CDS Faculty & Staff Participate in Diversity Training
Before our students return in September, CDS faculty typically participate in some type of professional development. This year, all faculty and staff took part in a full-day of diversity training led by Alden Habacon, one of Canada’s leading diversity and inclusion strategists. Born in Manila, raised in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Regina, and married to a Chinese Canadian, Alden now lives in Vancouver with his wife and two young sons.
Alden is highly regarded for his 14 years of impact and innovative work around inclusive leadership, unconscious bias and intercultural training. He has worked with leadership in a wide range of professions and sectors throughout Canada, including the legal community, social services, the public sector, first responders and large private corporations.
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Over the last few years he has delivered professional development to faculty and staff in almost every university in British Columbia and currently works with many universities across Canada, the U.S. and Hong Kong. In 2010, Alden was appointed by UBC’s President to lead the University’s commitment to intercultural understanding and has served as both the Director and Senior Advisor, Intercultural Understanding.
Topics he presented on throughout the day included the stages of getting from a Mono-cultural Mindset to an Intercultural Mindset as an inclusive workplace: comprehension, mindshift, adoption and culture change; how as individuals we must continue to work toward improving upon our thought diversity and understanding of inclusivity through intent, design and intervention; building the capacity for courageous conversations; and the importance of being an active bystander and witness.
The biggest takeaway of the day was Alden’s ability to help us realize that the journey to intercultural awareness is a process that involves discussion, openness, acceptance of ambiguity and a willingness to take action. Individually, we may all be at different stages in the journey, but collectively we can work to achieve the end goal of an inclusive workplace and lasting culture change for all.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
