Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Bullis School's Statement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Bullis’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is embedded in our school's values: Caring, Challenging, and Community.

Students, faculty, and community members commit themselves to embracing each person with empathy and respect. Dedicated to creating safe learning environments, faculty facilitate conversations that aid students in understanding complex community, national, and global issues. We strive to celebrate the talents, voices, and authentic expression of every individual and ensure that our commitment to our school's values is reflected in our school’s policies, curricula, and programming.

Diversity.

Bullis embraces a range of people with various racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds and various lifestyles, experience, and interests.

Equity.

Bullis observes fair and equitable treatment, access, opportunity, and engagement for each member of our community.

Inclusion.

Bullis is an environment that respects and values all perspectives, especially ensuring that persons within historically underrepresented groups are included and represented.

DEI at Bullis

Schoolwide

Monthly Newsletter: The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at Bullis committee creates and distributes a monthly newsletter throughout the Bullis community to share resources and voices on specific topics.
Heritage Assemblies: We have revamped our heritage assemblies to create more inclusive programming for the entire school community. These programs educate the Bullis community on relevant topics and include more voices from those communities. We also work to include more participation among the divisions to present the Hispanic Heritage Assembly, Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly, and Black History Month Assembly, and more.
People of Color Conference: Bullis staff members attend the People of Color Conference every year — and have also given presentations.

In the Classroom

In our classrooms and in our community, we explore identity and what it means to be a community in every grade.

Throughout all divisions students in our Humanities & Global Studies Signature Program:

Engage deeply in humanities studies, including social studies, English, art, and world languages
Develop empathy with other communities and cultures
Explore the world through meaningful travel and service
Grow as global thinkers
Are inspired to critically examine the world’s challenges and be agents of change

In the Middle and Upper School, we engage with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our twice-weekly advisory meetings. These year-long small groups provide a safe space to hear and be heard.

Upper School

Curriculum: We continue to update the curriculum to incorporate a greater variety of perspectives. Additionally, two specific courses of note are African American Studies and Latin American Studies. Both courses are designed to approach content through lenses and voices not always considered.
Student training opportunities: Student Diversity Leadership Conference and Diversity in the DMV.
Upper School Student Clubs: Black Student Union, PRISM (a Gay-Straight Alliance), and Educate Girls Globally.
Student publication: InLight Magazine

Student Diversity Magazine: InLight

Celebrating Diversity

At Bullis, we are committed to honoring our diverse community and cultivating a school culture in which every member feels safe, seen, heard, and valued.

Diversity is celebrated at school events — not just at the big events but in the daily interactions of the students, faculty, and parents.

Diversity Blog & News

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Educational Speakers

Connect. Inspire. Empower. Motivate.

Joanna Lohman

Joanna served as our keynote speaker and panelist at the National Day of Silence and Education on LGBTQ+. "The individual who stands in their truth during times of challenge and controversy is the person I want to follow," she said during her speech. Joanna educated students about the importance of allyship, leadership, challenging ourselves to consider others' perspectives, and being your authentic self.

→ Watch the PRISM assembly

About Joanna Lohman

About Joanna Lohman

Joanna Lohman is a global keynote speaker who is building a new generation of authentic leaders who redefine success. She is a former professional soccer player and member of the United States Women's National Team. During her 16-year professional career, Joanna built a platform for social impact and became the first player in Washington Spirit history to have her jersey retired. She is the author of "Raising Tomorrow's Champions," an extraordinary parenting and life lessons book told through the eyes of the greatest women's soccer players of all time.

She attended Pennsylvania State University on a full athletic scholarship and became one of the most decorated players in the school’s history. With her trademark blonde mohawk, multi-hyphenated existence, and her own experience with injury, defeat, and setback, Joanna strives to live an unabashedly authentic life based on deep-rooted acceptance and helping others discover comfort in their own skin.

As a human rights activist and sports diplomat traveling the world running programs in less developed nations, Joanna now takes on her greatest adventure yet as wife to Melodie and parent to Luna.

