Community & Inclusion

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Community and Inclusion is a school-wide priority at Ursuline Academy of Dallas.

Over the past five years, our work in this area has been guided by our current strategic roadmap and recommendations made in the Academy's ISAS 10-year reaccreditation visiting team report.

Ursuline Academy of Dallas Statement on Community & Inclusion

Grounded in our Catholic tradition and in the words of St. Angela, Ursuline Academy of Dallas celebrates, values, and respects the rich tapestry of humanity.

We desire for each student to feel that she is known and fixed in our hearts.

We strive for excellence in promoting diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.

We believe that all individuals experience the world through various dimensions such as age, ethnic heritage, religious tradition, gender, mental/physical ability, economic status, immigration status, education, family structure, body size/shape, race, sexual orientation, and more.

We create global citizenship by recognizing and cultivating our interconnectedness to each other and the greater global community.

We seek to identify and to challenge all forms of prejudice, discrimination, and injustice.

We, all members of the Ursuline Academy of Dallas community - students, faculty and staff, alumnae, administration, parents, family, and Board of Trustees - are responsible for the ongoing advancement of our inclusive community.

Board of Trustees Community & Inclusion Committee

In fall 2019, Ursuline formed an Ad Hoc committee of board members, administrators, faculty, parents, past parents, alumnae, and students to develop our Statement on Community & Inclusion, unanimously endorsed by the Board of Trustees in November and shared with employees and Ursuline students. The Community and Inclusion Committee of the Board is working now on specific plans to advance the Academy's vital programming in this area.

Board of Trustees Member

Belinda Grant-Anderson, Vice President of Talent Development at AT&T

Parents of Alumnae

Laura Keyes, Ph.D., Professional in Urban Planning and Aging Policy
Janiece Page, Vice President of Fossil Global Philanthropy and Sustainability; Head of Fossil Foundation

Ursuline Employees

Dr. Andrea Shurley, Principal
Estela Ayala, Director of Community & Inclusion
Melanie Alvares, Theology Teacher
Ashley Rae Mathis, Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management
Patty LaValle, Personal Counselor
Cecilia Nipp '85, Director of Global Relationships and Cultural Exchange

Ursuline Alumna

Christian Knight '20

School Programming

Below, you will find a list of Ursuline curriculars, co-curriculars, and extracurriculars:

Curriculars

Ursuline curriculum embraces diversity and includes intentional applications for raising awareness of injustices and biases. Our statement on Community & Inclusion will help guide us even further on the curricular-level and as revisions to curriculum are made, updates will be shared here.

The Life Skills courses began during the 2020-2021 school year. They cultivate students who focus not only on academics but also on resiliency, grit, and communication skills. We want our students to embody Serviam, exemplify integrity, and engage with others ethically, critically, and empathetically.

Co-Curriculars

Social Awareness Clubs

Active Minds
African American Awareness Club
Asian Student Union (ASU)
CAUSE for Life Club
Environmental Science Club
Feminists for Change
IGNITE
Latinas Unidas
LEAD
Mental Health Awareness Club
Morgani's Message UA
One Love
Pink Ladies
UAAT (United Against Abuse & Trafficking)

Service Clubs

Art in a Cart Club
Baking Bears Club
BEARly NOTEiced
Best Buddies
Create to Donate
El Club de la N
Feed the People
Genesis S.T.A.R. Club
Helping Hands
Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) Club
Karaoke for Kids
NOROC (New Opportunities for Romanian Orphaned Children)
Paws for Kindness
Prayer Blankets for Preemies
Refugee Outreach
Rosaries for Hope Club
SOAPS (Student Organization Aimed at Providing Soaps)
SOAR Club (Student Outreach, Activism, and Resource Development)
SRO Supper Club (Students Reach Out)
Support Our Troops
Teens Connect
Together in Spirit
Toys for Paws
VNA Meals on Wheels Club
You've Got Mail

More Clubs & Activities at Ursuline

Extracurriculars

Community and Inclusion Student Leadership Team
Dallas Area Diversity Youth Organization (DADYO)
Global Advisory Council
Global Youth Leadership Institute
NAIS People of Color and Student Diversity Leadership Conference
Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC)/POCC
World Affairs Council Involvement

ISAS Reaccreditation Report

Ursuline Academy has many programs and activities that fall under the umbrella of diversity, community, and inclusion and of which we are very proud. Those commended by our own self-study and the ISAS reaccreditation report include:

Global Relationships and Cultural Exchange program;

Student and faculty participation in NAIS’ People of Color and Student Diversity Leadership conferences;

Funding by faculty/staff of the Employee Legacy Scholarship to assist UA in enrolling more socio-economically diverse students from the Dallas area;

Participation in the Global Youth Leadership Institute; participation in opportunities offered to teachers and students by the World Affairs Council;

Opportunities for students to participate in several multicultural student-led clubs including African American Awareness (AAA), Arabic Club, Asian Student Union, Chinese Club, Latinas Unidas, Indian Dance Club, French Club, and more;

Offering of global awareness clubs such as Environmental Permaculture Awareness Club, Junior World Affairs Club, Model United Nations, Refugee Awareness, etc.;

Partnership with STAIRS Program, Inc. which recruits students from downtown Dallas for Ursuline’s rising freshmen class; and,

Addressing diversity, equity and justice in the curriculum through culturally responsive teaching and learning.

About Dr. Gene Batiste

Dr. Gene Batiste

Dr. Batiste served as Vice President for Professional Development and School Field Services & Equity and Justice Initiatives at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) for thirteen years, as Assistant Head of School at Crossroad School in St. Louis, and as Director of Multicultural Initiatives at St. Mark’s School of Texas. Dr. Batiste currently heads Gene Batiste Consulting where he assists independent schools in their diversity, leadership, and community and inclusion work and serves as the Director of Community and Inclusion at St. John’s School in Houston.

