diversity, equity, inclusivity, and Belonging

Our Approach

A Collective Sense of Purpose and Commitment
At Hewitt, we believe that we cannot give children what we as adults do not have. To give our students what they need to become game changers and ethical leaders, we engage all parents, guardians, faculty, and staff in ongoing diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging (DEIB) programming. Parents and guardians are invited to join a variety of K-12 cultural celebrations and student-driven assemblies throughout the year. Additionally, the equity and community life team, alongside Hewitt’s leadership team and Parents’ Association, run educational programs that speak to the needs of Hewitt families and provide tools, resources, and education around pressing matters in our ever-changing world and how these global events relate to Hewitt girls and young women.

Hewitt empowers and expects our community members to embrace multiple points of view, to engage others with empathy and integrity, and to champion equity and justice in all areas of our lives.

As a school dedicated to the education and leadership of girls and young women, we believe that there are many ways to be a girl or a young woman, and that the strength of our community depends on all students experiencing healthy development and a sense of belonging. To learn more, read our Statement on Gender Diversity.

Our equity and community life work takes place throughout the year and includes community gatherings, professional development for faculty and staff, as well as K-12 academic programming. This work is constantly evolving in response to the specific needs and interests of our community.

K-12 Overview

Lower School

Starting in lower school, our K-12 program affirms the tremendous impact of inclusivity and belonging on healthy identity development, cross-cultural relationship building, and empathy. In our lower school literacy, social studies, and social-emotional learning curricula, essential questions help learners think critically about who they are and their place in the world around them.

As the oldest members of our lower school, fourth graders take the lead in planning and hosting monthly community assemblies as part of their leadership program. At these gatherings, K-4 students have a chance to educate their peers about issues that are important to them and celebrate the many identities and experiences that are represented in our student body. Additionally, lower school families help us foster a deeper connection between home and school by visiting their student’s classroom to share their unique cultures and stories.

Middle School

In middle school, themes of diversity, equity, identity, and belonging are threaded throughout our academic program. In particular, our English and history curricula intentionally incorporate voices from a wide breadth of cultures and experiences, and the world languages department incorporates texts by writers from across the Spanish-speaking and Francophone world. Middle schoolers also extend their learning beyond the schoolhouse through field trips to the many different institutions and cultural landmarks that New York City has to offer.

Middle school student leaders host monthly assemblies for grades 5-8 to highlight issues important to their peers and celebrate our community. Parents and guardians support this work by collaborating with middle school students to host classroom celebrations and learning experiences.

Upper School

As students enter the upper school, they consider their future place in the world and take on leadership roles. Through courses such as Dangers of a Single Story: The Literature of Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples; Comparative Religions; Political Theories, Practices, and Conflicts; and Uncovering Climate Change: Science, Economics, and Culture; students examine the foundations of their beliefs, consider those of others, and grapple with the resulting tension. Across our upper school, we challenge students to consider multiple perspectives as they explore and research everything from feminism to globalization, current events to ancient civilizations.

Upper school students play a central role in leading monthly community gatherings and cultural celebrations for their high school peers as well as our K-12 student community. Through our Young Women’s Cooperative, upper schoolers also facilitate optional spaces for students in grades 9-12 to engage in meaningful dialogue around identity and culture and foster a sense of connection and belonging.

We encourage upper school students to take a stance on matters they find important, from proposing affinity and alliance spaces to participating in marches, writing to elected officials, or attending local and national conferences.

Examples of Our Programs

For Students

Our optional affinity and alliance spaces and community and culture dialogues give Hewitt students the opportunity to engage in regular, developmentally appropriate conversations surrounding topics of diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging.

An affinity space is a space where members are connected through a shared common identity, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or nationality. At Hewitt, affinity and alliance spaces enhance student experiences by fostering belonging, connection, identity exploration, and support. These spaces provide a vital sense of visibility and connection, especially for historically marginalized students. Through initiatives like the Young Women’s Cooperative, we bring groups together to build compassion and strengthen our community’s commitment to inclusivity across identities.

Below are examples of recent offerings for our lower, middle, and upper school students.

Lower School
Jewish Affinity Space; Students of Color Affinity Space; Tapestry Circle (a space for students in non-traditional family structures such as single-parent households, divorced families, raised by people other than parents, adopted families, students with two moms or two dads, etc.)

Middle School
Black Student Union; Christian Affinity Space; GLOW (Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever!); Community and Culture Dialogues; Latiné/Hispanic Affinity Space; Inclusive Ally Space; Jewish Affinity Space; Kaleidoscope Alliance Space (an alliance space learning about and sharing experiences of students who are neurodiverse); Middle Eastern North African (MENA)/ Muslim Affinity Space; Multiracial Affinity Space; Panasian Affinity Space; Tapestry Circle (a space for students in non-traditional family structures such as single-parent households, divorced families, raised by people other than parents, adopted families, students with two moms or two dads, etc.)

