Friends have long talked about the role of Quaker education in preparing children for the world not as it is, but as we would like it to be. And it occurs to me, that Friends Schools are also preparing youth to become a particular type of person with a particular (sometimes peculiar) set of values. Our work as Friends educators is to nurture and prepare students to carry their Light into the world. We know that it is their Light that transforms the world. It's a Light that already exists, a Light ready to spread. And sometimes as educators we just need to know when to get out of the way.
Last month Brooklyn Friends School's 10th Grade Service & Justice seminar helped to design the first BFS Community Issue Day. During this full day program upper school students learned about
significant local community issues, participated in collaborative
problem solving, and identified ways they, as young people, can support
constructive change in the community.
What strikes me about this opportunity is the inclusion of students in the development of the programming. In doing so we communicate to students that learning is connected to the world outside of the classroom and school buildings. And it also empowers students with the skills and experience to be the change they would like to see in the world.
Read more about this event here: