Upper School Community Day sparks passion for social justice
Students/faculty participated in workshops covering diversity, equality, and social justice issues
“Be the Change” — that was the message that resonated Friday, January 26 during Upper School Community Day.
Upper School students and faculty joined together for a day of community, creativity, and collaboration around the topic of social justice, led by Rabun Gap’s Director of Equity and Inclusion Mirna Valerio. Ms. Valerio invited special guests from across the U.S. to lead a variety of workshops.
Community Day kicked off with a keynote address by Mirna Valerio, followed by music from singer-songwriter Amanda Duncan.
Workshops on and off-campus inspired students to express themselves and consider social justice causes and current issues that they are passionate about.
One group of students spent the day in Atlanta at the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Students explored the history of the Civil Rights Movement and were able to share their photos and experiences on social media.
Two workshop sessions brought students to volunteer at the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Clayton, where they helped pack boxes of food for locals in need.
In the backlot at Rabun Gap, more than 70 students learned the art of Capoeira, a Brazilian Martial Arts form that was born as a way for escaped slaves in Brazil to protect themselves. Dr. Tawiah Saunders taught participants the basic movements and combinations, which several demonstrated at the closing of Community Day.
Our resident writers honed their skills writing poetry, short stories, and other genres about social justice issues under the guidance of Dr. Tsitsi Jaji, professor of English at Duke University.
Filmmakers Jenny Nichols of Pongo Media Productions and Sarah Menzies of Let Media spoke with aspiring videographers at Rabun Gap about the process of creating a documentary. Nichols and Menzies showed several of their films, including one they made on Ms. Valerio for REI, as well as brainstormed video ideas with Rabun Gap students.
Singer-songwriter Amanda Duncan led a group of student musicians who were tasked to create an original song about a social justice issue. Jennifer Keitt, Atlanta radio personality returned to campus for the morning session to complete the second part of her #stronggirls initiative leadership development workshop. Forty girls participated.
Upper School Art Teacher Beth Loveland led two workshop sessions on art and body image. Using images from magazines, students created a piece that depicted society’s view of beauty versus their own view. Alumna LeAnn Siefferman also remotely led at art-based workshop on creating designs for socially conscious dinner plates that spark conversation.
Afternoon sessions featured a talk by Head Soccer Coach Sourosh Amani about his experience as a five-year resident of a refugee camp. Also, Nicole Poku ‘18 and Chisom Okeke ‘18 shared about GIRL UP and the initiative to improve the condition of girls’ education and health all around the world.
"The idea is that social justice is a way of living your life with the well-being of others within and outside of your community, will ultimately make the world better place for everyone," said Ms. Valerio. "We are fortunate to live in this community, where we actually get to practice this on a daily basis. We are exposed to cultural intersections all day every day, which means that we’re confronting varying perspectives every minute of our existence here at Rabun Gap."
"The idea is that social justice is a way of living your life with the well-being of others within and outside of your community, will ultimately make the world better place for everyone," said Ms. Valerio. "We are fortunate to live in this community, where we actually get to practice this on a daily basis. We are exposed to cultural intersections all day every day, which means that we’re confronting varying perspectives every minute of our existence here at Rabun Gap."
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.