Dr. Kern Jackson

Dr. Jackson concluded our Black History Month programming by reminding us that we’re all connected in some form or fashion. He indicated that with the skill sets and obtained knowledge you have, you must do something worthwhile in this world for those who are less fortunate.

→ Watch the Black History Month assembly

About Dr. Jackson

About Dr. Jackson

Kern Michael Jackson is the African American Studies Program Director and an Assistant Professor of English at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Jackson, the former curator of minority history for the Museum of Mobile, was the project coordinator for the City of Mobile's Tri-centennial Celebration Video Oral History Project. He holds a doctorate in Folklore from Indiana University-Bloomington and a Masters's degree in African American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. An active lecturer in the areas of oral history, material culture, and literary folkloristics, Dr. Jackson is the co-writer and co-producer of the award-winning international documentary Descendant and is currently working on a book tentatively entitled, Listening to the Wise Ones: Personal Narrative as a Window into Traditional Black Neighborhoods in Mobile, AL.

Sara Brenner

Sara Brenner, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Foundation in Greater Washington, D.C., visited our campus to educate us on the ill effects of antisemitism and how we, as a collective, can combat these acts of hate and discrimination towards Jews and other marginalized groups. “Listening with an open mind and heart is the first step to building a more equitable and just society,“ she said about how to combat antisemitism and racism as a whole. “It is essential that we view people as individuals rather than projecting stereotypes onto them.”

→ Read Article: Guest Speaker Engages in Conversation about Antisemitism and How to Combat It

About Sara Brenner

About Sara Brenner

Sara Brenner, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Foundation in Greater Washington, D.C. (part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington), is a thought leader, talented strategic thinker, skilled community builder, and multi-faceted social entrepreneur. Having to manage $300 million in assets, Ms. Brenner advances her organization’s philanthropic practices and partnerships while building communities of learning and funding to accelerate impact to advance systematic change. Additionally, she partners with philanthropists to advance their goals; and invests their resources, talents, and expertise in the Jewish community and broader world to advance an equitable and just society where all people have the opportunity to thrive.

In addition to her role at the Jewish Community Foundation, Ms. Brenner serves as an executive coach, orator, and writer on topics that relate to transformational change; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and how to drive social change in the areas of wealth building and financial inclusivity and sustainability; workforce development; affordable housing; health equity and access; and advancing democracy.

As a community leader and social service professional, Ms. Brenner has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Gesher Jewish Day School, Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association, and the D.C. Chapter of After School All-Stars. When she’s not leading or serving her community, this University of Wisconsin-Madison and Georgetown University graduate is an avid swimmer and Pilates enthusiast who enjoys traveling, writing poetry, and learning about different cultures.

Plan messages and presentations for assemblies and activities for students and staff.
Shape curricular response to issues of equity, inclusion, and justice that emerge in current events.
Surveys: Comprehensive survey of all staff to identify their “lived experience” at Bullis and their work on the campus supporting diversity, student surveys and workshops.
Collaboration across the Bullis community with Diversity Chairs of the Parents Association.
Diversity Training Programs for the committee, administrative team, and all staff by both outside experts and students.
Professional development opportunities including through the Equity Collaborative at Georgetown Day School, the annual People of Color Conference, and AIMS diversity training.
Membership in EastEd, a local collaborative of diversity practitioners at area independent schools.
Student Clubs: Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice student clubs.
Equity Training and Events: Student attendance at the Middle School Sandy Spring Diversity Conference and other Equity training and events
All-school events, including Think B4U Speak Campaign, Freedom Rider/Activist Speaker Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, Day of Silence and screening of the documentary “An Ordinary Hero” and panel discussion with Freedom Riders Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, Dion Diamond and Rev. Reggie Green.
Student Summit: Bullis hosted the first metrowide DC Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Student Summit, with 14 schools and 130 students in attendance.

Presentations & Awards

The Bullis Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Co-Chairs collaborated with BITlab Director Matt Zigler to present at the NAIS People of Color Conference. Their presentation, Shaping Identity One Makerspace at A Time shared Bullis' work creating multidisciplinary project-based learning centering around identity.
Matt Zigler, BITlab Director, and Allison Ewing won a STEM award for a project on African American studies.

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