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All People Belong at Taipei American School

Building Community By Understanding Every Individual’s Unique Value

When children are seen, understood, and valued, they feel affirmed and develop a sense of pride and appreciation for themselves and others. In a welcoming, inclusive, equitable community, academic growth is enhanced as students learn to move through the world as open-minded, respectful, and caring individuals. 

At Taipei American School, our equity and inclusion initiatives are spearheaded by our Director of Inclusion & Wellbeing, Ms. E-chieh Lin, in conjunction with the schoolwide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Committee. We often rely on the acronym DEIJ to encompass this important work, in which all community members play a part.

Our DEIJ work is part of the school's larger work towards making sure all people on our campus feel that they belong. 

The TAS Community Commitment

As a community of students, parents and guardians, families, faculty, administration, staff,  board members, and alumni, we will foster a culture of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that embodies anti-bias action and accountability. We commit ourselves and our peers to live the TAS values and to do the work necessary to maintain an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment for all. We will continue to question and challenge our own biases and privileges and use our experiences to empower our community.

The Power of Diverse Stories

At TAS, we boldly redefine excellence by embracing multiple perspectives, challenging our own biases and privileges, and growing our understanding of the impact we have on each other as global citizens. Here's a look at some of the diversity-focused activities our community has taken part in during this and past school years.

We Learn Together

Our DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice) work includes a whole-community commitment to fostering a culture that is free of prejudice, stereotyping, and bias both on and off-campus. Here are some of the ways that our community learns to build our DEIJ mindset and skills, together.

DEIJ Workshops

All employees at TAS spend time learning more about their own multifaceted identities through DEIJ workshops spaced throughout the school year, to deepen their understanding of self and other Tigers. These workshops help employees build their DEIJ mindset and essential skills.

Learn more about Careers and Professional Development at TAS

DEIJ Learning Standards

 

The Schoolwide DEIJ Committee adopted the Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards.  The standards are divided up into four anchor domains with a total of five standards in each domain. 

Explore the 20 Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards

Parent Involvement

 

TAS Cultural Connection (TASCC) is a parent-led group that works to create the space and opportunity for parents to engage with issues surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.  TASCC representatives work alongside the school’s DEJI committee and Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing to help the school make continuous improvement in these key areas.

Learn more about the Parent-School Partnership at TAS

During the 2022-23 school year, the schoolwide DEIJ committee worked together to create definitions for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. These definitions were reviewed by the employee community, and adopted in May of 2023. These definitions help the entire TAS community understand what we are specifically talking about when refer to DEIJ.

Diversity

Noun; dʌɪˈvəːsɪti

Diversity refers to differences of identities and perspectives within every sphere of our community.  

Equity

Noun; ˈɛkwɪti

Equity refers to the solutions that address the imbalance in structures and systemic ways people are treated, to ensure all community members have access to resources, opportunities, and progress that lead to positive experiences for all. 

Inclusion

Noun; ɪnˈkluːʒn

Inclusion refers to a set of behaviors and actions in an environment where all people feel seen and heard, and diversity is valued and cultivated in every layer of our community.  

Justice

Noun; ˈdʒʌstɪs

Justice refers to the active pursuit of changing policies, institutional & structural practices, and cultural messages to achieve equity and belonging for all.

In Their Own Words

In Their Own Words

 

 

“ We live diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice every day. DEIJ is not simply a 'hot topic' that has been glorified in the media or used to further a political agenda. It is a practice and a mindset that impacts each of us on a daily basis through the decisions we make, the words we use, and the actions we choose to take, as well as the actions and words that are used against us. 

E-chieh Lin

Director of Inclusion & Well-being

“ I love being a TAS parent because when my son talks about his school day, I have no cultural or language barriers to hurdle, and I am able to connect with him on some experiences from my own upbringing. This is something he and I could not do at most schools in Taiwan. 

Gus Adapon

TAS Parent & TAS Cultural Connections member

“ I love working at TAS because it is my community and my home. I am very thankful to my teachers and peers at TAS who helped me find my identity and set my goals. I wanted to come back to TAS as a teacher so I can pass the torch to the next generation. 

Weston Wang Cooper ('08)

Middle School History Teacher & Alumnus

Discover More

If this sounds like the type of education you want for your child or the kind of learning community you wish to join, we invite you to explore the people, places, and programs that help us foster our definition of success for every student on our campus.

Our Community

Our Campus

Our Academics

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