What is Pollyanna? Discover the Lasting Impact

For years, The Willows has proudly sent students, faculty, alumni, parents, administrators, and trustees to the inspiring Pollyanna conference at Harvard-Westlake. These gathering have become an integral part of our community’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

For those that have never attended, you might be wondering – what exactly is Pollyanna, and why does it matter?

Pollyanna’s mission is quite simple, “Build stronger and kinder communities.” The work though is much more complex. It involves members of communities that have a passion to make change. The Pollyanna conference brings together voices from across independent schools to explore the critical topics that shape inclusive, supportive, and forward-thinking communities. The conference is dynamic, collaborative, interactive, and allows space for individuals to take a deep introspective view on their community, while providing guidance and training for all individuals to become change agents.

This year’s Pollyanna conference was centered around the theme “Exploring Gender in 2024 and Beyond.” With gender identity increasingly at the forefront of cultural and media conversations, this topic invited us as a community to reflect on how we can continue creating more inclusive environments for everyone to feel seen, respected, and valued. The conference brought individuals from across generations and roles within schools and provided a safe space for all to discuss the unique challenges and obstacles, as well as the positive progress that has already been made.

The Pollyanna Conference serves as both a mirror and a guide, helping us examine where we are and where we need to go to build a future where gender inclusivity is woven into the fabric of our community. The conversations that took place over a weekend in October will continue to inspire thoughtful and meaningful dialogue as we reflect mindfully on our school community.

Below is The Willows Community School Inclusivity Statement 

The Willows Community School is dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion as integral to our mission, school culture, and educational program.

We are firmly committed to nurturing and sustaining a safe and open environment that empowers individuals and groups to discover and celebrate their identity. We embrace the many facets of diversity including race, ethnicity, religion, culture, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, family structure, and socioeconomic status.

We strive to build and cultivate our multicultural community by celebrating what makes each of us unique while continuing to foster the universal values that we share. We do this to equip our students with the perspectives and skills necessary to thrive in a complex, multifaceted, and increasingly interconnected world.

We acknowledge that diversity, similar to democracy, is an ongoing process, and believe in the importance of committing to this work through engagement in ongoing dialogue, openness to learning and growing to increase our understanding, and the nurturing of equitable relationships at all levels across our campus based on respect and empathy.

These values strengthen our community, promote collaboration, enrich our thinking, reflect our core values, and remain essential to the life of our school.

Learn More about DEI at The Willows: DEI Belonging Through Connection