Affinity and Alliance Groups

At Catherine Cook, we believe that a learning community is strengthened when there are both opportunities to see ‘windows’ into experiences different from our own, as well as ‘mirrors’ which reflect back to us something familiar. To that end, Cook supports a selection of affinity and alliance groups across divisions. The overall purpose of offering these groups is so that people with shared social identifiers can congregate, explore, and learn according to their shared experiences, as well as regroup in cross-identified communities with intentionality and the ability to even better engage in community building. To help further define the work that affinity and alliance groups seek to accomplish, we offer these definitions of what these spaces offer:

An affinity group is a group of people who share interests, issues, a common background, and offer each other support. People who make up an affinity group share a common identifier, for example, race, gender, religion, sexual identity, family status, etc. Affinity groups allow members to explore their experience of this shared identity through facilitated conversations which expands personal capacity to understand self and to build authentic relationships cross-culturally. The ultimate goal for an affinity group is to support the development of a healthy sense of self within that identity so that members will feel empowered to engage deeply with others in the wider community. (For further information about affinity groups, please see the FAQ below.)

Affinity groups at Catherine Cook include:

Lower School:

Banana Splits Affinity
- Students grades 1-4 whose parents/guardians are divorced, separated, and/or live in a single parent/guardian household
- Advisor: Veasna Kim and Heather Vardis
Students of Color Affinity
- Students grades 1-4 of color, inclusive of multiracial and international people of color
- Advisors: Kathy Gilmore and Meridian Jackson

Lower and Middle School Combined:

Food Allergies Affinity
- Students in grades 1-8 who have food allergies and/or sensitivities
- Advisor: Ryan Trahey
Learning Differences Affinity
- Students in grades 1-8 who receive supports for different learning styles
- Advisor: Anne Russell

Middle School:

Jewish Affinity
- Students in grades 5-8 who identify or their family identifies as Jewish
- Advisor: Erica Broder
Students of Color Affinity
- Students of color in grades 5-8, inclusive of multiracial and international people of color.
- Advisors: Sara Ahmed and Motoko Maegawa

An alliance group is a group of people who have a common commitment to a group of people who share a common identifier, for example race, gender, family status, or sexual identity. Alliance groups are for both individuals who identify as part of the identifier group as well as for individuals who stand in support and solidarity with people who hold that identity.

Alliance groups at Catherine Cook include:

Gender and Sexuality Alliance
- Students in grades 5-8 of any and all gender and sexual identity (this is an alliance, so all identities are welcome)
- Advisors: Blaire Strom and Jason Krumwiede

Frequently Asked Questions

What is done in a student affinity group?

Why have affinity groups?

Affinity groups support identity development. The ability to uncover and explore common experience by identity strengthens self-esteem as well as supports students in finding affirmation, confidence, resilience, and the means to be in solidarity with others. For identity-based affinity groups that bring together under-represented segments of our school population, groups build a network of support through seeing and sharing that ‘you are not alone.’ For identity-based affinity groups that bring together dominant identities of our school population, groups build capacity to see how to apply how social privileges can be navigated to support social justice. Through the work achieved in affinity groups, members feel empowered to engage deeply with other groups and in mixed-identity spaces.

Who is invited to an affinity group?

Those who identify as a member of the identity centered in the group are invited. Some identities are experienced as a family, some are individual. It is up to the student to self-identify based on cultural, familiar, and personal experience and knowledge. Participation in an affinity group is voluntary and students can join or leave at any time. For our students in the Lower School, parental/guardian acknowledgment of a child’s decision to participate in an affinity group is required.

Is an affinity group a form of self-segregation?

Are affinity groups divisive?

To the contrary, affinity groups foster strong communities and school institutions. They help students to identify and explore issues, both personal and social, that may otherwise go unnoticed or unexplored by the school. By providing a space to exchange ideas, ask questions, and problem solve, affinity groups support affirming and celebrating what is both unique and shared within our community. In addition, affinity groups create what we refer to as a “critical mass” of people who share a common experience, which supports and strengthens self-esteem.

What can my child or I, who doesn’t share an identity with current affinity groups, do to be a part of this community-building experience?

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion wants to know what other affinity spaces students and adults are seeking so that their identities are validated and they can build community within the identities they hold. All are welcome to contact the Director, share hopes for what affinity groups are offered, and share in the exploration of how to bring that affinity space into being.

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