Six MICDS Upper School students participated in the Give Respect Get Respect (GRGR) program this year. The opportunity, facilitated by the Diversity Awareness Partnership, includes five anti-bias training sessions throughout the school year. From their website, “The program connects middle and high school students, school administrators and associates from local businesses in an effort to address diversity and encourage respect and acceptance among peers/co-workers.” The goal of the program is for students to develop tools and strategies to become inclusive leaders and break down walls that may separate groups of students from each other.
Zoe Carter-Konate ’22, Lauren Douglas ’22, Zaire Harrell ’22, Cammy Henderson ’22, Amani Hendricks ’22 and Raygan McDile ’22 engaged in the sessions, and Upper School faculty members Erica Moore and Daniel George also attended a session. Students collaborated with employees from the St. Louis Zoo and Missouri Botanical Garden in the school-workplace partnership, and students from three other schools were also part of the cohort. The program offered a great opportunity to share perspectives and learn from each other on identities presented including ability, race, religion and more.