About

The Lower School honors students’ experiences with cultural celebrations. During Holi, the Hindu “Festival of Colors,” students joyfully throw colored powder during a campus-wide celebration.

DEIB at Riverdale

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are foundational elements that support the school’s mission and empower all students to learn and thrive in age appropriate ways at Riverdale and beyond. Our school practices around equity and community engagement foster a diverse and inclusive environment where the identity of each and every member is valued and respected. We are unified around our common values such as empathy, respect, and kindness; it is as much a part of the Riverdale experience to feel belonging as it is to create belonging for others.


Our Commitment

At Riverdale, we recognize that the work of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is iterative and requires a consistent commitment. It is not a checklist that can be completed by a few people. It is everyone’s work. We prioritize transparency and accountability as a school community and demonstrate that through our yearly Institutional Equity Plan. This document outlines our commitment to foster belonging and critical discourse while striving to address the systemic issues of inequity, bias, and racism to ensure that Riverdale students, faculty/staff, families, and alumni feel seen, heard, and valued. The action steps outlined in our plan address areas of culture, accountability, representation, education, and support.


Supporting DEIB through Affinity Groups

Affinity groups strengthen the entire RCS community by providing additional opportunities for each of us to find support, connection and a voice at our school. Our student affinity program expands across all three divisions. In addition, we have affinity groups for our faculty/staff, parents/guardians, and alumni. These voluntary spaces foster deep reflection and are designed with a focus on an ethos of care. The goal of our affinity groups is to facilitate positive identity exploration and development towards the larger goal of creating an inclusive and thriving community. Although members of the group may share a common identity, it does not mean that everyone in that group has had the same experiences. Rather, participants recognize that their identity has an effect on the way they live in the world.

Learn more here.

Lower School students celebrated Black History Month with joy and enthusiasm as they explored traditional dances, engaged in hand games and learned about notable Black individuals throughout history.
Over 120 students gathered to braid challah and learn about its history, thanks to Jewish in New York, an Upper School affinity group. These events promote cultural diversity and understanding within the community.