Upper School
Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Affinity Space; Atheist/Agnostic Affinity Space; Black Student Union; Christian Affinity Space; Community and Culture Dialogues; Hispanic/Latiné Affinity Space; Jewish Affinity Space; Kaleidoscope Alliance Space (an alliance space learning about and sharing experiences of students who are neurodiverse); Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Affinity Space; Spectrum Alliance Space

For Faculty and Staff

At Hewitt, we employ research-based practices for educating girls in a richly varied and globally interconnected world. We recognize that the work of creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community is ever evolving, never complete, often difficult, and deeply rewarding. In addition to professional development opportunities outside of school, Hewitt’s faculty and staff participate in monthly Professional Learning Communities centered on a variety of topics. Examples of recent options for our faculty and staff include:

Centering Equity in Education for Sustainability: A group that explores the intersection of social equity and environmental sustainability.

Growing Our Culturally-Responsive Teaching Tool Kits: A group that coaches and supplies K-12 educators with practical resources and collaborative reflection tools to advance culturally-responsive teaching.

Kaleidoscope: A group that learns about how to support neurodiverse students and adults.

Liberating Pedagogy: A book group using Dr. Carol Gilligan's Joining the Resistance to further implement research on girls and young women, liberation pedagogy, and feminist pedagogy in our classrooms.

People of Color Affinity Space: An affinity space for faculty and staff of color to share experiences and discuss equity-related issues within the Hewitt community.

Queer Faculty and Staff Affinity Space: An affinity space for queer faculty and staff to connect, share experiences, and advocate for systemic changes that support queer students and faculty within the Hewitt community.

Community Assemblies

In collaboration with student leaders, Hewitt’s Office of Equity and Community Life organizes a series of cultural assemblies to celebrate the diversity of, and provide meaningful learning experiences for, our students, faculty and staff, and families. Each year, these K-12 gatherings highlight different cultures and identities in order to foster a deeper sense of belonging and inclusivity at our school. Recent gatherings include:

Black Student Union Assembly
Christmas and Christian Heritage Assembly
Diwali Celebration Assembly
Eid and Ramadan Assembly
Hanukkah and Jewish Heritage Assembly
Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly
Lunar New Year Assembly
Neurodiversity Awareness Assembly
Pride Celebration Assembly

Meet the Equity and Community Life Team

Alia Carponter-Walker

Alia Carponter-Walker, Director of Equity and Community Life

Alia is an experienced educator and equity practitioner. A SEED Certified Educator, Alia has taught in Madrid, Havana, Buenos Aires, and New York City. Before working as the director of equity and community life at Hewitt, Alia served as the middle school dean and member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Team at Poly Prep Country Day School. Alia brings a global perspective and a deep commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable communities through thoughtful leadership, systemic change, and authentic engagement.

An alumna of a New York City independent school, Alia earned her B.A. from Skidmore College, where she double majored in international educational policy and dance with a minor in Spanish. She holds a master’s degree in school leadership and policy from the University of Pennsylvania, where her thesis, "Finding Where I Belong: Dismantling ‘Brokenness’ of Black and Brown Students at Predominantly White Institutions," examined the experiences of Black and Brown students in New York City independent schools.

Mawa Ballo

Mawa Ballo, Fourth Grade Teacher and Lower School Equity and Community Life Coordinator

Mawa joined Hewitt as a fourth grade lead teacher in 2023. Before coming to Hewitt, she specialized in teaching humanities and writing at charter schools in Brooklyn and the Bronx. As Hewitt’s lower school equity and community life coordinator, Mawa supports faculty and staff in facilitating open dialogues and respectful listening between families, administrators, and staff, to help to create an even more inclusive and accepting learning environment.

In her coordinator role, Mawa also collaborates with colleagues to expand knowledge, learn from diverse perspectives, embrace new challenges, and integrate new skills and pedagogy into her own teaching. Additionally, she co-facilitates Hewitt’s lower school students of color affinity space, where she enjoys watching our youngest students express themselves and form connections across grades.

Julie Dewey

Julie Dewey, Sixth and Seventh Grade History Teacher and Middle School Equity and Community Life Coordinator

Julie is a seasoned educator with over a decade of teaching experience, specializing in middle school humanities for the past eight years. Julie joined the Equity and Community Life team as a natural extension of her passion for history education and commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable community. Julie’s background in teaching history has equipped her with a deep understanding of diverse perspectives and the importance of social justice.

Julie believes that fostering diversity, equity, and community life is crucial for middle schoolers as they navigate formative years of identity development and social awareness. As Hewitt’s middle school equity and community life coordinator, she hopes to bring a blend of empathy, insight, and innovation to creating learning environments where every student feels valued, heard, and a sense of belonging.

Sarah Marques

Dr. Sarah Marques, Upper School Chemistry Teacher and Upper School Equity and Community Life Coordinator

Sarah brings a decade of teaching experience to her work at Hewitt. In her role as an upper school science teacher, she has been impressed by the dedication Hewitt high schoolers bring to both their academic studies and the school’s diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging initiatives.

Sarah joined the Equity and Community Life team with a commitment to fostering a sense of belonging for Hewitt’s upper school students. Sarah is passionate about celebrating the complexities and nuances of identity for both students and faculty, recognizing it as essential for integrating historically minoritized groups into our community. She particularly enjoys the community lunches hosted by student leaders, appreciating how food bridges gaps between cultures and brings people together.