About

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Sage Hill's Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Sage Hill, one of the philosophies we adhere to is leading with our work. This philosophy is especially important in our responsibility toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Through our ongoing commitment to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist school community that empowers students to become agents of change, we dedicate ourselves to the following initiatives: 

Note: This is a non-exhaustive list that our community continues to build upon. We also recognize that the work we do is centered around people with many intersecting identities that need to be fully recognized. 

  • Partnership and year-long collaboration with local Native American tribal representatives that honor the land our School is built on.  
  • Institutional support of our student leadership group dedicated to DEI work, called S.A.M.E. (Sage Advocates for Multicultural Education).
  • Participation in the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) as well as pre- and post-conference support and presentations from students to faculty.
  • Affinity spaces for students with facilitative support that currently include: Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), Black Student Union (BSU), Jewish, Latinx, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer (LGBTQ+), Middle-Eastern/North African (MENA), and Multi-Racial. Affinity groups are a gathering space for individuals with a common identity to come together, celebrate, connect and support one another based on their unique cultural or other identity-based experiences. 
  • Weekly lunch forums for students and faculty to discuss topics related to identity, current events and equity.
  • Training for all student leaders on topics such as impact vs. intent, implicit bias, inclusive culture and more.
  • Annual participation in People of Color Conference (NAIS-POCC) open to all employees.
  • Ongoing development training for employees (teachers, staff, coaches, administration) related to anti-bias work, diversity of content and practice, and culturally responsible teaching. 
  • Seeking Equity Educational Diversity (SEED) New Leader Week training for selected employees. 
  • Seeking Equity Educational Diversity (SEED) concept integration into annual teacher evaluations. 
  • Implementation of Sage Center Designated Courses that incorporate cross-cultural competency skills, diversity, equity, and inclusion-based content and practice and anti-racist course development.
  • Spring at Sage seminar and travel opportunities that explore our Global Education Pillars: Leadership, Equity & Justice, Sustainability, Innovation and Civic Engagement.
  • Partnerships with multiple community organizations that serve local needs throughout Orange County through our Service Learning program.
  • Speaker Series programming open to all community members that highlights diverse opportunities, voices and stories.
  • Summer Institutes for faculty dedicated to development of inclusive pedagogy.

Contact Us

List of 6 members.

  • Photo of Sanan Shirinian

    Sanan Shirinian 

    Sage Center Director
  • Photo of Sara Graham

    Sara Graham 

    Assistant Director of the Sage Center for Global Education and Inclusion, English Teacher
  • Photo of Sydney Smith

    Sydney Smith 

    Dance Teacher, Coordinator of Community Engagement
  • Photo of Verginie Touloumian

    Verginie Touloumian 

    Advancement Manager -- Events and Support/SHIP Coordinator
  • Photo of Matthew Vadeboncoeur

    Matthew Vadeboncoeur 

    Dean of Academic Technology, History Teacher
  • Photo of Gracie Johnson

    Gracie Johnson 

    Administrative Assistant to the Sage Center

Sage Hill School

Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.