Equity & Inclusion

2019 pride parade lower school students holding signs and pride flags

At the core of a Catlin Gabel education is the belief that every student should feel known, heard, and valued. We are committed to and value community-wide diversity and inclusion, as we believe students learn best in an atmosphere where multiple perspectives are upheld.

A diverse community is represented by different races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, languages, abilities, and more. Our families, faculty, and staff represent different countries of origin and familial structures. They celebrate different traditions, hold varying political beliefs, and live in different neighborhoods throughout the Portland metro area. They travel to campus by car and bus, by bicycle and on foot.

As students come to Catlin Gabel to learn about themselves, the world, and their place in it, an excellent 21st century education requires them to engage with classmates from many walks of life so that they have endless opportunities to think critically, ask questions, challenge assumptions, and collaborate with many different kinds of people.

We understand that diversity goes well beyond race so our students are exposed to the concept of intersectionality to help them understand that all people have facets of identity that give them power in this society and all people may have facets of their identity that may take that power away. To that end we actively work to create inclusive classrooms and community spaces, as well as extracurricular programming, and we encourage our students to engage in the greater Portland community in a reciprocal fashion. Employees participate in annual and on-going diversity, equity, and inclusion sessions to strengthen and build competencies and understandings.

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