About

Equity and Inclusion

At Lancaster Country Day School, we celebrate diversity and the vibrancy that disparate backgrounds, perspectives and life experiences bring to campus life.  Moreover, we believe these differences to be an essential part of the LCDS curriculum.
As a college-preparatory school, it is our highest goal to produce graduates ready not only for college, but for navigating, understanding and participating in the broader world, into which college is just the first step. 
 
Our diversity manifests itself in many arenas, and strengthens us in every one, whether collaboration in the classroom, on the playing fields or pursuing service opportunities in Lancaster city. Students lead the effort through the Middle and Upper School Diversity councils, while teachers and parents make their own contributions in the Equity & Inclusion Faculty Working Group and the Parent Community Council, which sponsor events such as international author appearances, cultural celebrations and diversity speakers.
 
LCDS continues to welcome and affirm students, parents, faculty and staff of all backgrounds, and we as a community are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and social group, feels at home at Lancaster Country Day School. From the toddlers in preschool to seniors heading off to college and all the adults who work with them, we aspire to be a community that hears all voices and values every individual’s unique, formative experiences.

DIVERSITY
  • Economic — 33 percent of students receive need-based tuition assistance
  • Geographic — Students from six Pennsylvania counties, 38 school districts and 9 international countries including Bhutan, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya and Russia
  • Race  — 33 percent students of color
  • Religion —Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic and atheist

Cultivating Leadership in our Community

List of 3 items.

  • Students

    Students play an integral role in encouraging our school to be a more equitable community. Upper School clubs meet weekly to discuss topics including diversity, mental health, gender concerns, refugees, immigration, etc. Annually, the upper school Gender and Sexuality Alliance facilitates Day of Silence, a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBTQ students. In addition, students express their points of view through the 4th Estate student newspaper and in school assemblies. In the fall of 2018, the Middle School instituted its own Diversity Council; currently one third of the middle school population meets monthly to talk about diversity and inclusion.

  • Faculty and Staff

    LCDS is committed to engaging the whole community in diversity matters, including faculty and staff. The school offers a wide range of opportunities for leadership and learning in multiculturalism, equity, and inclusion and the administration supports the ongoing growth of faculty and staff in the areas of diversity through professional development. Faculty are encouraged to attend conferences and speakers are invited to lead professional day discussions. In 2017, a faculty working group convened to study ways to engage students and adults in discussions of equity. This group initiated the first roll out of the NAIS Assessment of Inclusion and Multicultural Survey (AIM) in 2019.

  • Parents

    The Parent Community Council (PCC) is open to all LCDS parents and offers a safe space to talk about their experiences. The PCC also serves to facilitate communication between parents and the school community on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. They meet in homes and at school, host book clubs and sponsor speakers for the school and the wider Lancaster County community. The PCC is devoted to creating, nurturing, and integrating cultural, racial and ethnic diversity.

Meet our Staff

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Jerrill Adams

    Jerrill Adams 

    Director of Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Community Engagement
    Bio

Diversity Statement

At Lancaster Country Day School, we view the diversity of backgrounds, identities and perspectives within our community as a source of collective strength.  In pursuit of our central mission to develop thinking individuals who engage the world meaningfully, diversity allows us to develop among our students both social and global awareness, moral responsibility, and an appreciation of differences. Correspondingly, we value every student, parent, and staff member regardless of race, religion, gender or beliefs as an integral part of our community.  

-May 9, 2011 | LCDS Board of Trustees

Student Equity & Inclusion Clubs

List of 6 items.

  • Aevidum

    Raises awareness of the warning signs of depression. Aevidum is an expression of assurance from one person to another person meaning, “I have your back”

  • Black Student Union & Latinx Club

    Affinity groups designated for students of color to collaborate about specific topics of interest and impact.

  • Feminists Unite Now

  • Gender and Sexuality Alliance

    Dedicated to providing essential resources to all students, particularly creating a supportive environment for LGBT+ students and spreading knowledge to all in the community.

  • Middle and Upper School Diversity Councils

    Strive to promote equality and appreciation for all gender, racial and sexual identities

  • Refugee and Immigrant Service Education

    Provides a cultural exchange every week for both Lancaster refugee/immigrant/ESL students and LCDS students.

Conferences

Outreach

Lancaster Country Day School

725 Hamilton Road
Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: (717) 392-2916
Lancaster Country Day School is a preschool-12th grade, coed college preparatory school with students from Lancaster, Hershey, York and Reading.
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