DIVERSITY 

Diversity refers to demographic or identity diversity such as race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, spiritual beliefs, gender, gender identity and expression, physical ability,  neurodiversity, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, age, language, socioeconomics, and political beliefs.  Within education, diversity encompasses these, as well as difference or variety in education, knowledge, perspectives, opinions, disciplines, skills, and needs and opportunities of all stakeholders. Brockton is committed to support, encourage, and appreciate diversity through representation and respect of all community members.

EQUITY

Equity is about access and opportunity to succeed at Brockton. We are committed to welcome, value, respect, and support the diversity within our school community and beyond. We will be reflexive and reflective on the full context and impacts of our practices and processes, recognizing that these may be experienced differently by different individuals and groups. Taking equity as a guiding principle means that we actively strive to identify and remove systemic and structural barriers and biases, creating workplaces and learning environments to ensure that everyone has the resources and opportunities they need to fully flourish at Brockton.

INCLUSION 

Inclusion refers to enabling all individuals on our campus to fully enjoy the opportunities Brockton has to offer, through programming, meaningful actions, and holistic approaches to education and school life. Inclusion means we value and cultivate full and purposeful engagement with our school community, by seeking equity and representation in all aspects of our operations and decision-making roles. Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term meaning “humanity”. It is sometimes translated as “I am because we are” (also “I am because you are”), or “humanity towards others.” At Brockton, we are better together–when the richness of our diversity is welcomed and celebrated.

JUSTICE

Every person is entitled to a life of dignity, equality, and respect, free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying regardless of their diverse identity or demographic. At Brockton we commit to practice justice and impact change by transforming words into action through kindness, addressing difficult issues, advocating for those in need of an ally, minimizing bias, and removing barriers. We commit to actively developing a culturally-responsive community where conflict resolution, human rights, equity, and anti-racism are at the heart of teaching and learning. We strive to model justice in all its forms (restorative, environmental, social, etc.) so that all Brockton community members can feel valued and empowered with the cognitive, social, and emotional skills to make a positive impact in the world around them. 

ACCESSIBILITY 

Accessibility refers to the degree to which physical, pedagogical, and administrative structures at Brockton are (re)designed to enable the full, meaningful, and equitable engagement of all members of our diverse school community. Accessibility goes beyond ramped access to buildings. It also includes, for example, designing for physical, financial, sensory, social, and language-level access. Whereas accommodation refers to making specific modifications to support the full participation of an individual who has encountered barriers, an accessible campus is one that seeks proactively to reduce as many barriers as possible, while creating efficient and transparent processes for individuals to gain the accommodations they require and are entitled to by law. 

RECONCILIATION

Reconciliation refers to a process of building and sustaining respectful, reciprocal, and ethical relationships with Indigenous peoples based on mutual understanding and respect. Reconciliation at Brockton acknowledges and validates Indigenous historical and present relationships with Canada, with an emphasis on capacity building and foundational change in support of Indigenous initiatives, programming, and personnel. We understand reconciliation as a complex, critical, continuous process requiring an awareness of the intergenerational impacts of colonization and cultural genocide. We commit to learning and unlearning from Indigenous communities; recognizing Indigenous communities as knowledge holders; and using the First Peoples Principles of Learning to guide educational processes.

INTERSECTIONALITY 

An intersectional approach to equity, diversity, and inclusivity begins from the understanding that the different aspects of social diversity do not exist separately or in isolation from each other. Instead, the various aspects of social diversity are interwoven and affect each other. Intersectionality focuses on how multiple, interwoven aspects shape social belonging, cultural representations, social and political institutions, as well as the material conditions of our lives in ways that are not reducible to any singular aspect or social category. We understand that everyone’s life is shaped by intersecting social categories. Intersecting social categories play a role in exclusion and shape social, political, and material marginalization and dominance. Experiences and systems of persistent social inequality cannot be understood without an intersectional framework.