Charlotte Latin believes that the School’s traditions of honor above all, moral courage, and respect for oneself and others align perfectly with an appreciation for diversity and inclusion. These values are taught by offering our students many growth-promoting experiences that embrace acceptance with the goal that these life lessons will become organic in their lives and will prepare them for the global demands of an ever-changing society and world.
Charlotte Latin’s curricular goals underpin acceptance and understanding of all people. The Lower School curriculum enhances students’ communication and conflict management skills as an important element to accepting differences and building community. The Lower School’s 2010 Grandparents’ Day program was a wonderful music and dance celebration of world cultures that illustrated to “children of all ages” the wonders of an interconnected world. The Middle School embraces a “community of caring concept” in which students routinely study other countries’ cultures and also participate in advisory sessions where students learn in a non-threatening atmosphere about poverty, empathy, and how not to be a bystander when peer pressure challenges doing the right thing. Additionally, students engage in leadership experiences such as the Underground Railroad leadership project.
Upper School students have the opportunity to participate in myriad extracurricular activities to enhance their understanding of people and cultures. Many Upper School students participate in the CLS Study Abroad with Latin’s Sister Schools in Argentina, China, France, Germany, South Africa, and Spain. They also may elect to attend the People of Color/ Student Diversity Leadership Conference, which is sponsored annually by the National Association of Independent Schools, and the North Carolina Independent School Student Diversity Conference. Students may join the Mosaic Club, which sponsors a multitude of activities to promote diversity. And in the tradition of the Upper School’s stellar musical theatre productions, in 2010 the “The Wiz” was performed three times to a full house. It was a special treat for Latin’s student actors and singers when Stephanie Mills, the original “Dorothy” in Broadway’s production of “The Wiz” and a Grammy award-winning vocalist, worked with them as a vocal coach.
Coupled with an age-appropriate service program that encourages students to reach out to support local and international philanthropic efforts and a commitment to servant leadership, the classrooms of Charlotte Latin School are engaged in significant work to build an inclusive school community and to educate students for their futures.