As an institution and community, Choate prides itself on being an equitable and inclusive “place of many paths.” Since the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, Choate has become even more dedicated to its promise of equity and inclusion. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force, Community Conversations, Bias Incident Reporting Form, and more rigorous Diversity Day programming were spurred on by the social reckonings that 2020 brought. These inclusion initiatives are built upon the advances and setbacks that Choate has experienced throughout its history. In the past six years, however, Choate has made noteworthy progress.
In 2016, there was an institution-wide push to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of the community. Student Council voting began including underformers, and there was increased transparency in the Student Council’s bill-passing process. Additionally, the administration started the first curriculum review retreat, an intensive workshop in which different aspects of academic life, such as diploma requirements and course offerings, were reexamined for their relevance to the 2013 Choate Strategic Plan. The 2016 retreat included committees focused on interrogating diversity and inclusion within the curriculum. Among other new initiatives, a faculty mentorship program was created to familiarize new teachers with the School’s culture and inclusion goals.
Acknowledging the need for anti-bias measures, the Diversity Education Committee (DEC) and Associate Head of School Ms. Kathleen Wallace hired the first Director of Equity and Inclusion (E&I), Dr. Keith Hinderlie in 2016. The DEC created this senior administrative position in hopes of formulating a more inclusive curriculum, addressing diversity on campus, and ensuring that the School’s commitment to equity endured.
Graphic by Yuko Tanaka/The Choate News
At the end of the 2020 school year, Dr. Rachel Myers filled the vacancy created by Dr. Hinderlie, who cited a change in Choate culture as the reason for his departure. “When I first came to Choate, the School was looking at other schools to figure out how to be a more inclusive community. Within that four years, Choate has become a school where other schools look at us,” Dr. Hinderlie told The Choate News in May 2020.
Building on the foundation laid by Dr. Hinderlie, Dr. Myers hit the ground running. “I came up with three areas of focus for this school year: preparing the community for the presidential elections; increased mental, emotional, and spiritual support; and helping lead the Choate community towards anti-racist teaching and socialization.”
Community Conversations, one of Dr. Myers’ first initiatives, have encouraged anti-bias socialization and encouraged empathy. “As a new member of this community in a pandemic scenario, the Community Conversations have really helped me connect with people,” she said. Dr. Myers believes that the program has helped the rest of the community connect, too. “I [have] gotten feedback from students, faculty, and staff expressing enjoyment, learning, and increased dialogue between adults and students.”
Dr. Myers also leads the new Equity and Inclusion team, which incorporates individuals from many academic and administrative departments. The office, established last summer, supports a wide range of organizations and events, including the Pathways Program, Diversity Day, Community Conversations, Community Service, Spiritual Life, and the Driving Equity at Choate (DEC). In addition, they also support student clubs, help students attend conferences, provide professional development for staff and faculty, run the Icahn & Gakio Walton Scholars program, and coordinate with Community-Based Organizations.
As Director of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Myers also plans to address, on a year-by-year basis, the areas where diversity education and training are most needed — thus, chipping away at her ongoing mission to ingrain diversity, equity, and inclusion into every facet of life at Choate. “Fingers crossed that it will eventually become an embedded part of the Choate experience and culture,” she said.
Likewise, Mr. Filipe Camarotti, who is the associate director of equity and inclusion, said, “My dream is for the School to be at a point where every single individual and department’s first thought is, ‘Is what we’re doing equitable and just?’ A society, system, or institution benefits from individuals and groups who center the collective need for equity, inclusion, and justice.”
Furthermore, Mr. Camarotti hopes that Choate continues to educate its students on identity. Whether it be through scheduled programming or individual learning, he hopes that students leave Choate with the knowledge and desire to “transform” systems of oppression and exclusion.
