Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

At the heart of GAC is the desire to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).  

GAC stands against racism in any form, whether in word or deed, whether overt or systemic.  Racism is a sin against our fellow human beings, and against God.  We will teach our children to stand against racism, hold ourselves and our students accountable surrounding racism, and continue to change ourselves and our practices, as we continue to learn more.  As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” We make a lasting commitment to keep learning about inequity, and to improve ourselves and our school to more fully live out the love of Christ for all people.

Our goal is to make meaningful progress now and for the future of our children. We are listening to our parents and students, past and present. We are grateful for their hearts and their desire to help GAC move forward. We plan to continue to provide opportunities to listen to members of our community. 

- Dr. Scott Harsh, GAC President

Action Steps:

We are committed to growth both as individuals and as a collective body of GAC. We acknowledge that our words will ring hollow without tangible actions. Some of the steps we have taken to date include the following: 

• We are actively listening to the voices of our Black community about the pain of racism they have experienced.  We will continue to be attuned to their hurt and frustration and remain committed to growth. We are grateful for the courage of so many who have shared their experiences and insight with us. We will not tolerate racism of any kind, and we will do more to fight against it, together.
• In 2018, GAC began the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force with the goal of intentional discussions and actions to improve inclusion among the GAC student body.  
• During the 2019-2020 school year, GAC Administrators and members of the Inclusion Task Force received intensive inclusion and diversity training from an external EDI consultant.  Faculty members’ professional development included Responsive Teaching training (which includes diversity and inclusion). 
• In March 2020, Charles Edwards was asked to move from Middle School Principal to be full time Director of Diversity & Inclusion which allows for more focused efforts in the area of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), including leading the Inclusion Task Force.
• Dr. Harsh sent letters regarding our beliefs around anti-racism to our current parents and faculty staff in June 2020, and to every alumni in July, 2020.  We added an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) page on our website.
• We also surveyed parents of current students to provide an opportunity for feedback specifically on the areas of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, in order to gain insight as to where we have done well in the past, as well as where we need to grow and change. 
• We have committed financial resources that are solely dedicated to support the initiatives necessary in this important work.
• An external consultant has been hired to work with a GAC committee and is in the process of reviewing curriculum and creating a program for students with an eye towards equity, diversity, and inclusion.  
• Another external consultant has been contracted to conduct additional training for all faculty during the 2020-2021 school year in the area of EDI, intercultural competencies, and anti-racism.
• The Student-Parent Handbook is also being assessed with an awareness for equity and inclusion.
• Additionally, discipline procedures are being reviewed by a new committee that will serve in an advisory role with future discipline issues involving racism, inclusion, and equity to ensure consistency across school levels.
• A new Alumni Advisory Committee for EDI has been created from a group of alumni across a broad range of graduation years who will visit with us in the area of equity, diversity and inclusion.