Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

At Acera we value diversity. Acera recognizes that unfairness and bias affects all levels of society, and we are committed to taking a proactive role in building a more equitable and just world. As educators, we embrace our responsibility to be part of positive change and remain steadfast in standing on the side of what is right.

Acera’s core values of community, openness, integrity, and curiosity define our school culture.  We support every child to have a strong sense of belonging at school, honoring diverse backgrounds and belief systems. Development of systems thinking and perspective taking is core to our practice, enabling us to challenge ourselves and our students to make the world a better place. Our collaborative community strives to constantly learn from one another and the world around us, always seeking to improve.  We are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff to engage in education which broadens people’s perspectives and assure we support the diverse needs of all students.

To cultivate a nurturing environment, we must acknowledge individual and cultural differences, diverse ideas and backgrounds, and the impact of historical and systemic structures. We will continue to examine and evolve our practices to ensure that we actively seek out, listen to, and amplify the voices of marginalized people in our teaching. This includes supporting one another in identifying and reframing beliefs and behaviors that stem from implicit bias. Acera teachers facilitate dialogue for learning and growth, and build students’ skills to talk across differences with openness, seeking to understand and never to cancel or condemn.  By fostering critical thinking, awareness, and empathy, we empower our students to be active participants in creating the just society to which we all aspire.