Equity and Inclusion

Across all aspects of life at Catlin Gabel—from curriculum to community events, student leadership to long-term institutional planning—we engage closely with historically-marginalized groups to address inequities while also building bridges across our entire community.

Core to Progressive Education

Learning is most powerful when it connects to students’ lived experiences, fosters empathy, and cultivates critical thinking. Equity and inclusion work brings those principles to life, creating compassionate, curious citizens of the world.

Integrated Across Classrooms, Grades, and Community Spaces

Our goal is for every student, from preschool through 12th grade, to engage with developmentally appropriate and intellectually challenging Equity and Inclusion content through curriculum, student leadership, and extracurricular programs.

Collaboration with Teachers

Our Equity and Inclusion team partners with our highly skilled employees — meeting them where they are and helping refine practices they’ve already developed, ensuring equity work strengthens their existing goals. This model values employee expertise while fostering greater alignment and shared responsibility across the school.

Long-Term Vision

Our Equity and Inclusion work is grounded in the 2025–2027 Strategic Priorities and guided by the learnings and structure of our previous Strategic Inclusion Plan (2021–2024). Equity is not one department’s responsibility—it is a collective, long-term institutional priority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are equity and inclusion important in a school?

Equity and inclusion are essential because they create the conditions for learning and the development of compassionate, curious citizens. Students learn best when they feel a strong sense of belonging—comfortable being themselves and valued for who they are. That foundation allows them to take intellectual risks, engage fully, and grow. Exposure to diverse perspectives and exploration of fairness and justice allows students to deepen their empathy, sharpen their critical thinking, and build the skills needed to navigate a complex world with integrity.

Is this work just about supporting specific groups? What about the whole community?

How are families included in this work?

Families are essential partners in equity and inclusion. We work closely with the Parent Faculty Association’s (PFA) Inclusion Coordinators to support family affinity and discussion groups and offer opportunities for learning and connection within the broader parent community. These efforts strengthen relationships across differences and ensure families feel welcomed, heard, and supported.

Is equity work political at Catlin Gabel?

How is this work different from what teachers already do?

Much of it isn’t—it builds on the care, skill, and creativity already present in classrooms. When we’re successful, equity is a seamless component of the student experience at CGS, and all students feel known, heard, and respected.

The Equity and Inclusion team partners with teachers to refine curriculum, align across developmental stages, and ensure content reflects the diversity of our world. They help elevate and integrate what’s already working well, while supporting growth where needed.

Belonging Envisioned

vector illustration of belonging, inclusion, belonging.

Inclusion implies the existence of an “in” group making room for others. Belonging reflects a deeper transformation—where all members shape and define their community together. At Catlin Gabel, we embrace belonging as a shared responsibility and a continual process, where diverse perspectives are not just welcomed but essential to who we are. The illustration is inspired by Belonging without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World by J.A. Powell and Stephan Menendian.

illustration showing how social and academic belonging are interwoven

This braid illustrates the intertwined aspects of a student’s identity— their academic strengths, lived experiences, family background, interests, culture, and more. We honor the whole child by embracing all of these threads. Belonging happens when students see all parts of themselves valued in the classroom and community—creating the foundation that makes learning and growth possible. The illustration is inspired by The Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning.

Equity and Inclusion Stories

Catlin Gabel’s equity and inclusion efforts are rooted in our commitment to belonging for all. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, disability (with reasonable accommodation), sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, or any other legally protected status in admission or employment. Our work engages the full diversity of our community—centering lived experience as essential to learning—while fostering respectful dialogue and inclusion across all groups.