Philadelphia City Council Recognizes Friends Select Social Justice Week
During a recent Philadelphia City Council session at City Hall |
A resolution was passed recognizing January 20-23 as Social Justice Week. |
Friends Select was honored during a recent Philadelphia City Council session at City Hall, in which a resolution was passed recognizing January 20-23 as Social Justice Week. Students Isaac ’27 and Kauveri ’27, who have been integral to planning and facilitating our Social Justice Week along with other upper school students and employees, spoke about how this educational program reflects our values as a Quaker school.
“Since 2019, Social Justice Week has been our chance to pause and really look at the issues shaping our city—issues like gun violence, the opioid crisis, the rights of indigenous people, and more,” said Isaac. “We don’t just learn about them from textbooks; we learn by engaging with the people and organizations working on the ground in Philadelphia. Students are given the unique opportunity to make and teach lesson plans on these topics to their classmates throughout the week. That’s one of the things that makes our school special. Being ‘in the city and of the city’ isn’t just a slogan. It’s how we learn every day.”
“Social Justice Week has pushed us to examine the issues affecting Philadelphia,” said Kauveri. “... This year, those topics include Immigration Reform, Misogyny in Media, Social Justice in Film, Discrimination in Sports, Women’s Empowerment, Sustainable Energy, and more. These are not just areas of study for us; they’re realities we see and feel in our lives. Our teachers and staff empower us to create opportunities and learn directly from community voices, activists, and organizations working to make positive change.”
At Friends Select, the focus on issues of social justice, equity, and activism begins at age-appropriate levels in lower school. That focus expands and deepens in middle school, and both lower and middle school students have a dedicated Social Justice Day during the school year. Social Justice Week is a culminating experience of our educational program, a student-led initiative in which upper school students feel empowered to take a deep dive into some of the most pressing issues facing our city and our society.
