Last weekend a van full of students went to the Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference at Sandy Spring Friends School. The event brings together high school students from diverse backgrounds to explore themes of identity, equity, and inclusion through student-run sessions. Designed to cultivate leadership skills and foster dialogue around social justice issues, the conference provides students with a platform to reflect on their own experiences and collaborate with peers to enact positive change within their schools and communities.

This year we had several of our own students on the leadership team, working since August to build their own workshops for the event. Ezra Lillie ran a workshop on affirmations: learning to love yourself, and Sydney Dare ran a workshop on navigating uncomfortable conversations. Max Pynn, Evelyn Russ, Ren Borland, Mia Walker, Evelyn Regenhardt, Ella Berntsen, Matthew Walton, Izzy Hildebrandt, Campbell Malone, Liv Labrador, Izzy Labrador, and Iris Lillie.

The BSDLC equips students with the tools and confidence to take on leadership roles in promoting equity and inclusion. Many attendees leave the conference with a renewed sense of purpose and actionable plans to implement initiatives such as diversity clubs, peer mentorship programs, or awareness campaigns in their schools. The conference also allows for the formation of lifelong connections among participants and inspires them to continue advocating for social justice beyond high school. In fact, Ms. Larrimore is still in contact with the friends she made at BSDLC during her time as a student participant! By centering the voices of young leaders, BSDLC cultivates a generation of changemakers committed to building a more equitable future.