About | WIS | Diversity

IN THIS SECTION

INTERNATIONAL-MINDEDNESS, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are committed to being a community where all are welcome and valued, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, cultural practices/beliefs, nationality, or perspective.

As an institution that has valued global citizenship since our founding, we wanted to ensure our diversity and inclusion programs extend beyond national boundaries. In accordance with the CIS Code of Ethics, we strive to model inclusivity, exploring how we can learn from each other and express our ideas, beliefs, and opinions with empathy and civility.

Therefore, WIS’s diversity programs fall under the umbrella of international-mindedness, diversity, and inclusion, known as IDI. We established the following definitions so community members will have a common understanding of these terms.

International-Mindedness
A view of the world in which people see themselves connected to the global community and assume a sense of responsibility to its members. It is an awareness of the inter-relatedness of all nations and peoples, and a recognition of the complexity of these relationships. Internationally-minded people appreciate and value the diversity of cultures in the world and make an effort to learn more about them. (This definition comes from the International Baccalaureate.)
Diversity
The full range of differences and similarities — visible and non-visible — that make each individual unique.
Inclusion
The process of recognizing, valuing, and maximizing the opportunities that arise from having different perspectives and backgrounds.

What does it mean to be international-minded?

At the time of our founding in 1966, WIS was one-of-a-kind in Washington, DC. Our mission has always centered on the belief that students must graduate prepared to engage in the world. Our curriculum provides the tools to achieve that objective.

And language study is an important lens for understanding and appreciating differences: it is a starting point that gives WIS students the tools and motivation to look outward and act as change agents to address issues common to people around the world.

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WELCOMING SCHOOLS HONORS WIS

WIS is officially a Welcoming School! A member of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (which runs the Welcoming Schools program) team attended a June 2024 ceremony at WIS to officially bestow this honor. WIS is the first school in the United States to achieve this designation at both the primary and secondary school levels.

IDI PROGRAMS

WIS’s Director of IDI Aldaine Wynter oversees programs for students, faculty/staff, and parents, assisted by IDI coordinators from each school division.

Highlights from the 2024–2025 school year
The continuation of IDI Drop-in Parent Sessions, which delve into issues affecting individuals with various identities. Participation in Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color as a member school. The continuation of Middle School Affinity Groups, which allow students to explore their identities in a safe and supported environment. Groups include: Black Students; Touched by Divorce; Neurodiverse & Mental Health; Touched by Adoption; Students of Color; Jewish Students; Queer Pride; White Awareness, Accountability, and Allyship. “IDI and Me” programs for students.

Highlights from the 2024–2025 school year

The continuation of IDI Drop-in Parent Sessions, which delve into issues affecting individuals with various identities.
Participation in Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color as a member school.
The continuation of Middle School Affinity Groups, which allow students to explore their identities in a safe and supported environment. Groups include: Black Students; Touched by Divorce; Neurodiverse & Mental Health; Touched by Adoption; Students of Color; Jewish Students; Queer Pride; White Awareness, Accountability, and Allyship.
“IDI and Me” programs for students.

Highlights from the 2023–2024 school year
A monthly IDI newsletter featuring community profiles, IDI playlists and media recommendations, and highlights of activities on campus and beyond. IDI Drop-in Parent Sessions, which delved into issues affecting individuals with the following identities: chosen children, Black, individuals of color, faith-based, AAPI, Latine, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse. Receipt of the Seal of Excellence from Welcoming Schools, at both the primary and secondary school level. Paritication in CONNECTdmv programs as a member school. Student field trips, including a Civil Rights exploration to Georgia and Alabama and participation in the UNIS-UN conference Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality. Student and staff participation in the NAIS People of Color Conference and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Assemblies focusing on: National Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Lunar New Year, Jewish families and the Holocaust, and more. The continuation of Middle School Affinity Groups, which allow students to explore their identities in a safe and supported environment. “IDI and Me” programs for students.

Highlights from the 2023–2024 school year

A monthly IDI newsletter featuring community profiles, IDI playlists and media recommendations, and highlights of activities on campus and beyond.
IDI Drop-in Parent Sessions, which delved into issues affecting individuals with the following identities: chosen children, Black, individuals of color, faith-based, AAPI, Latine, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse.
Receipt of the Seal of Excellence from Welcoming Schools, at both the primary and secondary school level.
Paritication in CONNECTdmv programs as a member school.
Student field trips, including a Civil Rights exploration to Georgia and Alabama and participation in the UNIS-UN conference Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality.
Student and staff participation in the NAIS People of Color Conference and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference.
Assemblies focusing on: National Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Lunar New Year, Jewish families and the Holocaust, and more.
The continuation of Middle School Affinity Groups, which allow students to explore their identities in a safe and supported environment.
“IDI and Me” programs for students.

IDI FUNDS

WIS has two funds specifically designated to support IDI efforts:

The Mara Wilson Fund
The Mara Wilson Fund honors the memory of Mara Wilson, a WIS Middle School Art and Design Technology Teacher and artist whose work was defined by her love for her community and her vision for a more just and equitable Washington, DC. The fund is designed to support initiatives at the School that increase awareness about racial inequities; instill a culture that directly challenges and denounces racism; and cultivate a school environment where individuals of color feel safe and confident, and where all community members are equipped to recognize racial insensitivity and feel compelled to take action against it.
The CEJA Fund
The CEJA (Community Equity and Justice Award) Fund supports social justice and equity initiatives at WIS. Each year, members of the Upper School community are invited to apply for the CEJA, which underwrites projects—particularly those which establish multi-year partnerships with local groups—that raise awareness about social inequities and injustices in the Washington, DC area. Awardees are granted between $200-$400 to complete their project.

IDI DOCUMENTS

The document linked below outlines WIS's approach to diversity and inclusion, as well as the intersection between IDI and the School's mission and approach to education.

IDI Overview

It is a complementary document to WIS's Communications Policy, which explains how the school approaches messaging around current events.

Communications Policy