Holding Space
Creating affinity groups for students has been a priority of the faculty-led Social Justice Task Force.
It is optional for students to join the group. There are two SOC groups: one for students in First through Second and one for kids in grades Third through Sixth. Race-based affinity groups will begin later for ECC and Kindergarten students as the School creates developmentally-appropriate groups for that age band. The next phase is to start LGBTQIA2S+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit) student affinity groups in fall 2022.
“The Advent School Students of Color Affinity Group is intended to create a safe space for students who identify as people of color. Within this group, we celebrate the racial and cultural diversity of each participant. This space also provides an opportunity for students to discuss and unpack their experiences both in and outside of school as people of color.”
Students can expect to share their own culture and self-identity at the meetings. Identity encompasses everything about them and may include their family's origin, gender, race, ethnicity, or age.
The meetings may include food, games, and discussions. Students brought food and drinks to share during a potluck at a recent meeting. After each session, the faculty leaders meet to discuss what they want to lean into for the next meeting. "We ask, 'What is an activity that could get us to this point?' We follow Advent's emergent curriculum model."
Faculty applied to lead the group and received training with Dr. "Chap" Chapman at her Affinity Group workshop. The School sent resources home to introduce the concept of affinity spaces to students and families. This 2015 article from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) discusses how "Affinity groups offer a platform for voices often relegated to the margins."
