Over three days this past week, Mykel Macedon ’15, Abby Moses ’16, Janelle Carmichael ’17, Hans Zhou ’16, Alexa Colon ’17, and Ryan Haarstick ’15 joined Modern Language teacher Both Long, Math Department chair Karen Bryant, Art teacher Barbara Putnam, Sarah McCann of the English Department, Director of Community & Equity Affairs Ava Archibald, Communications Director Charles Greene, and Assistant Director of Admission Arjun Rohan at the 2014 Student Diversity Leadership Conference and NAIS People of Color Conference in Indianapolis.
The Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of upper school student leaders (grades 9-12) from across the United States. SDLC focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, participants work to develop effective crosscultural communication skills, to better understand the nature and development of effective strategies for social justice, practice expression through the arts, and learn networking principles and strategies. In addition to large group sessions, SDLC “family groups” and “home groups” allow for intense dialogue and sharing. The mission of the NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) 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, revitalizing gathering for people who experience independent schools differently. SDLC and PoCC participants also interact in regional and intergenerational dialogue sessions.
Mr. Arjun serves as one of the 43 SDLC 2014 facilitators, responsible for designing, evaluating, and executing the current year’s curriculum. “Within our responsibilities,” he said, “we are charged with the task of making sure that the curriculum is age appropriate for upper school student leaders and that it focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. The students leave the SDLC space motivated to make a difference and with the necessary tools; effective strategies for social justice and learned networking principles.”
It was a powerful three-day experience for all the St. Markers involved. “It is an interesting time in our history to be at the PoCC and SDLC, given recent events in Ferguson, New York, Cleveland, and Phoenix,” said Mr. Greene. “It was wonderful working with so many people who care deeply about issues of social justice and equity. We all got a great deal out of it.”