About
Our Community

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.

We challenge students to value and celebrate the uniqueness of themselves and others, so they are prepared to interact with people of different experiences and aspirations and prepared to create a just society. We include every individual’s unique voice in safe spaces where one, amongst many, can express who they are with confidence and compassion. We are committed to an equitable community that gives each person the resources to speak their truth and reach their potential. 
This is a challenging mission we are committed to continue, because we know that if we work to build a better school, our students will work to build a better world.

List of 3 items.

  • Diversity

    Rabun Gap’s commitment to diversity challenges our family of educators to create common ground for students who represent over 50 countries. We are perfecting a curriculum that facilitates students influenced by different systems to learn how they can collaborate and apply what they learn to impacting society. We are committed to celebrating the richness of every culture and respecting the experience of every individual within our community.  
  • Equity

    We work to create an equitable social and academic community that maximizes the individual talents, skills, and experiences of each person. This process begins with understanding how individuals and groups have been impacted by personal experiences and social systems. It culminates with a highly trained team of individuals and an approach to education that provides each student with the tools necessary to overcome personal and systemic obstacles to reach their potential.
  • Inclusion

    At Rabun Gap, every voice counts, and every opinion is valued. For diversity to truly matter and equity to truly be exercised, everyone must be included in our journey towards excellence. We are committed to developing and utilizing the tools necessary to create space for every member of our community to contribute and lead in a way that maximizes their abilities. We believe we can accomplish this in the classroom, in the community, in academics, arts, and athletics. Because of our commitment to this type of community, we will have an exemplary institution with students who are prepared to enter the world and lead the way.

DEI in Action at Rabun Gap

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  • DEI in Academics

    Our team of educators approaches every subject as the sum of the contributions of many cultures. In Humanities, we want our students to experience the perspectives of as many societies as we can create the time to explore. We want them to delve into the literature of a multitude of voices. We want them to know the contributions that diverse nations have made to mathematics, science, and technology. Most of all, no matter their learning style, talents, or skills, we want our students to feel inspired by us to demonstrate what they know and what they can do unencumbered by superficial social constraints.

    We have recruited the academic team that has the education, experience, and capability to create and deliver such a curriculum. We provide them with the training and the freedom to guide our students as they discover a diverse world. We challenge our team to continue developing ways for our students to see the world for what it truly is and we are proud of the academic experience we provide for our community.
  • DEI in Admission

    We strive to capture the unique gifts of everyone we engage. This is why we draw students from around the world. Every experience is important and every voice is valued. We seek students who want to challenge themselves to find that which is great within themselves and share it with others. We accomplish this by creating a community that goes much further than tolerating differences. We celebrate that which makes each of us special. Whatever your nationality, ethnicity, religion, or orientation, we create ways to celebrate you.
  • DEI in Athletics

    Our football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and baseball teams have members from across the world. We excel in sports that originated in America and we make our mark in sports that had their beginnings in Central America. It does not matter where the sports we play or the students we love had their origin, our community of coaches can cultivate the athleticism of any student and inspire them to excel where they choose. Our goal is to maximize the physical and mental ability of all of our students in a way that recognizes their unique ability, builds dynamic teams, and prepares them to reach their full potential. 
  • DEI in Employment

    Rabun Gap Nacoochee School continuously seeks people who are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of school life. We want those who want to shape the minds that will one day shape a just world. This is a high calling. It challenges us to work hard to develop curriculums that inspire our students to explore a diverse world. It challenges us to encourage our students to look beyond the superficial descriptors of race, religion, gender, and nationality to build a sense of community with those they engage. It challenges us to include each person in a way that makes them feel valued and brings out the best in them. Rabun Gap is leading the way in diversity, equity, and inclusion through a commitment to a high calling to break down barriers and train the leaders who will make this a far better world. 
  • DEI in the Arts

    Through theatre, film, dance, visual arts, and cirque, our students are given the opportunity to express themselves. Furthermore, they are allowed to express themselves through the lives and literature of a diverse group of playwrights, artists, and choreographers. We don’t limit our students to the creativity of one culture. We introduce them to the imagination and innovative spirit of people from different backgrounds and experiences.

Meet the Director of DEI

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  • Photo of Mason West

    Mason West 

    Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    Bio
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.