The 2022 Advanced Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI) took place on April 9 at The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, MA with four Choate students in attendance: Chloe Jacobs ’23, Simone Johnson ’23, Ryan Kim ’23, and Heidi Small ’23. The retreat aimed to create a space for students to improve their organization and leadership skills as well as deepen their understanding of racial, gender, economic, queer, and social justice.
Dr. Rachel Myers, teacher and Dean of Equity and Inclusion at Choate, noted, “This is the only advanced opportunity that I have seen for students. Most conferences and workshops start at a ‘101’ level, and students who have been engaged in social justice work before have been craving something more advanced.”
The program provided many opportunities for students to further develop their skills in social justice and activism. Small said, “I wanted to attend the SJLI so that I could immerse myself in an environment with other youth to gain a deeper understanding of how systems of race, class, and gender impacted my life and those around me.” Jacobs added, “All the students in attendance had some experience with activism, but don’t let that deter students who consider themselves new to this space. We’re all going there to learn.”
Attending the event meant getting the chance to interact with other students who have similar passions and engage in constructive discussions and workshops — a major part of what drew students to SJLI. One exercise at the event focused on looking at how privilege plays out in school districts. The attendees were split into three groups, named “vanilla,” “chocolate,” and “strawberry.” Participants were able to connect the simulations to current urgent issues and collaborate and discuss solutions. Small’s favorite part of the event was “connecting with [her] cohort and getting to know why and how they engage in activism and social justice work.” Every student brought new and personal perspectives and ideas to the table, which, according to Small, “really emphasized how although we have different definitions of justice, our definitions all are a subset of a broader coalition to create change.”
The impact SJLI had was significant on students who attended. Small expressed, “I was deeply impacted by the profound knowledge, wisdom, and enthusiasm of everyone who attended. These activities expanded my scope of knowledge about racial and social justice, particularly in the systems and institutions that surround me. I hope to bring back some of the conversations and workshop activities that I participated in, to create collective action.” Johnson concluded, “I think my biggest takeaway from this workshop is organizing. What can I do to work with and support the communities that I’m fighting for? What can we do to kind of build upon the groundwork that we’ve already set down?”
