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EHS Students and Faculty Attend Annual NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference
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n December, six students and three faculty members attended the annual National Association for Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in Philadelphia, Pa. This is the third consecutive year Episcopal students have attended the conference. Weibo Fu ’14, Teresa Kim ’13, Lory Nguyen ’13, Jordan Rose ’13, Lee Stewart ’13, and Nicoya Taylor ’13 were accompanied by Science Teacher and Dean of Multicultural Affairs Carolyn Lewis, French Teacher Eleanor Moore, and Social Studies Teacher and Director of Multicultural Affairs Rachael Flores. During the conference, the students and faculty attended separate programs. The students attended two days of intense training and learned how to be better leaders and spokespersons for issues of diversity and justice in their school. According to NAIS, the SDLC “is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of upper school student leaders (grades 9–12) from around the country. Participants examine issues of social justice, develop effective cross-cultural communication skills, practice expression through the arts, and learn networking principles and strategies. Now in its 18th year, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference encourages students to apply the leadership principles they develop within their own communities after the conference.” “The SDLC was unique and uplifting,” said Stewart. “We all chose to attend and took our topics on with a
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(Front row: Lee Stewart ’13 and Weibo Fu ’14; back row: French Teacher Eleanor Moore, Science Teacher and Dean of Multicultural Affairs Carolyn Lewis, Jordan Rose ’13, Nicoya Taylor ’13, Teresa Kim ’13, Lory Nguyen ’13, and Social Studies Teacher and Director of Multicultural Affairs Rachael Flores.)
full heart. I have never felt so respected and understood by so many people. The SDLC is an eye-opening experience, and I wish everyone could experience something so great.” While the students were at the SDLC, EHS faculty members attended the corresponding People of Color Conference (PoCC), which focused on issues related to creating equitable, inclusive, and diverse environments in independent schools. As described on the NAIS website, “NAIS hosts an annual PoCC as the flagship of NAIS’s equity and justice initiatives. The mission of the
conference is to provide a safe space for networking and a professional development opportunity for people, who, by virtue of their race or ethnicity, comprise a form of diversity termed ‘people of color’ in independent schools. PoCC serves as an energizing and revitalizing gathering for people who experience independent schools differently.” “The conference consisted of keynote speakers and workshops that help to accomplish this mission,” stated Flores. “The Episcopal community members who attended the conference are currently making plans to implement what they learned on our campus.” n