Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Kent Denver School

Meet Shareena Mundodi, Kent Denver's new Director of Equity & Community Engagement

What we teach tells us who matters and what is worth learning.

Therefore, it is essential that our curriculum and pedagogy reflect diverse perspectives and that cultural competency is embedded deeply in the curriculum across all departments and disciplines. By doing so, our students will learn how to engage with different perspectives, think critically and develop solutions by connecting with others to bring out the collective best—skills that will serve them well in college and beyond.

Embracing diverse perspectives strengthens our school culture and educational programs and bolsters students’ ability to identify, analyze and act on issues of equality, justice and inclusion. 

We are serious about our responsibility to provide the academic and social–emotional skills necessary for students to successfully engage in a culturally diverse world.  

We Are Accountable

As noted in Kent Denver's Promise to the community, our school will foster a culture where all differences and identities across gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and economic background are valued, celebrated and recognized as an essential quality of the education offered in our dynamic learning environment.

Our approach to this work is threefold:

  1. We ask our community to arrive with an empathy and equity forward perspective, to get curious and to understand that discomfort is a catalyst for growth and change.
  2. We believe empathy-building is a scholarly endeavor and that inclusion and cultural competency should be the topic of purposeful, continuous dialogue among all members of the community.
  3. To create a community based on respect for the dignity of each individual and a shared sense of responsibility for the well-being of one another, we must seek to understand privilege and confront overt and hidden biases in ourselves, others, our school, institutions and systems.
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Our Mission

Transforming lives of students and community through extraordinary educational experiences.

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Our Vision

Excellence in scholarship and character is the goal of a Kent Denver education. We seek to build a caring, diverse community of responsible citizens. To that end, our school provides a challenging college preparatory curriculum and sets high ethical standards.

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Our Promise

Kent Denver School will foster a culture where all differences and identities across gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and economic background are valued, celebrated and recognized as an essential quality of the education offered in our dynamic learning environment.

Read Kent Denver's DEI Plan and updates. 

Get Involved!



Meet the Equity Team

Shareena Mundodi
Director of Equity and Community Engagement

 

DEI at Kent Denver is not a program, it's a practice. This practice requires us to be agile, humble learners and respectful, compassionate champions of both differences and commonalities. This practice fosters true inclusion and belonging and is the foundation of academic excellence.

 

Adrian Barnes
Middle School
Diversity Coordinator

 

Diversity, equity and inclusion have always been at the forefront of my mind. This work is challenging yet fulfilling and allows teachers and students alike to express their identities. To lead and be a part of the change that is steadily happening not only at Kent Denver but also in the United States proves to me that anyone can make a difference in our society. No matter their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or socioeconomic status, our students, our teachers and our community have a voice.

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Brooke Brewer
Upper School
Diversity Coordinator

 

DEI work requires humility, honesty, and a commitment to growth. It’s not about having all the answers, it’s about knowing you don’t and finding the courage to face that truth.

As educators, we must seek feedback, listen to underrepresented groups in our community and constantly question which voices guide institutional decision making.

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Aleonya Hunter
Upper School
Diversity Coordinator

Athletics has an important role to play in fostering a sense of belonging and supporting diversity across campus. As a member of both the Athletics Department and Equity Team, I am excited to bring this perspective to Kent Denver’s DEI initiatives.

In sports and in life, teams thrive when they cultivate diverse talents, seek out diverse viewpoints and work toward a common goal. I look forward to connecting with all of our students and helping them embrace their true selves and support their classmates both on and off the playing fields.

Matt Bentley
Sponsor: Upper School
Gender & Sexuality Alliance

 

If what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said is true, that 'the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,' then our work around Equity, Community Engagement, and Diversity makes that arc more defined.  We are pleased to be part of that work in the GSA, and I believe that we have a crucial role in helping us be a better, kinder, and more inclusive community.

Taylor Pringle
Sponsor: Middle School
Gender & Sexuality Alliance

 

 

When students feel a sense of belonging, when they are seen, heard, respected, and celebrated for all parts of their identities, real community is built.

When there is greater diversity within this community opportunities abound for people to learn, grow, and widen the apertures of how they view the world.

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Mary Fran Park
Sponsor: empowHERment

 

My time as a STEM educator, journey towards an anti-racist life, and Ed.D. studies at Johns Hopkins University have made me focus on the importance of Kimberlé Crenshaw's concept of intersectionality.

Thinking in the broadest sense, we must recognize the beauty and gifts of a multicultural community. No one identity defines us. KDS empowHERment strives to provide support and opportunities for all students and to build a more inclusive community.