Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Dominican Academy is faithful to our mission, the spirit of which demands a lifelong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.  We actualize these values through our steadfast dedication to the four Dominican Pillars of Study, Community, Service, and Prayer:

STUDY – Our Catholic Dominican identity inspires us to recognize that informed, equitable decision-making requires rich knowledge, continuous learning, and diverse perspectives. We strive to understand how our society historically and currently imbues some identities with privilege and others with burden.

COMMUNITY – Our Catholic Dominican identity calls us to care for one and all. We value every student, faculty, staff member, parent, and alumna and the various facets of their identities. Our responsibility to community extends to all of humanity and our global environment.

SERVICE – Our Catholic Dominican identity requires us to love our neighbor. This love inspires a commitment to support each other and our larger community.  Charity and justice are at the heart of addressing structural conditions that create systemic inequities, marginalization, oppression, and suffering.

PRAYER – Our Catholic Dominican identity enables us to draw courage and seek strength from God in our pursuit of social justice.  We lean on prayer to help us recognize our own faults, biases, and transgressions.  Prayer is an invitation to dialogue and it enables us to heal, forgive, and inspire self-reflection and growth – as individuals and as a community.

Active and central to our mission is the Catholic belief in the sacred nature of each person.  This truth requires that DEIB remain a vital aspect of all elements of school life. We will continue to ensure these values are reflected in our recruitment of students, faculty, and staff, in our curriculum and instruction, and in the way we encourage our students to live these values as they embark on their adult lives. We pledge to engage all members of the broader D.A. community in this evolving conversation.