Community Engagement and Belonging

Porter-Gaud is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable community in which all individuals can contribute to school life and develop a sense of belonging (feeling safe, appreciated, supported, and accepted as a beloved member of the community).

To further this commitment, the Office of Community Engagement and Belonging (CEB) offers intercultural learning lessons in the Lower School. Intercultural learning seeks to support students in their growth to communicate effectively with different people, be empathetic collaborators, and globally oriented citizens.

In first and second grade, the intercultural learning lessons focus on the students' ability to discuss themselves and their families, describe their similarities and differences to one another, and recognize and respond to fairness and unfairness in work and play.

In third and fourth grade, the lessons focus on the students' ability to describe themselves and embrace their family traditions, investigate and value their similarities and differences to one another, learn about examples of justice and fairness in history, and value others beyond their shared attributes.

Porter-Gaud is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable community in which all individuals can contribute to school life and develop a sense of belonging (feeling safe, appreciated, supported, and accepted as a beloved member of the community).

To further this commitment, the Office of Community Engagement and Belonging (CEB) offers lessons and programming as one of the components of Life 101. This programming includes celebratory assemblies (i.e., Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month). The students also have workshops on intercultural competence to develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge to communicate effectively and appropriately with different people.

The CEB office also oversees bystander intervention training to equip students with strategies to safely intervene for themselves and others in situations of harassment and bullying.

Porter-Gaud is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable community in which all individuals can contribute to school life and develop a sense of belonging (feeling safe, appreciated, supported, and accepted as a beloved member of the community).

To further this commitment, the Office of Community Engagement and Belonging (CEB) offers lessons in the 9th Grade Experience program and advisory. The 9th Grade Experience includes lessons on honoring human dignity, building on strengths for resilience, perspective-taking, calling in culture, and supporting others. The advisory program includes lessons on kindness, mental health, and celebratory heritage months (i.e., Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month).

The CEB office also oversees bystander intervention training to equip students with strategies to safely intervene for themselves and others in situations of harassment and bullying. 

A Dialogue Group (DG) is used to bring together people who can speak to the experience of being a member of a group from the “I” perspective and/or would like to explore different aspects of identities. The 2023-2024 Upper School DGs include:

• Athletes Mental Health Awareness
• Black Excellence Society
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Support Circles

• The CEB Office offers year-long training to all divisions on identity-conscious education, intercultural competence, and courageous conversations. 
• The CEB supports affinity spaces for adults (i.e., Bad Girls of the Bible Book Club, Faculty and Staff of Color Affinity Group).

• Upper School students attend the Student Diversity Leadership Conference organized by the National Association of Independent Schools. 
• Upper School students attend the Low Country Student Diversity Leadership Conference. 
• Upper School students attend the National Sexual Assault and Consent Summit organized by GDS. 
• PG faculty attend the NAIS People of Color Conference every year.
• PG co-leads two Teaching for Black Lives study groups for faculty and staff in partnership with Ashley Hall.

• April 2023: Culinary Connections
  A festive dinner and discussion highlighting the depth of the Caribbean's many influences on Lowcountry Cuisine. A unique opportunity to discover the tropical roots of our region's architecture, food traditions, and cultural heritage and to dine on freshly-prepared, boldly-flavored cuisine from the island of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Puerto Rico. Proceeds benefiting PG's Equity and Inclusion Fund.
• December 2022: Parent Coffee with Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley
  As Porter-Gaud celebrates 50 years of educating women on campus, we recognize the importance of having women in leadership roles in ministry. Bishop Woodliff-Stanley will highlight the need for and challenges of female leadership in ministry and how the school's Episcopal identity helps create a strong sense of community and belonging for all.
• October 2022: Beyond Diversity: Why a Culture of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Prepare our Learners for the Challenges of the 21st Century
  Dr. Yerko Sepúlveda, Porter Gaud's Director of Community Engagement and Belonging, introduced the CEB office at Porter-Gaud, explored the latest trends in equity work in education, and shared about the action steps the CEB office is taking to ensure we continue creating an inclusive and equitable community where everyone at our school develops a sense of belonging. 
• March 2022: Cora Webb of Charleston's We Are Family
  We Are Family’s mission as a southern grassroots non-profit organization is to provide affirming spaces for LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, etc.) and ally youth up to the age of 24 through direct support, leadership development, and community engagement.