Office of Multicultural Affairs

Q: Ever wondered what the face of diversity looks like at University School of Nashville?

A: Hold up a mirror!

Like tiles in a brilliant mosaic, each member of the USN community is an essential part of its cultural landscape. Before it was popular to empower children and young people to engage critically and openly a changing world, University School served as a laboratory for academic and social inquiry, personal growth and development. Teaching and learning in this context required a climate of respect, demonstrable caring, and an orientation to differences that made their value a norm.

Today, this founding principle is reflected in the contemporary language of diversity, where the “us” in USN defines its strength.

University School believes that producing well-educated, socially competent young people requires permission and encouragement to explore culture and identity as a conduit for understanding self and others. By acknowledging the wide range of differences that exist in this community and teaching students to understand multiple points of view, USN strives to reduce and eliminate the kind of harm and fear that results from ignorance and neglect of critical dimensions of their lives.