Belonging, Equity & Inclusion at the Mountain School

What BEI looks like at The Mountain School

The heart of the Mountain School’s mission speaks of the need to take care, and that is what we do in our semester together. We take care of this place, we take care of ourselves, we take care of each other. Moreover, we learn how to take care. This mission feeds into our desire to be a school that centers belonging, equity, and inclusion. We actively engage in examination of our systems and structures and seek to improve what we teach, the manner of teaching, and how we administer the program of the school to maximize belonging, equity, and inclusion in all our spaces and practices.

The sections below outline the resources and supports we have in place to help students with frequently marginalized identities feel a sense of belonging at the Mountain School. We have not finished all the work we need to do, and we welcome current students and faculty as well as our alumni to continue to collaborate with us in considering the school’s mission, program, and values.

  • Each semester, we offer the following affinity groups for students: one for Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); one for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or other related categories (LGBTQ+); and, one for students who identify as the first in their family to attend college (first gen) and/or low income (FGLI). In addition, at student request, there have also been affinity groups for students with disabilities and students from divorced families as well as students from different faith groups. Each affinity group is supported by faculty members and meets regularly. Students from past semesters have found these groups to be important spaces for conversation and support.

  • The Mountain School employs a full-time school counselor and a full-time nurse to support the mental and physical health needs of the students, as well as having dedicated learning support faculty. Students can arrange individual meetings with these practitioners on campus or can coordinate off-campus care with other specialists. The Student Support Team (nurse, counselor, assistant director) meets weekly to discuss topics of concern and make sure that students are connected to the resources they need for well-being.

  • Community Seminar is the place where community is both built and questioned. Early in the semester, this time is used to teach about social identity, boundaries, communication, and accountability. By the middle of the semester, students and faculty lead seminar sessions on a wider range of topics that feel pressing and important, whether that addresses something that is happening on campus or what is occurring in the wider world.

  • The Mountain School is committed to creating a school culture that is inclusive of all genders and orientations.

    LGBTQ+ students are supported with resources including direct access to Affinity Group leaders and Community & Belonging staff who serve as additional lines of communication to the Mountain School’s administration. Funding is provided for affinity groups to support activities and events on and off campus.

    We respect the rights of students to determine if and with whom they share their gender identity and sexual orientation and the name and pronouns that a student chooses to use while at the Mountain School.

    Students can opt to join the LGBTQ+ affinity group and/or to be matched with a graduate mentor who shares your gender identity. All incoming students complete a housing survey indicating preference for single-gender or all-gender housing. If you require medical care while you are here, you may request that we match you with a gender-affirming provider through the Vermont Diversity Health Project (VDHP). You may also request a confidential gender support plan before the semester begins or at any point once you are on campus.

  • Vershire is a small rural town in a primarily white state. BIPOC students are supported with resources to make the Mountain School and Upper Valley their own, including direct access to Affinity Group leaders and Community & Belonging staff who serve as additional lines of communication to the Mountain School’s administration. Funding is provided for affinity groups to support activities and events on and off campus, and students are supported in celebrations of their culture and heritage which may include attendance at events, on-campus observances, and shared meals.

    Students can opt to join the BIPOC affinity group and/or to be matched with a graduate mentor who shares their identity. The size and engagement level of the Mountain School’s BIPOC community changes each semester. The Director of Admissions & Enrollment works with prospective students of color to provide a candid perspective as they consider a semester at the Mountain School.

  • The Mountain School believes in the capacity of students and faculty to be held accountable and engage in transformative and restorative practices. Though conversations to restore trust take time and emotional engagement, the Mountain School is committed to systems of accountability that acknowledge harm and create spaces for repair.