DEI -Statement

At The Scandinavian School & Cultural Center we have a deep respect and appreciation for the diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area, our preschool, and cultural center community. We strive to create an environment where all of our community members feel valued, heard, and included. 

Action towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): 

As a multicultural and international community, we have an understanding of the interconnectedness of the world around us. We aspire to create a welcoming, diverse, equitable and inclusive environment where every person feels that they can be who they are, and that their whole identity is seen, known, and respected. We want to create a safe space to ask and answer questions, to speak truthfully, and to learn from each other. 

We, the members of Scandinavian School & Cultural Center - faculty, staff, students, alumni, families, and board of directors -take a stand against systemic discrimination and oppression. We believe it is our responsibility to recognize our own privilege and create a foundation for our children and students of all ages where they not only can express themselves, but also have the empathy and confidence to identify issues and advocate openly for those in need of allyship.

Action towards Antiracism:

We stand in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities against racism and hate in all forms. We recognize that racism is deeply rooted in our society and that individual, structural, and systemic racism have detrimental impacts on physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. We recognize that every person who is part of SSCC experiences privilege and oppression differently. We acknowledge that in order to combat racism and biases, we need to continue to educate ourselves, and hold ourselves accountable to learning and taking action. 

Approach: 

We are focusing our DEI  and antiracism action steps in the following realms:

  1. Becoming more consciously and proactively inclusive in our preschool admissions, enrollment, and outreach processes 

  2. Bringing more intention to diversifying the content of our pedagogy to enable all SSCC community members to feel included and represented 

  3. Continuously keep learning and listening to minority voices within our community to understand, address and learn from their experiences

  4. Sharing educational resources with parents, teachers, children, and other community members about DEI and antiracism. Supporting each other in understanding and dismantling our personal biases and privilege. 

We commit to: Holding ourselves accountable and actively speaking out and taking action when we see incidents, large and small, not aligning with our DEI and antiracism values. We pledge to strive to correct our own systemic, institutional, and unconscious biases. Our Board of Directors will create a grievance process for responding to instances of harm. 

Defining terms

[The statement above was collaboratively drafted by the SSCC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Administrative Staff, and Board members over a period of months. It was unanimously approved in October 2021.]

The Scandinavian School in San Francisco’s Non-discrimination Policy

The Scandinavian School in San Francisco admits students of any race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, ethnic group, religion, mental disability, physical disability, or medical condition to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to its students. The School shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, ethnic group religion, mental disability, physical disability, or medical condition in: administration of its educational policies, of student privileges, employment of faculty and administrative staff, scholarship or loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

“Medical condition” herein has the meaning provided in California Government Code Section 12926.


Resources for talking about Race, Gender, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We offer these links and resources in service to individual and family learning, so that the learning can turn into action. There are many other guides available, so we encourage your own research and resource sharing. 

Please add ideas below or send suggestions of your favorite resources to mskoglund@scandinavianschool.org

Thank you! 


For kids: 

Books Recommended by SSCC Parents; 

FOR ADULTS/PARENTS/EDUCATORS

  • Here is another good resource for books about culture & language, racial identity, gender, class, ability, family structure, holidays, and activism. 

Men podcast by Scene on Radio (How did we get sexism, patriarchy, misogyny in the first place? How can we get better at seeing it, and what can we do about it?)