Last week, four of Fay’s Upper School students and two members of the faculty made the trek to Philadelphia for the National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership Conference and People of Color Conference. This annual event is a unique opportunity for middle and high school students and faculty from around the country to meet with classmates and colleagues and discuss issues of diversity in independent schools.

The four students—ninth graders Starr Phillips, Daisy Choi, Luis Locsin and Romello Crowell—spent two intensive days in workshops and discussions that focused on their experiences as students of color and explored strategies for making their campuses even more inclusive and welcoming.

While the students attended their workshops at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, kindergarten teacher Max Bogaert and intern Awa Diaw participated in their own panel discussions at the People of Color Conference. Max’s workshops focused on ways to incorporate themes of diversity and inclusion into the primary curriculum, while Awa’s workshops explored strategies for community building and expanding awareness of diversity issues.

Awa found the experience to be both enlightening and inspiring—and a reinforcement of Fay’s core values of Honorable Conduct, Dedicated Service, and Wellness of Mind, Body, and Spirit. “The major theme of both conferences was the idea of inclusion and how we can help our school community continue to be open to new ideas and experiences,” she says. “Our students are so energized to bring these experience back to campus and share them with their classmates.”