Friends Forward

This workshop introduces the combined lens of “Outliers, Outlaws, and Outcasts”, through which the stories we hear (and ones we tell ourselves) have aspects of leadership, defiance, and failure rather than demarcations of winning and losing by heroes and villains, or pitting “us” against “them.” Participants leave with a greater awareness of their own growth as leaders, along with resources and strategies that help students recognize leadership qualities in themselves and their peers as they mature within social and academic communities.

In the Lower School at Wilmington Friends School, students explore one Quaker testimony each month through developmentally appropriate, experiential learning. Using queries, music, shared readings, and collaborative projects, students reflect on how these values show up in their daily lives and relationships. Learning culminates in student-created artifacts that are shared throughout the school, helping to make Quaker values visible within the community.

This interactive session will share the structure, resources, and practices that support this work, including examples of queries, songs, readings, and student projects. Participants will collaborate in small groups to generate ideas for testimony-focused experiences and visible displays tailored to their own school settings. Together, we will explore how tangible, student-centered expressions of the testimonies can build shared language, deepen understanding, and strengthen Quaker identity across a school.