Programs
What Are We Reading?
Take a look and see what our faculty and staff book club has been reading lately.
Potomac offers a variety of events, groups, professional development opportunities, and programs that support the goals of diversity and inclusion. Some of these opportunities are listed below.
Faculty and Staff Book Group
This group, which is open to all Potomac faculty and staff members, reads two books related to cultural competence each year. The conversations that follow are focused and insightful; they are also great starting points for sharing our own stories about diversity, equity, and identity. Members meet approximately four to five times per book. See what we are reading.
InLight Student Magazine
Published three times a year, InLight works to empower students as they grow as writers, artists, and active, reflective citizens. The magazine examines contemporary topics through a lens of personal experience and identity. The winter issue is always a collaborative issue with other local schools, such as Georgetown Day, Sidwell Friends, and Washington International.
LS Heritage and History Months
Potomac’s Lower School is committed to celebrating the heritage and history of our community members as well as the community at large. Through classroom projects, resource websites, assemblies, and hallway displays, faculty, students, and parents will expand their understanding and appreciation of the history, culture, and customs of diverse communities.
MLK Assembly
Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday that celebrates the life and legacy of this iconic civil rights activist. MLK Day is also considered a national day of service when many Americans volunteer to help others and improve their communities. Here at the Potomac School we celebrate his life and legacy through a K-12 assembly in an effort to encourage our community to engage in service. We celebrate through student reflections on the importance of service, with uplifting music representing the African-American community, and a Potomac Award for Exemplary Service presented to a community member outside of the Potomac community who serves as an inspiration.
NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference
The Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), hosted by the National Association of Independent Schools, is an immersive educational experience that takes place concurrently with the annual People of Color Conference. SDLC “focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community,” and the participants “develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice...and learn the foundations of allyship and networking.” The conference originated in 1993, and Potomac students have participated since the 2001-02 school year.
NAIS People of Color Conference
Potomac has a longstanding commitment to participating in the NAIS People of Color Conference annually. While we prioritize faculty and staff of color, understanding the importance of this conference in affirming and rejuvenating those from traditionally marginalized communities, we also encourage broader participation from all faculty, staff, and administrators as an important professional development opportunity.
Upper School Lunchtime Conversations
Lunchtime Conversations in the Upper School is a panel discussion series that focuses on current events and topics of interest suggested by student clubs. As many student clubs in the Upper School are affinity or alliance based, some conversations allow students to explore how current events intersect with parts of their identity. The Hispanic Student Alliance hosted a conversation featuring GALA (Grupo de Artistas LatinoAmericanos) Hispanic Theatre’s Director of Education and Arts Engagement, Silvia Thorton Freeman. The event was in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and gave students an opportunity to learn about GALA’s commitment to providing opportunities for Latino artists, educating the youth, and engaging communities in an exchange of ideas and perspectives. The Virginia Teen Democrats and the Middle Eastern North African Alliance student clubs jointly hosted a lunchtime conversation focusing on the political and cultural oppression of women in the region. By exploring movements of resistance and examples of female bravery and perseverance, those in attendance were able to develop informed opinions about the events in Iran and explore their responsibilities as global citizens in addressing the current issues.
Affinity, Alliance, and Interest Spaces
Alliance Spaces at Potomac
Potomac's Affinity Spaces allow students to celebrate a shared identity of some kind. Joining a student club centered around a specific identifier gives students a special space to meet with people who are similar to them in a key way. Affinity group members can speak from personal, firsthand experience about a particular identity. Some Potomac affinity groups include the Asian American Pacific Islander Affinity Group, the Empowering Women of Color Group, the Multiracial Affinity Group, and the Ninth Grade Girls Group.
Affinity Spaces at Potomac
Alliance Spaces at Potomac give students the opportunity to join with others in solidarity. Student clubs that prioritize building alliance consist of both members of a particular identity and people who want to show support for them. Being part of an alliance group is a wonderful way to increase inclusivity, advocacy, and awareness of various issues within the Potomac community. Potomac alliance groups include the Black Student Alliance, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, the Gender Equity Activities Club, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference Activities Club, Muslim Student Alliance, Hispanic Student Alliance, and others.
Interest Groups at Potomac
Potomac offers a number of different interest groups for students who would like to learn more about a particular identity, tradition, or experience, particularly alongside those who are already knowledgeable about that topic. Where affinity groups focus on safety and alliance groups focus on advocacy, interest groups center around education. Interest group members enter each meeting with open minds, ready to question their assumptions. Potomac interest groups include the Asia Activities Club, the Guess Who’s Coming to Lunch Club, the Hip-Hop Matters Activities Club, the “Many Voices, One Community” Activities Club, the Spanish Language and Culture Lunch Club, and the Student Diversity Leadership Club.