upcoming events, meetings, issues that have arisen as well as a time to meet with Diversity Directors and a PA Executive Board representative, generally the President and Vice-President. Members of other related committees, such as Community Building, Parents of Children of Color (POCOC), Neighborhood Committees, Visibility, the PA Gay-Straight Alliance, Sangam and members of the Administration, such as Division Heads may also be invited.

  • Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)

    was created to encourage acceptance and awareness within the diverse population of our school, promote pride in our community, create a safe environment for all families, and to educate members of the school community about the unique concerns of the LGBTQ community.

  • Multicultural Festival Committee

    helps to conceptualize and plan one of the largest, most exciting events at Little Dalton (K-3), including the development of a theme, room coordination, art projects and foods that represent the many countries where Dalton parents or their families were born.

  • Neighborhoods

    Representatives from our various neighborhoods Uptown, Downtown, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, East Side, West Side, etc., are asked to organize community-building gatherings for Dalton families in their neighborhoods.

  • Parent Leadership Committee

    provides parents with an understanding of the diverse Dalton community, offer them tools and best practices for creating inclusion, provide a safe setting for sharing challenges and foster connections that will contribute to a high functioning diverse and inclusive community.

  • Parents of Children of Color (POCOC)

    is an organization that explores the meaning of being of color both within the Dalton community as well as in the world at large through social gatherings at which parents and their children gather together for fellowship, share common experiences, and presentations are given about various topics related to people of color. Everyone, regardless of color, is invited to attend.

  • Visibility Exhibition

    Every other year or based on the committee’s decision, the Parent and Faculty Gay-Straight Alliance organizes and coordinates a Visibility Exhibit that celebrates diversity in our community.  It is a photo exhibition of members of our community with someone in their life who is gay or lesbian.

    News story about the Dalton Community Visibility Exhibit.

Board of Trustees

List of 3 items.

  • The Board of Trustees Community Life & Diversity Committee

    s charged with reviewing and recommending policies dealing with diversity at Dalton. Having been an integral part of creating the first diversity section to have been included in  the Strategic Plan, the committee is dedicated to the implementation of Dalton’s diversity-related  goals. In addition, we are committed to discussing diversity initiatives as our community continues to change. The committee is comprises  trustees, trustees emeriti, parents, alumni, administrators, faculty, president of the Parents Association, and the Diversity Director.

  • From Diversity to Community Conference

    was developed in 2007 as part of the Strategic Plan and then initiated in 2010.

    Gaining the perspectives of others is beneficial to move forward with solutions to make a difference within our schools and in the lives of children who are now a part of a diverse, global society. We use this conference to deepen the dialog on these complex issues, involving a broader community of New York City independent school educators and students in problem-solving and the sharing of best practices.

    Learn more

  • LGBTQ Task Force

    is comprised of parents, faculty, and administrators and was created to make recommendations to the head of school to reach our goal of making Dalton an increasingly welcoming community to LGBTQ members. We are examining admissions practices, school communications, curriculum, literature, professional development opportunities, and parent education.
(Grades K-3) 53 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5463
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: fpadmissions@dalton.org

(Gr. 4 Dalton East & PE Center) 200 East 87th Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5262
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: admissionsmshs@dalton.org

(Grade 5-12) 108 East 89th Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5262
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: admissionsmshs@dalton.org