Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The healthy social life is found

When in the mirror of each human soul

The whole community finds its reflection

And when in the community

The virtue of each one is living.

-Rudolf Steiner

Mountaintop Waldorf School fosters a community of inclusion and respect for all people. Any form of discrimination is unacceptable, and we explicitly reject any racial doctrine attributed to or inferred from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. We recognize that in The Mission of Folk-Souls and other teachings, Steiner expresses racist ideas that we do not condone in any form. As an educational institution in the town of Saugerties and the greater Hudson Valley region, we recognize the importance of both acknowledging and actively countering the forces of exclusion that exist in our communities and that undermine the dignity and humanity of many of our members, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

As a Waldorf school and full member of WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America), we are “committed to nurturing childhood as a foundation for renewing human culture.”* Through our curriculum and our interactions with both parents and children we are continually meeting the unique developmental needs of each child, we honor the heritage that they bring to the community, and we provide a solid foundation of respect, love, and collaboration that will nourish them in their life journey.

As a private school, we recognize the tuition we set for our programs provides an economic challenge for many families who are interested in the values of Waldorf education and discourages many from reaching out to us. We continue to find ways to prevent finances from being a barrier to those who feel excluded. Through the help of a generous NoVo Foundation grant, we offer tuition assistance to those who would not be a part of our community without it. This enables us to welcome more families who would like to benefit from a Waldorf early childhood experience.

Our classrooms invite, welcome, and value children from all backgrounds. From the simple toys made of natural materials that we provide, to the homelike aesthetic of the classroom, and the guidance of our calm and caring teachers, we create an environment where children are recognized and celebrated for their differences. Storytelling and puppetry are key components of our curriculum. We gather tales from all over the world, sharing with children the rich folk traditions of many cultures. Seasonal festivals are also an integral part of our community life, and we focus on the universal elements that all families can identify with.

As a faculty, we are uncovering the work that must be done to create a culture of equity for all. Our ongoing development as educators includes interacting with people in our community and participating and learning from educational resources—such as workshops, books, and media—that deepen our own learning around issues of equity and social justice. Together and individually, we have engaged in seminars that examine our biases so that we can serve all members of our community with integrity and care. We are committed to actively incorporating an anti-racist posture in all of our interactions with our students and the community, and learning from our mistakes in the process.

We recognize that, as teachers, we play a significant role in the lives of the children and parents we work with, and it is our goal to create an environment where all feel valued for the gifts that they bring to us. We are intentionally building an understanding of one another through meaningful dialogue. We acknowledge that the work we are doing is ongoing. We strive to take action from a place of authenticity and honesty.

This statement is a dynamic and living one. We invite you to join the conversation. All are welcome.

*From the WECAN mission statement: http://www.waldorfearlychildhood.org/purpose.php

Get Involved Locally

These local organizations offer opportunities for: learning more about how systemic racism and prejudice affect our local communities, getting involved to help make an impact to better serve all members of the community, volunteering to help serve the needs of others, and donating to keep these community groups thriving.

For a more exhaustive list of organizations and ways you can get involved to help, please visit the Chronogram website.

Radio Kingston
radiokingston.org

Radio Kingston is a non-commercial platform dedicated to a vibrant, just, and healthy Kingston centered around community storytelling, artistic and musical expression, conversation and connection.

Through music, conversation, spoken-word performances, educational programming and more, Radio Kingston reflects and celebrates one of the city’s greatest strengths – its diversity – and is guided by a commitment to lifting up voices not often heard in other media. Together, its programs offer a chance for all residents to engage, listen to, and learn from each other.

Tune in at 107.9FM or on the Radio Kingston app

Citizen Action of New York citizenactionny.org

A grassroots membership organization taking on big issues that are at the center of transforming society by ensuring our children have a quality public education no matter their zip code, ending our current system of mass incarceration and establishing a new system of justice, ensuring quality affordable housing for all, fighting for guaranteed quality, affordable health care, taking big money out of politics by creating a fair elections system, aiming to dismantle the historic racist system by promoting racial justice, and striving for a more progressive tax system to begin to end the runaway inequality in our state

Rise Up Kingston riseupkingston.org

RiseUp Kingston is a grassroots organization led by those experiencing racism, classism, and gender oppression on a daily basis. We organize to win, with our collective power, a Kingston economy that meets all of our social and environmental needs.

