Belonging at The Winston School San Antonio

I began 2024 by facilitating a professional development opportunity at The Winston School San Antonio in Texas. Winston’s mission aims to support students with learning differences by providing a personalized, college preparatory education to cultivate graduates that are confident, well-rounded, and life-long self-advocate.

I appreciated the sustained and authentic engagement of the faculty, staff, administration and board during our full day session as we unpacked and reframed conventional notions of diversity to drive belonging.

Leveraging the Intercultural Competency Model, we cultivated shared understandings of belonging; explored our own backgrounds, beliefs, and viewpoints; and reflected on strategies to engage in meaningful perspective taking and developing authentic empathy to cultivate sustainable inclusive behaviors, practices, and policies that support belonging for all.

Many thanks to Dr. Michelle Spoonemoore for the invitation, and to the incredible and committed faculty, staff, and board members for their commitment to these critical efforts.