Lower School Week of Action

The Lower School Week of Social Action is an exciting opportunity for our youngest learners to put into practice our antibias/antiracist learning from the year, and asserts that the value of this learning grows when we use it to deepen our relationships and make the world a more just and equitable place. Throughout the week, all Lower School students learn about activists and activism and explore the variety of ways that they can “create meaning, develop understanding, and inspire action,” a key component of our School mission. 

During our inaugural Week of Social Action in February 2023, students had the opportunity to center and celebrate the joy and diversity of Black Life and learn about the expansiveness of Black contributions to our community. Each grade studied historical and contemporary changemakers, whom children honored through letters of gratitude and art pieces inspired by the artwork of Shady Hill alum ’70 Ekua Holmes. In reflecting on our work together in community gatherings, children felt the importance of their individual contribution within a wider communal context, and all Lower School students saw themselves as capable of enacting change.

Our next steps for the Lower School Week of Action include exposing children to changemakers from diverse backgrounds in order to support the positive identity development of all Lower School students.