Programs and Initiatives

Lawrenceville offers a wide range of support and education for students, parents, faculty, and staff around issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity. The Office of Multicultural Affairs supports a dozen or more student affinity groups including the Alliance of Black Cultures, Latinos Unidos, Asian Student Organization, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Jewish Students Organization, and the Muslim Student Organization.

The Diversity Council (DivCo) strives to create an inclusive environment at Lawrenceville by providing students with opportunities to engage in conversations about social issues, identity, current events and culture. By engaging with these issues, Lawrentians can work towards the goal of inspiring the best in each to seek the best for all. Student leaders selected for DivCo serve as discussion facilitators at weekly Lunch and Dialogues, in addition to planning annual events each term like Community Potluck, International Night and Community Day.

The DEI Council is dedicated to overseeing the implementation and outcomes of our early action steps, reporting to our community on progress, and engaging in a longer-term process of strategic planning for DEI at Lawrenceville. The group’s initial charge is to review the three diversity action plans that have been presented to the School: the original plan by our DEI Task Force approved in 2019; a plan conceived of by members of the Board of Trustees and submitted in June of 2020; and the plan from the Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association (LBAA), submitted in July of 2020. Together, these plans constitute 219 recommendations. The plans have been consolidated and categorized, and will provide an important basis for a more focused strategic plan that will cover overarching priorities, including:

Enhancing student life through training, handbook revisions, diverse speakers and anti-racism resources, and anti-bias reporting;

Increasing faculty impact through training, handbook revisions, accountability measures, and recruitment and retention;

Elevating education through professional development and curriculum review; and

Achieving equitable outcomes through a climate survey and equity audit and resulting enhancements to the School community.

The Alumni DEI Council was established in December 2020 by the Alumni Association Executive Committee in support of the School's DEI efforts. The Council shares their experiences during their time as Lawrenceville students and alumni, and also acts as a resource for the Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement and the School administration. In partnership with the Dean, Alumni DEI Council members interface with student organizations to increase connection and impact. The Alumni DEI Council includes Porter Braswell ’07, David Bruinooge ’93, Ivy Alphonse-Crean ’10, Hanna-Marie Garcia ’15, Barry Gonzalez ’82, Heather Hoffman ’11, Nina Kumar ’02, Neil Mehta ’02, Meera Nathan ’90, Bianca Okolie ’10, Audrey Safir ’20, Amir Sharif-Emami ’08, Lindsey Straus ’69, Natalie Tung ’14, and Steve Wong ’01.

The Multicultural Parent Committee (MCPC) is one of the subsets of Parents at Lawrenceville (P@L). The MCPC sponsors several events each year to inform, educate and promote dialogue among parents on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. All parents at Lawrenceville are welcomed and encouraged to participate in these important discussions.

The Religious Life Council (RLC) aims to nurture spiritual and religious life at Lawrenceville by providing visibility for its strength and diversity, and to cultivate understanding and respect among religious traditions. The RLC accomplishes this through regular meetings and lively exchanges, the very successful “What Matters To Me and Why” program, field trips, and co-sponsorships with other clubs and councils. The RLC works closely with the Diversity Council to design Explorations and has regular conversations with the Gay Straight Alliance. The RLC is convened by the School Chaplain and has student representatives from all the religious traditions and members-at-large. All students are welcome.

Community Day is an annual schoolwide gathering where students and faculty come together to discuss important social issues that affect their lives both inside and outside Lawrenceville. Each year, Community Day has a theme and Lawrentians hear from keynote speakers, and then participate in workshops generated by students, faculty, parents and community based organizations. Past themes have included Reflections on Representation, Fulfilling the Promises of the American Dream, Global Citizenship and Healthy Relationships.

Lunch and Dialogue is a weekly opportunities for students to watch a film or documentary about a relevant current event or social issue and then have a discussion facilitated by student leaders in the Diversity Council. Lunch and Dialogue aims to build upon the culture of Harkness though learning about others beyond the academic classroom. Recent topics have included climate change, Islamophobia, social media, race, women’s reproductive rights and LGBTQ youth.

Created and led by Ije Achebe '21 and Ava Conyers '21, this program seeks to provide a space for education, awareness and conversation on delicate subject matters. With oversight by the Office of Multicultural Affairs Diversity Coordinators, topics of conversation are facilitated in an environment that provides for an ease of exchange on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. Recent sessions presented by student leaders focused on police brutality, colorism, White privilege, and gender and sexuality.

The Task Force on Diversity Recruitment and Retention focuses on enhancing the diversity within our community, while supporting professional growth and leadership of faculty and staff of color. In addition to a cross-section of faculty and staff, the Task Force will include Teressa Moore Griffin of Spirit of Purpose as a thought partner and resource.

The Task Force will develop key elements of a strategy to broaden our sources and networks for recruitment and retention. In addition, the group will consider and present recommendations to Head of School Steve Murray, including goals for diversifying the faculty and staff, measurement of progress over time, and a system for tracking the early opportunities of advancement and professional development.