“I was thrilled to welcome Rosetta Lee to campus after attending her sessions at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Diversity Leadership Institute last summer,” said Interim Director of Community, Inclusion, and Equity (CIE) Joe Valentine-White.

Rosetta Lee serves Seattle Girls’ School (SGS) in dual roles. SGS is an innovative school for junior high school girls, aiming to empower women leaders and change agents and dedicating its energies to a diverse community of students and faculty, an anti-bias mission, and an integrated curriculum. As a faculty member, Rosetta teaches subjects such as science, math, technology, art, ethics, social justice, and more. As a professional outreach specialist, she designs and delivers training for all constituencies of the school community, as well as the local and national educational and nonprofit sectors.

Lee visited the Gilman community on Thursday, January 19 and gave informative insights about why it is important to start having conversations about identity and belonging with Lower School boys. “This will not only help our boys while they are in the Lower School but also as they progress from children to adolescents to eventually adults,” said Valentine-White. Lee also shared research-backed strategies for teachers and parents to lead inclusion work in the early years and how to continue that work in Middle and Upper School.

Middle School Modern Languages Coordinator Jessica Nelson, who attended the CIE night, said her biggest takeaway from the presentation was “that humans can be very complicated individuals, and we should never make assumptions when we engage with them.” She added that Lee’s presentation impacted how she teaches: “We need to be understanding, empathetic, and inviting, especially when serving our youth.”