Rising for Equity

We commit to investing the energy and resources necessary to continue to make Alma an anti-racist institution by:

Engaging in ongoing Anti-Bias Anti-Racist professional development with all of our staff with the goal of equipping all staff members with the resources to resist racist attitudes, people, structures, policies and practices that exist in our school.

Examining our hiring and talent practices in order to build a staff that reflects the diversity of New Bedford.

Building stronger relationships with and between scholars and families through Crew practices and regular communication. Examining our curriculum and instruction to ensure that they are culturally competent and support our scholars in building critical consciousness.

Continuing to hold scholars to high academic standards and providing them the support they need to reach those standards. Providing scholars with opportunities to discuss and analyze racial injustice on the individual level and at the institutional or systemic level while also providing them with opportunities to take action in their community. Empowering and seeking input from families. Addressing racist policies and structures when we find them.

Checking in regularly to ensure that scholars, families and staff of all backgrounds are succeeding at Alma.

This vision was created by Alma’s Racial Equity Team, a diverse group of leaders overseeing the longterm transformation of Alma as a truly anti-racist organization. Alma del Mar’s anti-racist work will be daily, ongoing and never ending.

Rising… To Honor

Despite the challenges that come with the global pandemic, Alma’s team has worked tirelessly to keep the construction of our new school, the Frederick Douglass Campus, on track. We successfully celebrated the groundbreaking of the two-story, 51,000-square foot building earlier this fall with an outdoors, socially-distanced ceremony to pay tribute to Douglass. When our new school is completed, Alma’s two campuses will serve over 1,000 scholars each year. In the time of a global health crisis, our architects prioritized the health and safety features, ensuring our new campus will mitigate contagious viruses and other environmental risks. The new building will boast a highly-rated ventilation system that draws in 100% outside air alongside strong air filtration. At the same time, the design allows for ample natural light, access to outdoor space and sound insulation to filter out noise pollution.

With thousands of future change makers walking Alma’s halls, it was only fitting that we named our new school in honor of Douglass, one of the most prominent abolitionists and civil rights leaders in the struggle for equality in the United States.