About

Vision

Atlanta International School honors the land cultivated by the Muscogee (Creek) Indigenous People and, after the development of Atlanta, the thriving Black community of Macedonia Park. As we continue learning and building upon the richness and history of this space, we welcome people of all tongues, lands, and cultures. 

Through IB education, experiences, and exploration, Equity and Inclusion at Atlanta International School empowers all to recognize and value diversity, be ethical, act with honor and integrity and, above all, show concern and care for others. This work constantly evolves and requires us to be honest about who we have been and who we strive to be, as the courageous leaders we are and the courageous leaders we are developing.

Context

Equity and Inclusion are at the heart of the AIS mission.  Everyone in our community should be equally treated with worth and dignity (AIS Community Principles).  As a community, if we can ensure that everyone is safe and protected, it serves us all. 
 
But this positive intention has not made it a reality for too many of our students and community members so there is still much work to be done.  And we’re determined to meet that challenge.
 
As we continue our journey to becoming better, we are so pleased to have Kelsey Hicks-Bunns as our Head of Equity and Inclusion.  Kelsey and her team help advance the work of making AIS the best it can be for all its community.

Summer 2020

During the summer of 2020 many of our Black students and alumni told us that they had not felt the sense of belonging that we strive to create for all our students. 
 
We want all of our Black students, employees and families to know they are seen, heard, treated fairly and protected.  We will continually take action to ensure this environment in our school.
 
This will strengthen the learning of all our students in intercultural competency.   This is critical in developing courageous leaders.  We are an intentionally intercultural community founded in mutual respect and understanding.  We all need to live and work together in this cultural complexity--wherever we find ourselves.

In an international school community, cultural perspectives extend across many aspects of difference, and that almost everyone can be part of some minority group at AIS. This makes our work complex but it is a fundamental part of who we are - that we embrace and that our students undoubtedly benefit from.

Doing this work well for our students, employees, and families brings us ever closer to our mission as an international school in Atlanta - to develop courageous leaders who shape their world for the better.
We thank those who courageously stepped forward to create accountability around our vision and purpose.
  • A diverse, equitable, inclusive community is at the core of who we are as a school. We are committed to these values and they are vital to our mission of developing courageous leaders who shape the world for the better.
  • We aspire to create a healthy and positive school climate and culture by providing the conditions necessary for every member of our community to feel seen, heard, treated fairly and protected.
  • We act with courage and integrity as we actively build our intercultural competence across lines of difference and live by our core value of mutual understanding and equal respect in an intentionally inclusive, intercultural community.

Leadership

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Kelsey Hicks-Bunns

    Kelsey Hicks-Bunns 

    Head of Equity and Inclusion
  • Photo of Marcellus Holt

    Marcellus Holt 

    Primary School Equity and Inclusion Coordinator
  • Photo of Athena Ayers

    Athena Ayers 

    Secondary School Equity and Inclusion Coordinator

Programs & Resources

Our students, faculty, and staff participate annually in:

  • Intercultural Competency Workshops
  • People of Color Conference
  • Student Diversity Leadership Conference
  • White Privilege Conference
  • Anti-Defamation League Workshops
  • Learning for Justice
In addition this work is supported by the AIS Board of Trustees DEI Committee.

Our Head of Equity and Inclusion guides initiatives which include:
  • Equity & Inclusion Workshops for New Faculty & Staff
  • Student Affinity Groups
  • Faculty Affinity-based Groups
  • Community Cultural Commemoration & Celebration Events
  • Civil Conversation Dinners
  • Parent Organization Programs
 

Projects and Programs

Commemorations and Celebrations

Atlanta International School

A private, non-profit, international, IB World School for grades 3K-12, featuring full and dual-immersion language programs.

2890 North Fulton Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30305, USA
404.841.3840
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