Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Prospect Academy is founded on the belief that all students, including those who learn differently and those that struggle in school, can reach their potential with the right programming and support.
Understanding the history and systems that have long kept populations underserved and underrepresented, Prospect Academy places diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the center of all that we do.
Diversity
Diversity means that we value the characteristics that make our students, staff, and community who they are. This includes race and ethnicity, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, skills, abilities, neurodiversity, learning differences, religious affiliations, political affiliations, and all others.
Accessibility
Accessibility means we focus on creating learning environments through diverse forms of engagement, aimed at reducing barriers to learning. It also means we recognize that learning pathways may differ, and we support and require our teachers and staff to build accessibility into systems, processes, and learning environments.
Equity
Equity means that we seek to understand and meet the different needs of our students, staff, and community and remedy inequities as we learn and develop.
​
​
​
​
​
Belonging
Belonging means that we create a school where our children feel welcome and valued. Tolerance is a low bar. We seek celebration and a sense of place for all our students.
Inclusion
Inclusion means that we seek to create and sustain systems that supports everyone and that our learning environments are consciously and thoughtfully built to allow students to learn together, regardless of diagnosed or undiagnosed difference and abilities.
​
​
We stand together
We stand against racism, bigotry, ableism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, religious persecution, and all other forms of discrimination, exclusion, and oppression.
​
​
We understand that building a culture of DEI and Belonging means that we are always learning. Our north star is a place where all learners feel valued and safe. In following that north star, we know we will be, at times, vulnerable. We may stumble. But the journey is worth the destination. Our commitment is enduring and unwavering.
We understand that DEI and Belonging makes us a stronger community, builds a stronger learning environment, and ultimately serves our children with respect, clear-sightedness, and indeed love.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the land of our school sits atop the unceded ancestral lands that include the TsétsÄ—héstaestse (Cheyenne), the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho), Nuche (Ute), and Oceti Sakowin (Lakota) nations.
We further acknowledge that the lands that make up the current state of Colorado are historically linked to 48 contemporary tribal nations.
We understand and respect the enduring relationship that exists between many Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands.