Inclusion

Cultivating a More Inclusive Campus Environment

Father Ryan High School is committed to fostering an environment where every student is known and loved, and where students of color have a genuine feeling of belonging. Our humanity and Catholic social teaching demand that each of us work for the dignity of every human being as a child of God and a part of this world community.

Given the current events in our society, we have entered into a thoughtful and prayerful process, grounded in our Strategic Plan, to determine the ways we have created this inclusive environment on our campus and how we can improve it.

Diversity is a gift from God, who created us all and, therefore, made us His children, for we are made in the “image of God.”

“We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. […] Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world.”

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Father Ryan Community Standards

Our Goals

Identify effective and sustainable actions that Father Ryan High School will take to make our environment more inclusive and with a greater feeling of belonging for Black students and other students of color.

Identify effective and sustainable actions that Father Ryan High School will take to help prevent racism on our campus.

Our Process

Step 1: Listen and Understand

Timeframe: Summer/Fall Semester 2020

This step was designed to provide members of the Father Ryan community (students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and others) the opportunity to provide feedback on how best to achieve the stated goals. We did this in these two ways.

A survey was available for constituents to provide insights, experiences, and feedback. Nearly 900 completed surveys were submitted during the survey period, which ran from July-August 2020.
More than 300 members of our community, including alumni across multiple generations, current parents, faculty and staff, and students, were invited to participate in one of eight focus groups conducted by Derek Young during the fall of 2020.

Step 2: Prioritize the Feedback and Identify Action Steps

Timeframe: Fall Semester 2020/Spring Semester 2021

In cooperation with the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Nashville, Father Ryan's leadership assembled a group of people from the school's constituencies. During this timeframe, this group reviewed and discussed specific action steps that the school can implement to achieve the goal of a more inclusive environment, with a greater feeling of belonging for Black students and other students of color. We organized the recommendations for action into achievable, meaningful, and manageable steps.

Step 3: Implement and Track Progress

Using the Strategic Plan adopted in 2019, which included as one of its five priorities “to expand demand, inclusivity, and access,” the working group set broad objectives for each of the themes identified in our research and feedback (Education, Experiences, Policy, Support, and Representation). These objectives have been incorporated into the school’s strategic plan.

Specific actions have been identified with each objective, along with timeframes and targeted accountability measures.

Inclusion Events

Cultural Immersion Field Trip

Multi-Cultural Student Union visited Plaza Mariachi to learn more about Hispanic cultural appreciation through food, dance, and fellowship.

Civil Rights Museum Tour

The Girls Basketball Team visited Memphis in December 2021 for a tournament. While there, they had the opportunity to tour the Civil Rights Museum, where Dr. Russ Wigginton '84 is the President.

Racial & Social Justice Alumni Discussion

The Boys Basketball Team had the opportunity to meet with members from Father Ryan basketball teams in the 1960s and discuss civil rights then and now. Also in attendance were author Andrew Maraniss, who had penned multiple books on social justice, and Ann Brown Beatty, sister of the late Willie Brown '65.

Heritage Month Celebrations

Multi-Cultural Student Union promotes various Heritage months on campus by decorating the bulletin board in the center of campus for all to see.

Cuisines from Different Cultures

Multi-Cultural Student Union partnered with the Cooking Club to celebrate the Chinese New Year with a dumplings making class.

Culture Presentations

Members of the Multi-Cultural Student Union and faculty and staff participate in presentations on the impact of their culture and heritage throughout the school year.

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