PSV is the first nonprofit community of support created for Black families, by Black families, that focuses on the unique challenges associated with private school once admitted. Since our founding in 2018, we have expanded to support the creation of Somos PSV, a similar community within PSV for Latino families. In partnership with schools, PSV works to increase racial socialization, racial literacy, representation, and related research. At the core, we are building a village for one very simple reason--we lack a lot of racial diversity in our daily school experience which has tremendous short and long-term implications. Together, we are addressing an unmet need and unique challenges that have gone unaddressed generation after generation. Until now.

We recognize that the issues Black students face in private schools are not issues that are only experienced in private schools or issues that only Black students face. However, we are limited in resources and have to start somewhere. Additionally, our founder, Lisa Johnson, is a Black mother who is the product of an independent school education, and is currently a mother of small children in independent school where she also sits on the board. She is passionate about improving these schools and understands these schools more readily than others so it was a natural place for her to start. She felt it was important to focus on Black families in particular given the history of race in America and its connection to the private school enrollment boom and formation of many independent schools a few decades ago. She also personally experienced many of the challenges related to being Black in private school that are still experienced today that the organization is working to address. That said, in 2022 the organization formed a Latinx/Hispanic workgroup comprised of parents and administrators to launch Somos PSV, a community within PSV for Latino families.

Soon! Please check back shortly to learn more about growing the village!

It's easy and free to join PSV! All you do is go to our website at privateschoolvillage.org and sign up to recieve the emails. From there, you will start getting the emails that notify you of events, programs, and activities and you pick and chose how and when to get involved! Or, simply RSVP to one of our events on our website and you will start receiving information about upcoming events. Remember, it takes a village and we each can play a role, however big or small, in the village. Together, if we each contribute something -- time, talent, resources, participation -- we will be stronger for it and our children will benefit the most.

We are thrilled when parents arleady feel a strong sense of community in their respective schools because of an affinity space or anything else for that matter. Belonging is essential to a healthy experience! PSV isn't designed to replace a school's affinity group but is instead there to augment and support the growing need for community. In that light, PSV is a larger affinity space for all of the affinity groups in private schools (if they exist in a school). PSV creates an opportunity to build affinity and support across schools to ensure we are working together as a larger community to forever improve the generational experience of Black families in our schools. What's the saying -- if you want to go fast, go alone...if you want to go far, go together. We want to go far, together. PSV is working broadly to realize change across private schooling as an industry by empowering parents and working collaboratively with our schools, including affinity groups. PSV is working on many levels to bring change. A few ways include providing research about experiences as data is a first-step towards realizing anythig meaninful, bringing key stakeholders together within private schools (e.g. Black trustees) and increasing opportunities for our children to socialize (e.g. social pods that are not school specific but rather grade-level specific across all PSV sponsoring schools). We need to continue to work collaboratively accross all areas in our schools to harness the macro voice of the Black family experience and use it for our collective betterment. This starts with buidling community, both locally within a school and beyond.

The only criteria we have is that someone in the family identify as African-American/Black, that someone in the family be affiliated with a local private school, and/or that someone identify as an active ally who wants to better support Black students and families in private/independent school. This includes multiracial families who are mixed with African-American/Black. This may also include Black/African-American families who are on the private school "track," hoping to join this unique school community.

Both organizations strive to better support Black/African-American children through myriad programs and activities, however, Jack & Jill and PSV are not the same thing. Many families participate in both organizations for that very reason. Perhaps the biggest difference between the organizations is that PSV is a grassroots community comprised of those that identify as Black/African-American and have an affiliation with a private school or those that are on the private school “track.” PSV welcomes all caretakers, regardless of gender, and race/ethnicity, and there is no application process. Jack & Jill is a nationwide membership organization of mothers who were invited and selected to join (if they are not legacy). Chapters of Jack & Jill are limited in the number of members each chapter selects, and the children of members do not have to be in private school. Both organizations offer a great deal to the Black/African-American community.

Yes! We welcome Black and brown families who are on the private school "track." A goal of PSV is to increase diversity in private schools and PSV members can provide first-hand feedback to applicant families in a unique way. That said, many of our programs are only for families currently in PSV-sponsored schools.

100% of donations directly cover expenses related to PSV programs and operations. PSV does not currently have paid staff but is instead operated and managed by a team of dedicated volunteers.

Yes! You are part of the village as the parent of a bi-racial or Black child! We hope you will participate, volunteer, and more as your experience impacts your child's experience and that is our shared focus.

As long as they fit the basic criteria -- identifying as African-American/Black, having an affiliation with a local private school or are on the private school "track," and/or identifying as an active ally to these families. We hope that you will invite them!

There is no fee to join the Private School Village--if you fit the basic criteria, we just want you to join us, socialize, and pitch in whenever/if you can. We are a village and together we are building something special and important with a keen focus on doing what's best for the health and development of our children. We think that building a valuable community shouldn't require a fee or become any type of burden. That said, we would be silly not to hope that everyone will contribute in a meaningful way. We welcome all in-kind or monetary donations throughout the year.

It is not -- at least from PSV's perspective! PSV is highly collaborative, nonprofit organization and feels as if there is plenty of room for every organization, every mission, even entities with similar or related goals. To us, there is real strength in sharing efforts and we'd prefer to leverage that strength for the benefit of our community.

Yes! Please send information about resources related to diversity and inclusion or private school admittance and we will try to post it on social media for the PSV community. To submit something, email psvadmin@privateschoolvillage.org and include a jpeg image that provides the event name, date, location, contact name and a little blurb about the event. Better yet, if you're on Facebook, please post it directly to the PSV public Facebook page (or private Facebook group) using your best discretion about what's being posted (e.g. posting information about activities and events for students versus soliciting for business; not posting too often, etc).

Please email us at psvadmin@privateschoolvillage.org.

Yes! Private schools include nonsectarian schools and religious schools covering many denominations (the term parochial usually denotes Catholic schools but can also refer to schools of other religious faiths and denominations). These schools do not rely on government funding. They are supported by tuition, by grants from charitable organizations, and in the case of religious schools, by religious institutions.