THE LOVETT SCHOOL WILL RECOGNIZE THE HUMANITY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL and will be a community whose touchstones are honesty, respect, responsibility, and compassion. To realize this vision we must increase our diversity and create the programs and training necessary to achieve a more inclusive, safe, and supportive climate for everyone. We will continue to clarify the role of religion and the Judeo-Christian tradition at our school and better integrate character education and wellness into the curriculum.

A sampling of initiatives already underway:
While researching the activities of the Middle and Upper Schools, we shadowed some of our students and gained insight into their lives. Several focus groups and interview sessions with students allowed us an even greater perspective and led to the creation of a new Upper School group for students who might feel marginalized in our community. Teens Against Prejudice, or TAP, will launch in the fall of 2007 with experiential workshops and training sessions for students. It is our hope that the students who go through the program will then serve as ambassadors to their peers, working to create connections--rather than separations--within our student body and helping curb the alienation that some of our youth face.

We also conducted family interviews to garner data about the way we are perceived in non-majority communities and to solicit recommendations on ways for Lovett to become even more welcoming of an increasingly multicultural population. Programs already in place include a Q&A session specifically for families of color as well as the launch of the Lovett International Alliance, a group of Lovett families committed to expanding international awareness by offering events and programs for the entire community.

Other selected strategies:

• Increase the overall financial aid budget as a percentage of tuition from 6.6% to 7.5%.
• Increase the percentage of financial aid students.
• Initiate a program for cultural competency training for faculty/staff that focuses on the school setting.
• Review the role of the director of multicultural programs and services.
• Strengthen integrity by enforcing the Honor Code consistently, teaching integrity in all disciplines, making the Honor Council more prominent, being cognizant of the ever-increasing time demands placed on our students, and increasing opportunities for adults to model the Honor Code and Character Pledge.
• Develop character education initiatives for faculty, staff, coaches, and parents.
• Clearly communicate and enforce the expectations of and consequences of violating the school's harassment and intolerance policy.
• Assess the current health curriculum, training programs, counseling services, and dining options to improve student and faculty/staff wellness.