Workshops & Training

Much of our community and inclusion work over the past few years has been with coworkers in our Ursuline mission: faculty/staff/administration and our Board of Trustees. Rooting our work in the Ursuline mission is a fundamental component of our efforts. That work consisted of Dr. Batiste facilitating workshops so that the women and men entrusted with teaching and guiding and caring for our students are educated and trained in best practices in the new diversity work of independent schools.

Workshops included topics such as:

Equity vs. Equality
From Diversity to Inclusion to Equity & Justice
Cultural Identifiers
Understanding Bias
Cultural Intelligence
Empathy
Socio-Economic and Class Diversity – the Assumptions We Make
Courageous Conversations about Race and Ethnicity
NAIS Principles of Good Practice: Equity & Justice Study and the Role of the Board of Trustees
Best Practices for Community & Inclusion Teams

In collaboration with Dr. Batiste, Ursuline has developed a Community & Inclusion work plan with numerous objectives that can be found under the "Our Future" section of this page.

Objectives

As an institution, Ursuline is constantly growing and learning. We have many objectives that are ongoing and that we are working toward.

Engaging our Board of Trustees in a deep dive into diversity work in independent schools.
Ongoing facilitation training of Ursuline faculty and staff in community and inclusion;
Ongoing facilitation training of Ursuline students in community and inclusion;
Strategic planning for Equity and Inclusion.

Letters From Leadership

Diversity, Equity, Justice

Jun 1 2020

Each of us is responsible for striving for excellence in promoting diversity, equity, and justice. We must work together to ensure that all in our community feel valued and welcomed.

Ursuline Academy Statement on Community & Inclusion

Jan 30 2020

President Gretchen Z. Kane and Principal Dr. Andrea Shurley are pleased to report that Ursuline has made significant progress in our important work in the area of Community & Inclusion as a school-wide priority.

Community & Inclusion: A Message from the President and Principal

Aug 22 2019

Ursuline Academy welcomed Dr. Gene Batiste for the third year.

Helpful Resources

We encourage the entire Ursuline community to stay educated: read, research, listen, and learn. Find organizations you are passionate about and serve; and commit to continuing efforts to promote diversity, equity, and justice.

Digital & Print Media to Prompt Discussion

Current students, current parents, and Ursuline alumnae are welcome to utilize the Ursuline Library Resources. An Overdrive account will grant you access to our eLibrary. Browse our collection and email Librarian Renee Chevallier to request an account.

Books

Art of Community: Seven Principles of Belonging by Charles Vogl
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Tatum

Podcasts

About Race by Renni Eddo-Lodge
Code Switch (NPR)

Videos, Movies, & Shows

13th (Netflix)
American Son (Netflix)
Dear White People (Netflix)
Just Mercy (Warner Brothers)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (YouTube)
When They See Us (Netflix)

How You Can Take Action

Author Jason Reynolds helps young people understand what led to the protests we’ve seen and what children can do to build a less racist society.

Volunteer

Bonton Farms: "Driven by the mission to restore lives, create jobs and ignite hope in a once forgotten and neglected neighborhood with some of the most marginalized people."
CitySquare: "Offers a comprehensive array of social services that address four key areas related to the persistence of poverty: hunger, health, housing, and hope."
St. Philip's School & Community Center: "Provides education and compatible community services through a faith-based experience, with emphasis on serving low and moderate income families."

Support

Support black-owned businesses and restaurants.

Talking About Traumatic Events

George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children? (USA Today)
Graduate School of Education: Talking to children after racial incidents (University of Pennsylvania)
Resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids (Center for Racial Justice in Education)
Talking to children after racial incidents (Penn GSE)
Talking to Kids About Racial Violence by Haig Chahinian (New York Times)

Teaching About Racism & Civil Unrest

Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice (Teaching Tolerance)
Helping Children Cope with Frightening News (Child Mind Institute)
Pastoral Letter on Racism (USCCB)
Race & Ethnicity (Teaching Tolerance)
Racism is the temptation white people have yet to overcome (National Catholic Reporter)
Raising Race-Conscious Children (A Cup of Jo)
Talking About Race (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
Talking Race with Young Children (NPR)
The assumptions of white privilege and what we can do about it (National Catholic Reporter)
Understanding Race and Privilege (National Association of School Psychologists)
White people, let's do our homework (National Catholic Reporter)

The Diversity Collaborate: More Resources

“My last word to you is that you live in harmony, united together (Insieme) all of one heart and one will: Be bound to one another by the bond of charity, esteeming each other, bearing with each other in Jesus Christ.”
~St. Angela Merici

C&I News

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Community & Inclusion Update as of 4/15/21

Apr 15 2021

Students and employees continue to engage in programs and activities to educate, strengthen awareness of issues, and create opportunities for achieving Community & Inclusion, a school-wide priority at Ursuline.

Ursuline Names a Director of Community & Inclusion

Apr 14 2021

Ursuline Academy of Dallas is pleased to announce that Maria Estela Ayala has been named Director of Community and Inclusion, beginning July 1.

Whose Stories Do We Value: Revising an American Literature Course Through the Lens of Antiracism

Mar 21 2021

English teachers Megan Griffiin and Kate Schenck reflect on quotes from The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, their summer reading for their American Voices course, modeling how they use literature to engage in discussions of contemporary American conversations.

Contact Us

Maria Ayala

Assistant Director of Admissions/World Language Faculty, Assistant Director of Admissions

School: 469-232-1851