Before moving to digital learning, students came together to explore and celebrate the diversity of the Jesuit community during Multicultural Week.
For this year's Multicultural Week, students selected the theme: "We the Youth: Advocacy in Action." The planning committee was eager to connect the unique and different perspectives of the student body with local and global opportunities for advocacy.
During the beloved annual performance assembly, students shared their heritage through a showcase of dance and music from countries such as China, Vietnam, and India. Students from the Latino Student Union and Orgulla Latino invited faculty and staff to jump in and learn a few lively group dances from Latin America. As the grand finale, students from the Indian Culture Club staged a Bollywood-style flash mob that was met with thunderous applause and excitement throughout the Knight Center Gym.
Later in the week, an awareness assembly created a platform for students to share their individual stories about cultural identity and why they advocate for equity and inclusion. After each student shared their reflection, they were met with support from their peers. "When you have students who don't always feel part of the community, it was powerful to see our school come together and rally around them during this assembly," says Diversity Director Melissa Lowery.
Through these assemblies, brown bag lunches, and classroom discussions, students learned about how advocacy, diversity, and leadership are connected. Student leaders wanted their peers to end the week feeling inspired by the events and excited to explore ways to make a difference in their own community.
Building upon this year's success, next year's Multicultural Week will transform into Social Justice Week anchored by a school-wide Equity Day where faculty and students will participate in round table discussions and activities that enhance Jesuit's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
To view photography from the performance assembly, click here to visit the Jesuit student news website.
For more information about Jesuit High School's Diversity efforts, click here to visit our website.
To watch the Multicultural Week student awareness videos, click here for the first video, and click here for the second video.