Faith
Mission
Community Engagement & Impact
“Our union with one another is a powerful lever with which we can move, direct and sanctify the whole world.” (Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., Circular Letter 14)
At Gilmour, educating the whole person means cultivating both mind and heart. Our Community Engagement & Impact work grows directly from that Holy Cross tradition and from a belief in the dignity of every person. We want students to know one another, learn from one another and feel that they have a place in the life of the school. That means making room for different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives, and helping students develop the competence to see others more fully and the courage to respond with empathy and respect.
Building Community Through Connection
A strong community is built in everyday moments: learning together, celebrating traditions, listening to a different point of view, serving others or simply getting to someone better.
Community Engagement & Impact helps create more of those opportunities for students, families, faculty and staff.
This work takes many forms, including:
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community-building experiences that foster connection, belonging and relationship-building
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cultural and community celebrations that provide opportunities to share traditions, stories, perspectives, music, art, food and experiences
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assemblies, workshops and conversations that encourage reflection, dialogue, empathy and understanding
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community groups and student organizations that provide spaces for individuals to connect around shared identities, interests and experiences
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family and community engagement that strengthens relationships among students, families, faculty and staff
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professional learning that supports educators in creating welcoming, inclusive and relationship-centered learning environments
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restorative practices that help our community respond to conflict, repair harm, strengthen relationships and move toward reconciliation
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educational experiences and resources that encourage students to engage thoughtfully with diverse perspectives and the world around them.
Community Groups
Community groups give students opportunities to find connection at Gilmour. Some center on culture or heritage; others grow from shared experiences, identities or interests. They give students space to build friendships, learn from one another and take on leadership roles.
The groups themselves may change over time as student interests and the needs of the community evolve. Their purpose does not. Each offers students a place to connect while contributing something of their own to Gilmour.
Teaching, Learning and Belonging
Community Engagement & Impact work is not limited to programs or events. It is part of the classroom experience as well.
Throughout the curriculum, teachers look for ways to introduce students to different perspectives, voices and experiences. Professional development for faculty and staff supports that work, with an emphasis on building trust, creating welcoming classrooms and helping students engage thoughtfully with one another, particularly when perspectives differ.
Restorative Practices
Disagreement and conflict are part of any community. What matters is how we respond when they happen.
Restorative practices give students and adults a way to listen, understand how others have been affected, take responsibility and repair relationships. This approach brings accountability and compassion together, with the understanding that strong communities are built not by avoiding difficult moments, but by learning how to move through them together.
Our Community Engagement & Impact Commitments
Our work is guided by several enduring commitments:
Belonging
We want every member of the Gilmour community to know they are valued and that they have a place here.
Learning
We provide opportunities to learn more about the identity, culture, community, human dignity and experiences of others.
Connection
We bring people together and create opportunities for relationship-building across the Gilmour community.
Engagement
Understanding matters most when it influences what we do. We encourage members of the Gilmour community to take what they learn and put it into action.
Restoration
When relationships are strained, we embrace opportunities for reflection, accountability, forgiveness, healing and reconciliation.
Human Dignity
We seek to honor the inherent dignity of every person and to build a community where people are treated with respect, compassion and care.
Rooted in Holy Cross
Holy Cross founder Blessed Basil Moreau believed deeply in the power of people joined together in common purpose. That belief continues to shape life at Gilmour.
Students experience it in their classrooms and relationships, in the traditions they share, in conversations that challenge them and in opportunities to serve. They learn that a strong community asks something of each of us: to know one another, value what each person brings and take responsibility for how we contribute to the whole.
In this way, Community Engagement & Impact helps students live Gilmour’s Holy Cross mission, developing the competence to see and the courage to act as they use their gifts to help create a more humane and just society.
Racial Nondiscriminatory Policy
The Board of Trustees of Gilmour Academy has adopted the following racial nondiscriminatory policies.
Gilmour Academy recruits and admits students of any race, color or ethnic origin to all its rights, privileges, programs and activities. In addition, Gilmour Academy will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment, scholarship programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.
Gilmour Academy will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or ethnic origin in the hiring of its certified or non-certified personnel.
Community Groups
List of 9 items.
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The Black Experience Club
- dedicated community where students who identify with Black culture, heritage and experiences come together to discuss issues impacting the Black community, celebrate their culture and collaborate on events -
Butterfly/Neurodiversity Club
- dedicated community where students who identify as neurodivergent come together to promote understanding, acceptance and inclusion for students who have atypical neurological development (e.g., autism, ADHD, dyslexia and others) -
Club Latino
- dedicated community where students who identify with Latino culture, heritage and experiences come together to discuss issues impacting the Latino community, celebrate their culture, and collaborate on events -
Feminism Club
- dedicated community to empower students by fostering a supportive community that promotes gender equality, celebrates diverse voices and advocates for social equity through dialogue and education -
International Club
- dedicated community to celebrate the cultural richness of our student body and the international presence that exists within our greater community -
Jewish Heritage Club
- dedicated community where students who identify with Jewish culture, heritage and experiences come together to connect with others who share similar backgrounds and traditions -
Lancer Alliance
- dedicated community where LGBTQ+ or non-heteronormative students and their allies can come together to share experiences and discuss relevant topics related to those experiences -
Pan-Asian Heritage Alliance
- dedicated community where students who identify with Asian culture, heritage and experiences come together to discuss issues impacting the Asian community, celebrate their culture and collaborate on events -
Student Diversity Leadership Team
- dedicated group of students who share a strong commitment to civic-minded principles, allowing them to collaborate, learn and work together toward creating positive change both within the school and in the wider community
Community Engagement & Impact Goals
List of 5 items.
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Diverse Community
We work to promote a diverse, inclusive, just community rooted in the Holy Cross mission and charisms where every student feels they belong. -
Education
We provide opportunities for all stakeholders to develop or increase their cultural competency with principles of inclusivity, belonging, justice and liberation. -
Inclusive Experiences
We ensure these experiences by providing access to resources, opportunities, relationship-building, and identity development, while fostering human dignity and respect. -
Engagement
Inspired by the Catholic social justice teachings and viewed through the lens of awareness, analysis and action we work to instill empathy. Empathy leads to compassion, which leads to understanding and connection. -
Accountability
Using the Holy Cross charisms as guideposts on the path to equality, bring about healing and authentic change through the use of restorative practices and by revisiting policies and procedures to ensure equity.
