Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging at Explorer West
At Explorer West Middle School, we believe that diversity and inclusion make us stronger. We are committed to creating an environment where all community members feel valued, respected, and included.
Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging Vision
A community that is diverse, inclusive, and affirming to everyone.
Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging Mission
To be a community in which all members have a voice, are given respect, and see their identities reflected and affirmed in the curriculum, activities, and physical and virtual environments of the school.
Read more about our DEIJB work as a school:
2024-2025 School Year
We are grateful for the students, faculty, staff, and families who continue to contribute to this vital work. Here’s what we worked on this year:
Student Voice & Leadership
- The Student Government helped plan assemblies and share information to celebrate Heritage Months throughout the year.
- Our newly created Student Restorative Justice Team is learning how to lead circles that repair harm and build trust with their peers.
- Our student Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist student community service group met monthly to work on improving equity and inclusion from a student perspective.
- Two student leaders and two teachers attended the Student Diversity Leadership Retreat and shared their learnings with the community.
Inclusive Learning
- Teachers are weaving anti-bias and anti-racist (ABAR) learning into classes including Social Studies, Language Arts, Art, and Drama. Kali and Daniela collaborated on a special unit between 6th grade Social Studies and Music.
- During Advisory, students engaged in a project focused on sharing their family cultures. They discussed family traditions and customs, then shared a unique family tradition with the group. Their contributions included food, stories, and visits from special family members.
- We’re incorporating books and creating projects that offer windows, mirrors, and doors into a wide variety of cultures and perspectives, allowing students to see themselves and others in new ways.
- Our Teaching for Black Lives study group offers teachers a chance for self-reflection and to bring essential conversations about race, history, and justice into their classrooms.
- For the second year in a row, a group of EWMS teachers attended Seattle Girls’ School Cultural Competency Lab, and shared their experiences with the faculty and staff.
Restorative Practices
- We continue to learn and develop our skills through restorative circles, building community, strengthening relationships, and responding to harm with care.
- Family circles invite caregivers into the conversation, allowing our whole community to grow together.
- Tara and Dawn collaborated to develop a protocol for handling incidents of harm at school in a way that supports students and their families.
Family & Community Partnerships
- We shared data about our DEIJB efforts at our January State of the School meeting and an end-of-the-year Family Network Meeting.
- We shared a variety of virtual speakers through the People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS) collaborative group.
Accountability & Growth
- We’re monitoring student bias incidents to identify patterns and community needs.
- We’re creating a “home base” of resources for staff and students to support the ongoing growth of this work.
What’s Next
This work is ongoing. In the Fall of 2025, we’re expanding student restorative justice circles, adding more heritage month celebrations, and creating even more ways for families to join the conversation.We’re developing better ways to communicate with families about curriculum and DEIJB initiatives.
Together, we’re building a community where every voice matters and everyone belongs.
