In April, Friends Council on Education’s ninetieth anniversary celebration brought those in Friends education together for conversation and connection at Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia, Pa. A tribute to Friends Council’s founders, Morris E. and Hadassah M. Leeds, preceded the graduation of the ninth cohort of the Institute for Engaging Leadership in Friends Schools.
Friends Council continues to work toward racial and social justice. Going into its fifth year, Community Conversations on Race brings together people to share tools to combat racism in their communities. The new heads of color affinity group meets monthly. In August, the Educators New to Quakerism workshop at Friends School of Atlanta in Georgia incorporated equity and justice—a newly added pillar to Principles of Good Practice in Friends Schools.
Peer Networks bring educators working in different Friends schools together. In the spring, learning specialists explored using the context of Quaker school missions to frame their work, including using the testimonies of equity and equality in learning support. Quaker Life educators focused on re-centering Quaker practices and ideas that have been interrupted during the past two years of the pandemic. School counselors and psychologists shared trends in meeting the needs of students and faculty given the current climate of our world and emphasized the importance of staying attuned to the many ways young people are experiencing challenges.
Learn more: Friends Council on Education
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