Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Branksome Hall: Our Commitment

This is challenging work that requires significant time and investment. Throughout this process, we are committed to engaging multiple perspectives from our community, critically challenging assumptions, and taking empathetic, informed and responsible action in our school, our partnerships and in the world.

Over the last three years, Branksome Hall has embarked on sector-defining work that enables a systematic approach to school change in which all areas of the school are engaged in a DEI review and planning for changes at the same time. By approaching these changes simultaneously, rather than in a siloed fashion, we encourage collaboration that enables the initiatives we undertake to benefit multiple areas of the school at once.

As part of our milestones for 2022–23, as demonstrated by our 2022 DEI Report Card, we have initiated a parallel effort alongside the audit to advance our work on several important DEI initiatives, including, but not limited to:

• Days and Dates of Significance 2022–23 calendar

• School-Wide Use of Language Policy to Prevent Harm and Support Student Learning

• Guidelines for gender inclusion at Branksome Hall

• Naming school practices in DEI at K-12 curriculum nights

• Review of curriculum in the Modern Languages and Physical and Health Education Departments.

Branksome Hall is part of a growing number of schools in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada, the United States, and the world at large that have enacted programs as well as commitments to fostering change in the DEI space. We are embarking on this journey in the wake of global movements that require us to take a systems view to how minority communities experience belonging and inclusion. While Branksome Hall isn’t alone in this work, we initiated this audit without any benchmarks for comparison.

It is important to note that the DEI audit data was collected during the pandemic and therefore results may reflect students’ experiences of that time. In looking at the Branksome Hall findings, it is helpful and important to examine the broader Canadian and international context. We know from this work that, in a scholastic environment, Canadian students often feel left out. This generation of students is reporting experiences of loneliness and lack of belonging at record levels following the pandemic.

With this in mind, we invite all members of our community to read through this summary of the audit findings, explore Anima’s recommendations for how we can address systemic barriers to DEI within our community, and come to the community presentations hosted by Anima and school leaders to learn more and ask your questions.