Anti-Bias Policy

Anti-bias goals for children

Goal 1: Identity
Each child will demonstrate self awareness, confidence, and community and family pride.
Children will develop positive social identities based on their membership and connection to multiple groups in their neighborhoods and society.
Goal 2: Diversity
Each child will express comfort and joy with human diversity. They will use accurate language for human differences, and develop deep, caring connections with other people.
Children will express comfort with people who are both similar to and different from them and will engage respectfully with others.
Goal 3: Justice
Each child will increasingly recognize unfairness, have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts.
Children will recognize stereotypes and relate to people as individuals rather than representatives of groups.
Goal 4: Action
Each child will demonstrate empowerment and develop the skills to act with others or alone, against prejudice and/or discriminatory actions.
Children will express empathy when people are excluded or mistreated because of their identities, and show concern when they themselves experience bias. Children will use language to express discriminatory actions they see or experience.

Educators at UPNS will teach and interact using an anti-bias/anti-racist framework. Our practice is rooted in learning, acceptance, understanding, and inclusion.

  • Educators will participate in and encourage self-exploration of biases and assumptions as we integrate culturally diverse information and perspectives into our classrooms.
  • We will allow time and maturation to establish trusting relationships and have honest conversations within a respectful context. We recognize that mistrust between people in different groups can influence a classroom. We work together to foster trust and understanding to provide welcoming learning environments.
  • Educators will establish an accepting environment that allows for mistakes; understanding that people unconsciously use biased language, stereotypical thinking, and prejudices. Educators model non-defensive responses when acknowledging bias, with the assumption that goodwill is the common practice within the classroom community. UPNS educators are prepared to intervene in purposefully-directed acts of prejudice and bias.
  • We provide discovery learning opportunities where children resolve conflict, solve problems, and work in diverse groups together.
  • We review resources to make sure classroom displays, bulletin boards, and literature are inclusive and do not reinforce existing social stereotypes.
  • UPNS educators value the home-school connection by involving parents, family members, and the community in the learning process. We will create classroom  settings that are rich in possibilities for exploring cultural and family diversity.

Anti-bias Policy – Updated July 2026