Affinity Groups Provide Space to Learn and Grow

By Jennifer Vermont-Davis, Chair of Community Life + Diversity and Lower School Science Teacher

The Community Life + Diversity (CL+D) team at Allen-Stevenson continuously works on creating an inclusive, equitable, and diverse community where everyone can feel a deep sense of belonging. In addition to hosting all-community events and forums throughout the year, the CL+D team facilitates affinity group gatherings to strengthen the School’s commitment to belonging.

To some, the concept of strengthening community through separating people of similar backgrounds into affinity groups might seem counterintuitive. However, in reality, affinity groups are a natural part of society that bolster communities by creating safe spaces where people can come together over a common background, interest or goal. In fact, affinity groups often provide a vital link for smaller underrepresented groups to feel included in the larger community.

At Allen-Stevenson, affinity groups are an intentional recognition and acknowledgment of different underrepresented groups that form our special and diverse community. Such affinity groups provide supportive conversations and solutions to uncomfortable issues encountered in everyday life. Participants can opt-in based on their shared identity with the affinity group to discuss personal experiences in a safe space. Over the past year, these spaces for reflection and connection have been more necessary than ever before.

Everyone benefits when all members of their community have confidence and feel supported. Ultimately, affinity groups at Allen-Stevenson provide a shortcut on that road map to belonging. Also, the affinity groups at A-S give students the opportunity to dive deeper into discussions of race, religion, identity, and equity in non-judgmental spaces, enabling them to develop their independent voice and expanded compassion for the world. For students, building them up to be strong, educated leaders while nurturing a sense of connection and belonging is foundational to our diversity and inclusion goals and our desire to provide all students with the appropriate social-emotional support. In the end, when a student has a sense of belonging, it will have not only a positive impact on his personal and academic achievements but also his contribution to the A-S community as a whole.

CURRENT AFFINITY GROUPS:

STUDENTS:

Banana Splits (MS, US) • support for children who live in homes with divorced or one-parent families

BOCAS (LS, MS, US) Boys of Color at Allen-Stevenson • facilitates positive racial identity exploration ERGO (MS, US) Exploring Race Gender and Origins • provides a space for discussing topics of equity, race, religion and gender GSA (US) Gender & Sexuality Alliance • to learn how to advance inclusivity and advocate for those in the

LGTBQ+ community, and discuss bullying, gender roles and family diversity.

PARENTS:

Asian/South Asian Families FOC—Families of Color GSA—Gay Straight Alliance

FACULTY & STAFF:

GSA—Gay Straight Alliance FSoC—Faculty & Staff of Color WARE—White Anti-Racist Educators