A Q&A with Director of Diversity John Bower
We sat down to chat with Bower, who also teaches French and music in the Middle School, about his goals for the upcoming school year.
When John Bower was in high school, he had nowhere to turn for a group that promoted issues of diversity. Now, as the new Director of Diversity at Rivers, he hopes to give students a platform to discuss race, class and gender that he never had himself.
We sat down to chat with Bower, who also teaches French and music in the Middle School, about his goals for the upcoming school year.
What do you see as your role as Director of Diversity?
It’s always been an important initiative at Rivers to build the community, spread awareness, and help students understand different backgrounds and heritages. I see my role this year as trying to really promote those goals.
I’ll be organizing events like the fall diversity dinner for students of color, as well as International Night (on November 21), which features food, dance, music, poetry, and other cultural offerings from many different countries all over the world. In addition to those events, I’ll be running the weekly discussion groups for both the Middle and Upper School Forum.
What new ideas do you plan to bring to the position as director?
I would like to make the Forum more service-based rather than exclusively discussion-based. For example, I plan to have the group do volunteer work at the Food Project, a local agricultural group that provides fruits and vegetable for lower-income families in inner-city Boston.
I’m also trying to coordinate a student trip in December to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference taking place in Denver. Attending the conference would be an extremely exciting opportunity for Rivers students.
It’s pretty unique that Rivers has a forum for discussing diversity at both the Upper School and Middle School level.
Why do you think it’s important for all students to talk about these issues?
Everyone has something to learn about these issues. I’ve found that Middle School students often ask some really important, challenging questions about diversity. I think the Middle School is really where talking about diversity should start.
I also plan to occasionally combine the Middle and Upper School Forums to give the two groups an opportunity to teach – and learn from – each other. Ultimately, it’s all about bringing our various experiences to the table and opening people’s perspectives in the community.
