Working Toward Diversity for Over Two Centuries

Friends Seminary builds on the Quaker tradition of valuing equality By [Sara Dover] At Friends Seminary in Gramercy, diversity is more than percentages on a pie chart. â??Everybody has a story. You can"t just check off a box, said the Quaker school"s director of diversity, Cynthia Chalker. â??A piece of paper doesn"t tell me he splits his time between two homes, is an excellent concert pianist, or is on the verge of coming out gay. The K-12, 225-year-old private school has a director of diversity's in fact, they have a whole office's because they take that part of their mission quite seriously. Founded under the New York Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, the institution continues to maintain Quaker values of equality, silence and simplicity, but seeks out every kind of student and teaches them to embrace difference. Unlike many private schools, students aren"t required to wear a uniform. â??Diversity has a complicated meaning. According to school 2009-2010 statistics, 27 percent of the 700-student population are â??students of color, and Chalker added that is only as accurate as the way students fill out their admission forms. Despite the school"s religious affiliation, only about 1 percent of the students and 3 percent of faculty are Quaker, although the school doesn"t collect statistics for religion. That"s because â??diversity is more about a variety of lifestyles, interests and individuality than about ethnicity or religion. â??You can feel comfortable having two dads, two moms, or raised by your grandfather. These are all family structures in our community, Chalker said. The school incorporates tolerance and acceptance into their curriculum. Students can stay after school to participate in the Gay Straight Alliance, or one of the multi-cultural clubs. There are field trips to exhibitions that have big diversity themes, like â??Only Skin Deep at the International Center of Photography, and a student planning committee for the â??Day of Concern, an annual event focusing on social issues. After-school activities are a source for curriculum inspiration during school, Chalker said. â??We have a pool of students we can tap to help us with programming. Additionally, Chalker hosts â??Diversity Coffee Mondays as a meet-and-greet with parents. A student body with diverse lifestyles includes students from different socio-economic backgrounds. A really well-rounded student body is difficult to achieve, especially considering the hefty tuition (about $35,000 with additional fees). So Friends Seminary hands out scholarships to 26 percent of its families. â??A good portion of our budget is awarded to [students] based on need, explained Chalker. Chalker, the first one to hold the position of director of diversity, was hired two years ago. While the office is relatively new, the school has been a leader in the topic for many years: It was the first private co-ed school in Manhattan, and is one of the few to offer Arabic (they began in 2009). It is also one of the few schools to have Diversity Mission Statement, a four-paragraph letter to the students adopted in 2005. â??It took a long time to write, Chalker said, explaining the in-depth feedback process between faculty and the community. â??It"s well thought-out, very well written and speaks highly of the school"s commitment, she said. â??Not only do they have a mission statement for the school, but they have one for diversity. The statement explains their belief that all people are â??of God and outlines the goal to â??foster a community that addresses the challenge of valuing difference and to prepare students to be independent and accepting individuals. Chalker"s favorite line is the last sentence: â??The gap between our ideals and the possible creates struggle to which we commit ourselves with energy and joy. â??That, to me, is the essence of the commitment, Chalker said. â??An acknowledgment that the work is hard.