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About

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy is committed to providing an educational environment where students feel safe, valued, respected and connected. Diversity improves and enriches the educational experience and further prepares our students to live and thrive in a multicultural world. Our school community embraces the differences in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status of our students, their families and our faculty and staff. Together, we model and nurture kindness, caring and respect for one another, and we are united in our pursuit of excellence.
As we move forward together, our commitment to combat racial, ethnic and gender biases, practices and policies will enable all stakeholders to thrive in an inclusive and equitable environment. We have taken the following steps to support our comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion plan of action:

  • A committee on the Board of Trustees, led by Trustee Dr. Dimi Barot ’93 has been established. 
  • Mrs. Serena Bush has been appointed as the director of diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has been developed at the school level to implement, review and recommend programs and policies to further our strategic diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
  • A framework for our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at NSA is in process, that identifies the goals of our programs, the programs, training and professional development that are currently in place in each division, the gaps in programming, training and professional development, additional efforts needed to provide a more holistic program, common language as well as resources and partnerships. This framework will be the key to guiding us in our work and will continue to lead to meaningful dialogue, engagement and action.
  • Faculty and staff have participated in ongoing professional development from experts in the field this summer.
  • An anti-racism and discrimination policy was approved by the Board of Trustees and added to all student and parent handbooks
  • In September, NSA received an anonymous gift of $50,000 to establish a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Endowment Fund. Additional donations are encouraged to continue to fund DEI initiatives. The donor will match each gift $1 for $1, up to an additional $50,000 through September of 2021. When the additional $50,000 is raised, the donor will match the $50,000. Please click here to donate today!

We are committed to doing better and being better as a diverse and inclusive school community. This is an institutional priority for NSA that will be measured in years, not weeks, and we must be prepared to engage in critical and courageous conversations to move forward in a positive manner for justice and human dignity for all.


 

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Serena Bush

    Serena Bush 

    Head of Lower School, Harbour View Campus, and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    (757) 539-8789
  • 23% of NSA's students are students of color.
  • NSA has nearly doubled students of color over the last decade. 
  • The Board of Trustees has quadrupled the number of trustees of color over the last decade.
  • NSA awarded more than $2.5 million in tuition assistance for the 2019–2020 school year to make an NSA education more accessible to a wider range of families of all backgrounds.
  • The school's tuition assistance budget has more than doubled in size over the past 10 years.
  • Need-based tuition assistance awards range from $500 to over $8,000 and do not have to be repaid. The average award in 2019–2020 was $6,116.

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Nansemond-Suffolk Academy

Accreditations

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy is a coeducational, college preparatory private school located in Suffolk, VA. Pre-kindergarten - Grade 12.