D-E recently hosted a daylong civics workshop for a cohort of D-E students and high school students from across the Tri-State area. The day offered a continuation of last month’s Day of Deliberative Dialogue in the Upper School, facilitated by our Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in partnership with the Washington, D.C.-based Close Up Foundation. Students from Montclair Kimberley Academy, The IDEAL School of Manhattan, The Browning School, and School of the Holy Child in Rye, New York, participated in community deliberation on the right to protest on high school campuses. In the afternoon, they gathered in small groups to consider national policy proposals surrounding the central question of how, if at all, the government should reform immigration policy. The day concluded with a panel of experts from different political perspectives, who answered questions that students formed during their deliberations. According to Scot Wilson, Close Up’s VP of Academics, the goal is to “focus on deliberative dialogue as a skill that is fundamental to the Democratic process… and deepen our understanding of the challenges of making good decisions.” And that fits right in with our school’s mission, noted Dr. Ingram, Director of DEIB. Specifically, he said, workshops such as these “support the culture of deliberative engagement we’re trying to create here at D-E.” More to come!
