• Working to foster a local and global perspective so that we as a Community embrace world cultures, solve pressing issues, understand interconnectedness, evaluate and resolve conflicts and cause positive change.
• Continually recognize and urgently repair any and all hurt or harm caused, individually and systematically.  
• Challenging our institution to strive beyond diversity and embed inclusion and belonging at every level. 
• Actively promoting respect for others, embracing individual, cultural and socioeconomic differences, and modeling social responsibility, equity and justice. We seek to engage and listen with empathy and respect across existing differences. 
• Investing in the recruitment, hiring and retention of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) as our School values the perspective and leadership of the BIPOC community.
• Welcoming the discomfort of making mistakes. We acknowledge that creating an inclusive and safe learning community requires evolution and we must embrace conflict and discomfort and learn from our mistakes.
• Providing the time and resources necessary for our professional community members, administration and Board of Trustees to participate in trainings, review and revise curriculum, pedagogy, policies and practices through an anti-racist lens.

With these commitments, we intend to mold our school’s culture to our mission by ensuring empowerment and belonging for all students and Professional Community members. Through these efforts, we hope that our students will gain a greater understanding of themselves, while cultivating the ability to embrace differences and think deeply about our diverse society and the expected and necessary changes that must occur.

Head-Royce School stands against racism and hatred in all its forms. Our entire community reflects diversity in cultural, racial, religious, and gender identities and we are stronger because of it. Our School's mission is built on the pillars of diversity, citizenship, and academics; our commitment to these principles demands that we raise our voices in pursuit of justice. We acknowledge the significant, ongoing pain and violence inflicted upon our Black community, and pledge to embody our mission by taking tangible actions to dismantle systemic racism and oppression.

Purpose of Nia

Nia is the Swahili word for “purpose.” Nia encourages us to look within ourselves and set goals that are beneficial to the community. It represents our hopes and dreams for the future of our children and future of Head-Royce. As a group of parents, faculty and administrators, we collectively strive to foster community spirit within Head-Royce while building partnerships with community groups, individuals and businesses.

Legacy of Nia

Nia was established in 2003 when four Head-Royce mothers met to discuss how they could contribute and support the three tenets of the Head-Royce mission—scholarship, diversity and citizenship. It was decided to host an annual speakers event that would be open to the Head-Royce and greater Oakland communities. These founding members also had the equally important goal of establishing an endowed scholarship to support the tuition for students of color admitted to Head-Royce School. 

Nia in the Head-Royce Community

Established by the grassroots fundraising and personal financial contributions of the Nia founders, the Scholarship Endowment Fund has raised over $200,000 and ensures an admitted student of color will have financial backing throughout their Head-Royce academic career, regardless of any socio-economic limitations.