Council on Equity and Justice

Mission

The CCES Council on Equity and Justice (Also known as the CCES Diversity Club) seeks to support students with different learning and physical abilities, as well as students with various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. As a group of student leaders we seek to learn more about ourselves and educate others. The Diversity Club also helps to create an inclusive school culture in which our differences are valued and viewed as strengths. We believe that increased diversity among our students, faculty and staff contribute greatly to the quality of everyone's CCES experience.


History & Notes
After attending the 2006 National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), People of Color Conference, our students decided to form the Council on Equity and Justice in order to increase cultural awareness at CCES. The council is made up of a diverse group of student leaders whose objective is to provide a platform for students to engage in honest and open discussion on issues of diversity, multiculturalism, equity and justice.

Topics discussed during the bi-weekly meetings include past and current events, pop culture, the justice system, community service, social services, as well as the Big Eight Cultural Identifiers listed below:

Big Eight Cultural Identifiers
• Gender
• Race
• Religion
• Ethnicity
• Age
• Sexual Orientation
• Socioeconomic Status
• Learning Differences / Physical Ability

Membership
The Council is open to all students and faculty and is not exclusive to any student or faculty member who wishes to become active with the group or attend council meetings. All meetings are scheduled and facilitated by the CCES Director of Diversity.

Activities
Activities for the group are planned by the Director of Diversity, in conjunction with the council officers. Meetings take place during the school lunch period and usually involve a guest faculty or staff member who wishes to share his/her experiences with the council. Click here to view our calendar.

Conferences
Members of the council also participate in the planning of the PAIS Statewide Inclusivity Conference, which rotates every other year with the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS). Council officers are required to attend a national diversity conference and serve on the PAIS Student Diversity Leadership Committee while serving on the council. Members of the council are also eligible to attend the NAIS National Diversity Conference and the PAIS State Diversity Conference.