Student Life

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Dawson Diversity Statement

Dawson is united in nurturing a culture of belonging that embraces diversity of thought, experience, identity, and passion.

Dawson actively promotes and embraces the exchange of diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds through curricular design, community involvement, and the integration of our four virtues - respect, compassion, courage, and integrity - into every aspect of our community life. It is our responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for all members of our community, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability, or religion, as well as to cultivate in each student the ability to make empathetic, socially responsible decisions.

Annual Events

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Colorado CIRCLE STAMP Conference

Each October, the Middle School No Place for Hate Club attends the Colorado Circle STAMP Conference in Denver. During this day-long event, CIRCLE (Connecting Inclusive Responsive Communities Leading Education) works with young people, schools, and organizations across sectors to address systemic inequity and interpersonal inclusiveness.
Youth Celebrate Diversity NoCoWyo Conference

Each December, uppers school students are invited to attend the local Youth Celebrate Diversity Conference hosted at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. This local conference is a wonderful resource for connecting our students with similarly-focused student leaders and serves as a local alternative for students who can not attend the national SDLC conference.

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NAIS People of Color Conference

The NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) is the premier conference for diversity across independent schools. Each winter, thousands of educators and experts come together to support the ideals of inclusivity, belonging, equity, and diversity and implement best practices in their school communities. Annually, Dawson sends three to five educators to the PoCC Conference.
NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Converence

Affiliated with the NAIS People of Color Conference, the SDLC is the student component of the teacher conference. SDLC is focused on educating and empowering student leaders to be positive change agents in their school. Annually, Dawson sends four to six students to the SDLC Conference. These students then present their learning to faculty and staff.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Each January, the Dawson No Place for Hate coalitions join together to plan and facilitate a K-12 special assembly focusing on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s memory and ideals. The assembly highlights a specific act or quote from Dr. King’s life to celebrate, with the assembly including music, student presentations, and guest speakers.
Middle School Day of Affinity

Each fall and each spring, Dawson's Middle School hosts students of color from area schools for a Day of Affinity. Dawson began this event in 2022 in partnership with Boulder Country Day School and the International School of Denver. Dawson hosted the February 2024 Day of Affinity with seven schools and seventy guest students.

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Dawson Cultural Celebration

Dawson’s Cultural Celebration occurs each spring and is an opportunity to celebrate our school community's diverse histories and cultures. This event hosts over 200 attendees and represents more than twenty-five cultures. The No Place for Hate students help plan and facilitate this event.
Guest Speakers

Dawson School is committed to hosting guest speakers for students, faculty, and the greater community that highlight diversity, equity, and inclusion. Past speakers have included Dr. Sarah Burgamy (“Creating Inclusive School Communities”), Ms. Jamie Morgan (Recognizing Implicit Bias and Microaggressions), and Mr. André Robert Lee (Understanding the Inequities in our Nation’s Past and Present).

STAMP Conference 2024
MLK Day All-School Assembly
MLK Day All-School Assembly
Cultural Appropriation
Cultural Celebration
NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference
Cultural Celebration
Youth Celebrate Diversity Conference
Middle School Day of Affinity
Cultural Celebration
Cultural Celebration

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Student Clubs

No Place for Hate (NP4H)

Supported by the Anti-Defamation League, the No Place for Hate program is a student-led school climate improvement program that cultivates student leadership, unites school communities, and engages students and staff in active learning around the ideals of cultural competencies.

Learn more about the NP4H Program

- Upper School NP4H

Faculty Co-Leaders

T.J. Alcala and Victoria Kalman

- Middle School NP4H

Faculty Co-Leaders

Liz Bender and Elizabeth Perez

- Lower School NP4H

Faculty Co-Leaders

Stef Sarvadi and Ally Delany

Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA)

The Dawson School, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, is a student-run organization that unites LGBTQ+ and allied students to build community and organize around issues impacting our students and their school community. The middle school and upper school GSA clubs additionally serve as safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and help lead multiple school programs to support inclusion and belonging at Dawson.

US Faculty Leader

Karen Hand

MS Faculty Co-Leaders

Nick Malakow and Liz Bender

DEI News

Cultural Celebration 2024

The Cultural Celebration is an annual event that celebrates the many cultures, backgrounds, and identities in our community. Students, parents, faculty, and staff prepare and share native foods, items, and pastimes. The theme of this year's event was International Travel.
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Middle School Affinity Day

On Wednesday, February 14th, Dawson hosted the third semi-annual Middle School Students of Color Day of Affinity.
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No Place for Hate Takes Over the Library

An exciting new initiative this year is the collaboration between the Upper School NP4H Club and the Upper School Library.
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Peace Jam 2024

Three years ago, I had the good fortune of meeting the director of PeaceJam, an international education program built to teach youth about the work of previous Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and their strategies for creating change.
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Faculty In-Service

Dr. Sarah Burgamy works with the faculty on the evolving gender identity spectrum and what we can do as educators to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all of our students.
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