Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at PWS

The Portland Waldorf School Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement and Land Acknowledgement

At Portland Waldorf School, we seek to create an inclusive community where our differences are both valued and acknowledged. Celebrating our shared humanity and striving to be our best selves is a priority. 

We commit to being a community that is inclusive of people of diverse culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, economic background, political view and spiritual orientation.

To address the needs of our students and the issues of our current world, we commit to making ongoing innovations in our curriculum, festivals, policies and practices in order to better reflect, support and expand our evolving community. 

We welcome open dialogue and acknowledge that mistakes and discomfort are part of the process, which also provide an opportunity for growth. We seek to embrace diversity because: only if we welcome and incorporate a variety of experiences can we live fully in our shared humanity.

Our Commitments Manifested Actions

  • PWS Action

    In 2022, our faculty and staff participated in multiple sessions of SEED training, where we expanded our skills of deepening our conversations as a community and reflecting on our goals as a school. We continue to review our curriculum with an eye on inclusion, representation and diverse narratives. With the help of members of the the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, we have both a living and a written Land Acknowledgement, as well as ongoing community education.

  • AWSNA Action

    “The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) recognizes the historic and ongoing impact of racism on our continent and the injustice and discrimination faced by Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color. We understand that racial justice in education is a journey of both moral and educational imperative.” Read more

  • Community Action

    Join us monthly at one of our DEIJ Community meetings, where faculty, staff, parents and PWS community members discuss topics, deepen our understanding and share resources.

    Meetings are on the second Monday of most months, Please contact us for meeting information.

Land Acknowledgement

Portland Waldorf School recognizes that we are here because of sacrifices forced upon the original people of this land. We honor with gratitude the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Cowlitz, Siletz, Tumwater, Watlala bands of the Chinook, the Tualatin, Kalapuya and many other Tribal nations and people of the Willamette and Columbia River regions, who belong to and have cared for this land since time immemorial. We honor and pay our respects to the Native American people of this land, past, present and future.