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The World Needs Care
You Need Community
About Us
Equity & Inclusion
Our students' ideas, experiences, and perspectives matter in our program.
Digging into conversations about identity and equity has long been a central theme at Live Oak; an essential practice as we strive to know our students well and create a community where they feel comfortable bringing – and sharing – their multifaceted selves to school. Simply put, we are dedicated to ensuring that every student who walks through our doors has a strong sense of belonging, a voice that is heard and respected, and a welcoming sense of place.
Building a community where belonging is centered is no small feat. It takes purposeful effort and reflection, along with a willingness to self-critique and embrace opportunities for growth. It can be hard to measure in quantitative ways, and often requires openness to the experiences and stories of others, even when they seem completely counter to our own.
Our dedication to this work is rooted in the knowledge that students learn best in a diverse educational environment, one that welcomes children and adults from every race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic circumstance, and gender expression.
At Live Oak we know that this pursuit takes many hands and requires commitment from all of us. We must be very aware of the language we use, stay attuned to the authors of our books and stories, and model for our students how to lead with empathy and openness. DEI work by definition insists that everyone be included on this journey toward shaping the community we hope to build.
Adrian Takyi
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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Spotlight: Affinity Spaces
Affinity Spaces at Live Oak provide opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and families to have their identities affirmed and to be their authentic selves in the company of others who share a common identity. These spaces deepen belonging by giving groups who have not historically been served by independent schools time to connect over their common experiences at Live Oak and in the world at large. Groups formed around a variety of identities are supported for our lower and middle school students, our faculty and staff, and our families.
Spotlight: SEED
Live Oak is a member site for The National SEED Project. SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) is a peer-led professional development program for faculty and staff that creates conversational communities to drive personal, organizational, and societal change toward greater equity and diversity. Monthly meetings engage participants in sharing, storytelling, and reflection with an aim to create the most effective environments for learning and flourishing, considering the need for curricula, teaching methods, and workplace practices that are gender fair, multiculturally equitable, socioeconomically aware, and globally informed.
Spotlight: Community Assemblies
Community Assemblies aim to help our lower school collectively acknowledge and celebrate cultural holidays and observances. These assemblies help our students and staff see themselves recognized and celebrated in the school community. They provide our students with affirming mirrors of their own experiences and traditions, as well as educational windows into the identities and cultures of their classmates.
Live Oak School welcomes and admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and faith to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities of Live Oak School. Live Oak School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and faith in administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, Adjusted Tuition program, and athletic and other school-administered programs.