Rise Up Kingston's events, actions & tactics are led by committees of people who are directly impacted by the systems and structures we are trying to break down. Our Criminal Justice and Housing Justice committee meet once a month. If you are interested in learning more about our committees, contact info@riseupkingston.org.

Family of Woodstock familyofwoodstockinc.org

Family of Woodstock, Inc. is a network of individuals, paid and volunteer, whose mission is to provide confidential and fully accessible crisis intervention, information, prevention, and support services to address the needs of individuals and families. The scope of the agency’s vision allows us to bring to bear resources to address a broad spectrum of human problems

The Good Work Institute goodworkinstitute.org

The Good Work Institute is a nonprofit organization in the Hudson Valley of New York that hopes to help turn this moment into a sustained movement by connecting and supporting the people, projects, and organizations that are leading the transition locally. To that end, we offer Hudson Valley nonprofits, activists, and other agents of change tools, trainings, and connections to deepen and expand their good work.

Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center lgtbqcenter.org

As a safe, supportive environment, the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center provides services, professional resources, and programs that unite the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning community across lines of age, race, gender, and economics. Our purpose is to strengthen, support, and celebrate LGBTQ individuals, families, and groups in their efforts to achieve their fullest potential.

Individual & Collective Faculty Studies

Workshops taken by the whole Faculty:

Spring 2019

WECAN Regional Workshop hosted by Mountaintop Waldorf School:

Considering our Cultural and Community Biases in early Childhood presented by Megan Gil

Fall 2020:

Anti-Racism Workshop, with cultural worker Dev Luthra

Six sessions to discuss and examine our own attitudes around race, culture, upbringing, and power. Dev shared many resources; videos, books, articles, and podcasts to explore and examine.

Winter 2021:

WECAN Conference: Toward a kinder, more compassionate society: Black Lives Matter in Waldorf Early Childhood classrooms and communities.

Keynote speaker: Lalena Garcia.
All participants were introduced to the early childhood curriculum around healing racism that has been put together by Lanena Garcia in cooperation with the Black Lives Matter movement. The focus of this year’s WECAN conference was on activities around Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Access. The thirteen principles of the Black Lives Matter movement translated into child friendly language and introduced to us. One of the main topics of this workshop was how to talk to young children about race and make our schools and communities welcoming towards a diverse population of children.

A large variety of smaller workshops were offered during the afternoon, some of these were: poetry around race, making diverse puppets in the classroom, explicit talk to children about social justice and creating a diverse set of stories and songs within the Waldorf philosophy.

For this workshop everyone read: They are not too young to talk about race, a pamphlet put out by The Children’s community School in Philadelphia.

Books read with the whole faculty:

Mindful of Race by Ruth King

Workshops taken Individually:

Fall 2019

Undoing Racism/Community Organizing, People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond; pisab.org

Summer 2020:

AntiRacist Table: Help create an Anti Racist America a 30 day challenge, online course.

How are you really? A 5 weeks circle for parents with children of color. Lead by Rox Etheridge

Meeting Racism and Bias by Developing Imaginative Consciousness : An online workshop with EduCaredo LTD

Fall 2020

Converstions around the Table: 2021 & the Tides of Race and White Supremacy with Michael Steele Hosted by The Anti Racist Table

America’s Racial Karma: An invitation to Heal with Dr. Larry Ward and Furyu Nancy Schroeder. Lotusinstitute.org

The Earthgate, Overcoming Trauma by Larry Ward, Lotusinstitute.org

Undoing Racism, from the People’s Institute

Spaces Intended by Us, through the Good Work Institute

Becoming Better Ancestors, Healing Racism for Parents Who Identify as White, with Rox Etheridge and Felise Nguyen

Critical Consciousness, by Megan Wilson

Teaching Your Children about Race with Dr. Erin Winkler hosted by AntiRacist Table

Building Racial Equity An online 6 hour training with Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation

Winter 20/21:

Becoming Better Ancestors, A ten-week circle, Healing Racism for Teachers, led by Rox Etherigde and Felise Nguyen

Rooted: Framework and Education for Creating an Antiracist Environment for Children, 6 weeks online class with Lalena Garcia

Radical Mindfulness Workshop I and II, with Good Work Institute

Just Transition Workshop, with Good Work Institute

Developing a Social Equity Practice, with Good Work Institute