Office of Multicultural Affairs & Inclusion
Denise Yarbough-Smith
Director of Multicultural Affairs and Inclusion
dyarbough-smith@olgchs.org
240-283-3272
We are at our best when we feel comfortable and welcome. At GC, we meet students where they are with a spirit of inclusivity. We teach our students to fight against injustice and to love all God’s children.
Our office works closely with school leaders throughout our community to ensure alignment of our diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work with our school mission and priorities. This includes establishing safe spaces for students to foster connections and their sense of belonging, providing professional development for faculty and staff, cultivating social justice and inclusion student leaders, and actively promoting and expressing our appreciation and respect for the gift of our diverse community.
As a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School, we are called to build diverse and inclusive communities that encourage enduring personal relationships through an understanding of culture and perspectives. It is through our intentional centering of diversity, inclusion, equity and justice that we inspire students to excel, serve and love.
Many of our office’s efforts are supported through our Social Justice and Inclusion Leaders (SJILs), a diverse group of student leaders charged with promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice throughout our school community. Their key responsibilities include planning student programming, attending conferences, and serving as peer mediators. Through their support, and our commitment to working with faculty, staff, students, and our entire community, we hope to continue to foster an environment where every single human can be excellent.
Diversity Statement
- We believe diversity is a blessing that enriches our community.
- We respect, value and celebrate the unique, God given gifts of each member of our community.
- We strive for excellence in promoting equity and justice for our entire community.
- We love and serve our students, faculty, staff, parents and visitors of any age, race, religion, ethnicity, ability, appearance, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood, sexual orientation, national origin, or political affiliation.
- We seek to identify and challenge all forms of prejudice, discrimination and injustice.