About Archmere

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Saint Norbert's vision was to give people a "sense of place" and belonging, and the Archmere Academy community seeks to embody that vision. Archmere embraces this tradition wholeheartedly, recognizing that what inspires its students most to achieve are the relationships they form while they are here. This commitment to a diverse school community is reflected today in the school’s mission statement, core values, and everyday operations.

Archmere’s Commitment to DEI

As a community, Archmere strives to create a welcoming and inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of the Auk community. Archmere has been examining its role in the fight to confront racism, promote social justice and deepen our collective understanding, communication, and mutual support.

Now more than ever, we must work together to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion into greater focus. Archmere is committed to an action plan that builds and sustains a community that embraces our mission and core values.

We will align our policies and practices to promote equity and inclusion on all levels and prioritize voices that often go unheard.
We also acknowledge the history and ongoing impact of social and institutional inequities including, but not limited to, racism, sexism, homophobia, and ableism.
We are committed to making equity and inclusion central to our mission and our practices; therefore, this statement reflects not only who we are but also who we seek to become as a diverse, inclusive, and equitable school community.

Establishing Best Practices

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) developed a survey to help schools gather information on school climate. Archmere, along with several other independent schools across the country, partnered with NAIS to conduct the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) survey. Through this survey, Archmere can affirm what is working effectively to advance inclusiveness and multiculturalism, discover new opportunities that ensure steady progress in promoting improved DEI practice, and foster community-building through a common language when holding discussions.

In Spring 2021, we administered the AIM survey with 668 members of the Archmere community. All students, trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni were invited to participate. Through this survey, we discovered that members of our community hold citizenship in 17 different countries besides the United States!

The AIM process involved an online survey of all constituencies and discovery focus group sessions on various aspects of the school, involving a cross-section of the school community.