The staff and family at Alder and Alouette are engaged in an ongoing process of learning, listening, and deepening our understanding of equity, inclusion, and justice. With reverence, we strive to create, embrace, and support a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just community where all staff feel respected, acknowledged, valued, and connected to the whole community.
Alder and Alouette welcomes families, customers and staff of all races, ethnicities, cultural and religious heritages, socio-economic backgrounds, geographic origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, and family structures. We reject discrimination in all its forms.
EVOLVING OUR UNDERSTANDING
Evolving our understanding of the world, our history, and our culture requires a commitment to unlearning old ways of thinking and correcting history learned through the lens of colonialism, prejudice, and bigotry. We strive to change our understanding of what was once held to be truth.
AS A WALDORF EDUCATION PROPONENT
As a proponent of the Waldorf education model, it is imperative that we recognize, reject, and transform aspects of the Waldorf education model that has harmed members of our community or those in the wider world. In that aspect, we acknowledge and affirm the following statement from AWSNA:
AWSNA:
“The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) recognizes the historic and ongoing impact of racism on our continent and the injustice and discrimination faced by Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color. We understand that racial justice in education is a journey of both moral and educational imperative. As such, we take seriously our responsibility to bear witness to what is happening in the world, to center the voices of color in justice work, and to change the course of inequities by identifying and breaking down structural racism in all forms within Waldorf education.
We acknowledge that Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education (1919), offered many profound insights that support the value and dignity of each human being and form the foundation of our organization’s histories and worldview. Yet, he also made statements that reflect harmful assertions regarding race and ethnicity. Racism, explicit or implicit, stands in direct conflict to the fundamental principles of Waldorf education. We commit to working to address any dehumanizing or disparaging aspects of our history and practices.”
GENDER DIVERSITY
Alder and Alouette promotes respect for all people and is committed to creating a culture that fosters learning and growth around differences and appreciation for the strength and wisdom that comes from diversity. Consistent with these values, we seek to foster an environment that is safe, welcoming, and free from stigma and discrimination of all people, regardless of their gender identity and/or gender expression. Our focus is to create an environment that values each person.
Particularly with respect to transgender and gender non-conforming employees and customers, we will work with them to honor their wishes with respect to use of business facilities, accuracy of employee records, use of preferred name and pronouns, and privacy, in accordance with applicable law, and to the extent that our business facilities reasonably permit.