Director of Culture and Belonging

Additional Information

Summary:

The Director of Culture and Belonging is central to Creighton Preparatory School’s commitment to mission, community, and excellence. The Director of Culture and Belonging will partner with Creighton Preparatory School’s community members in an effort to empower all adults and students to see themselves reflected in the community, while also appreciating the multiple identities/cultures that comprise who we are, and who we aspire to become. The Director of Culture and Belonging will lead transformational work to advocate for equity and  intersectionality, while partnering with leadership to implement sustainable community-wide systems that nurture fairness, healing, learning, growth, and community. The successful candidate will help to intentionally build an environment that promotes deep respect for cultural differences, especially on behalf of traditionally under-represented community members, people of color, families who have limited financial resources, and first-generation college-bound students. The Director of Culture and Belonging will provide strategic leadership for the school community’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

This position reports to the Head of School.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Work with the faculty, staff, and administration to enhance the ways that the entire school community supports under-represented students and their families.

• The Director of Culture and Belonging will ensure that the needs and perspectives of under-represented students and their families are considered in decision-making and planning.

• Design, implement, and facilitate purposeful meetings, conversations, and programming with students, faculty, staff, parents, and board members surrounding race, class, identity, equity, and inclusion.

• Provide resources and programming for faculty and staff regarding the intersection of race, class, and identity in the classroom.

• Work with teachers to ensure that curriculum is reflective of the school’s desire to support all students and to dignify all backgrounds and perspectives.

• Collaborate with school administration in hiring of faculty and staff, in particular, by identifying qualified under-represented candidates.

1. Partner with leadership to develop a proactive support system for under-represented students and their families.

• Serve as a resource for prospective students/scholars and their families by working closely with the Director of Admissions and Director of Recruitment.

• Collaborate with school counselors to monitor academic process, and serve as an additional resource during the college search, application, and discernment process.

• Play an active role in the direction/facilitation of student, staff, and parent affinity groups.

1. Develop partnerships with external organizations, and within the Prep community, that enhance the ways Prep supports under-represented students and their families.

• Build relationships with community partners to broaden awareness about Prep in historically under-represented communities, in coordination with the Director of the Loyola Scholars program. Actively solicit and recruit potential students/scholars with and through these community partners.

• Develop structures to ensure that every student has the resources he needs to be successful at Prep in consultation with the Business Office. This includes but is not limited to transportation, books, access to co-curricular activities, etc.

• Develop strong community connections to provide access to information for families, including but not limited to health care, legal assistance, housing, food assistance, job search, continuing education, etc. to avoid any possible disruption to the student’s school year and focus on academics.

• Establish a committee or team who works collaboratively on behalf of leadership to help curate and identify relevant and timely areas of concern and/or opportunity regarding DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging) strategic initiatives and associated work.

• Work collaboratively to define and cultivate a modern culture of belonging for all community members of Creighton Preparatory School.

• Work collaboratively to define relevant DEIB-oriented policies and procedures.

• Work collaboratively to develop and implement DEIB-focused events, socials, hiring procedures, and curriculum.

• Work collaboratively to develop anti-bias curriculum and co-curriculum for all areas of the school.

• Organize and work collaboratively to develop yearly evaluations for all new DEIB initiatives.

• Maintain a strong presence in the community that models positivity, inclusion, and belonging.