Affinity Groups for Parents and Guardians

Affinity groups at OES are designed to support families whose identities have been underrepresented or marginalized and increase families’ sense of belonging in the community by providing spaces for renewal, dialogue, reflection, and action.

These groups offer caregivers the opportunity to discuss their individual experiences among a peer group that shares a common identity. Parents and guardians develop self-awareness and cultural knowledge, problem solve social interactions, and build communities of support. The groups are facilitated by two to three parent facilitators, and supported by the Director for Equity & Inclusion.

Please note: These groups are for parents/guardians only. Click here under STUDENT LIFE to learn more about affinity and allyship groups for students.

If you would like to attend future gatherings with any of these groups, or if you are seeking support from the school to start a parents/guardians affinity group of your own, please contact the Office of Equity & Inclusion at dei-events@oes.edu.

Tapestry: Parents/Guardians of Learners of Color

This affinity group is for families who have students that identify as of Color. This group exists to create space to support each other, network, and advocate for students. In this space, parents come together to build community for themselves and their children, learn about various supports to strengthen positive identity, connect with school leadership, and educate themselves on issues that affect student life.

Neurodiverse Community Affinity Group (NCAG)

Families join this affinity group in search of support for themselves and their students who deal with learning differences such as ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and dyslexia. The group meets regularly to offer resources and support, advocate for increased awareness to normalize neurodiversity, and share best practices for neurodivergent individuals, with a focus on addressing systemic barriers that create inequitable opportunities and outcomes.

LGBTQ+ Families Affinity Group

This affinity group is for parents and guardians only and supports LGBTQ+ families in all their forms, be it parents/guardians of LGBTQ+ students or parents/guardians who themselves identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. It offers a safe space where members can foster a sense of belonging, support one another, and strengthen their voice within the school community.

Affinity Groups: FAQs

What is an affinity group?

An affinity group is a gathering of people that share a similar identity. Informal affinity groups already exist at OES. When children are on a sports team they share the common experience of playing a sport together; their team is an affinity group. Children in first grade are in an age-based affinity group. Formal identity-based student affinity groups supported by the Oregon Episcopal School Office of Equity & Inclusion are based on:

race/ethnicity
gender
gender identity
sexuality
socio-economic status
class
religion

OES affinity groups support members of our community whose identities have been underrepresented or minoritized based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender , gender identity or expression, disability, age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, to provide a space for renewal, dialogue, reflection, and action.

Sociological research shows that when people are underrepresented in an environment they can experience less of a sense of belonging. Although members of the group may share a common identity, such as gender or race, it does not mean that everyone in that group shares the same experience. Rather, participants recognize that their identity has an effect on the way they move through the world. Research and best practices show that affinity groups can be a strategic tool to support people from underrepresented groups and help them to thrive.

What happens in affinity groups?

During opt-in meetings, students and adults gather to to share personal experience, learn about their culture, reflect on their own identity development, and to support each other in addressing issues that arise for members of their self-identified community. Facilitators create a structure for the gathering. This can include asking a check in question or facilitating a community building activity, posing questions to members of the group for discussion. Affinity groups are flexible and based in the intent to gather to offer mutual support and support all participants being heard.

Aren’t affinity groups just another type of exclusiveness? Isn’t it counter to being a community?

Affinity groups are created to support identity development, cultivate leadership, and build community. These are places where students and adults can develop a better understanding of how their own identity shapes their experiences. By becoming firmly rooted in their own identity, community members are in a much better position to understand other people’s experiences. Research supports affinity groups as a necessary element for the healthy development of individuals and organizations.