Racial Equity. Awakening. Community. Hope.
“Systemic racism is a machine that runs whether we pull the levers or not, and by just letting it be, we are responsible for what it produces.”
― So You Want to Talk About Race
The REACH Initiative is a committee open to Jack & Jill Center educators, team members and parents who are working to shine a light on racial inequities within our own community, discuss where our policies, procedures, and practices can be improved upon by reflecting racial equity and work to create change. It is our goal to create lasting, meaningful change by eliminating racial biases within our organization and ensuring racial equity is ingrained in the culture of Jack & Jill Center.
At Jack & Jill Center, we have always placed a high value in our diverse community of children, families, educators, and staff. We believe that by acknowledging and learning to appreciate our differences, we can develop a more inclusive community. Interacting with a wide range of people teaches us the world is an exciting place, rich with possibilities, and we can be honored for our own unique qualities and at the same time celebrate those who are different from us. At Jack & Jill Center, we invite children, families, and educators to explore and engage our whole selves in a caring environment that welcomes complexity.
We strive to create the most diverse learning community that we can. We endeavor to create a school that is accessible to all families who want their children to learn with us as we deliberately work to include children and families from different racial backgrounds, income experiences and family structures. We endeavor to hire teachers of the highest quality who bring diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to their teaching. We aim for our school community to reflect the diversity in our local community. We recognize diversity as one of many parts of our work toward social justice. Our commitment to this work is long-term; it is part of a larger, ongoing process towards building a better society.