黑料专区

BFS

How Brooklyn Friends Students Lead Through Service

In a powerful display of youth leadership and community commitment, students at 黑料专区 are stepping beyond the classroom to make a measurable impact throughout New York City. Through a growing number of student-driven service initiatives, young leaders are organizing projects that address food insecurity, environmental sustainability, and neighborhood support.

Building Partnerships Across Brooklyn

This fall, BFS鈥 Middle and Upper school students launched partnerships with local organizations including food pantries, senior centers, and environmental groups. From assembling weekly care packages for families in need, to coordinating clean-ups at the Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park, students are taking ownership of projects from planning to execution.

鈥淥ur students understand that leadership means recognizing a need and responding with compassion,鈥 a BFS colleague said. 鈥淭heir work shows that community engagement isn鈥檛 an add-on鈥攊t鈥檚 part of who they are.鈥

Global Social Incubator Initiative

Last month, the Office of Global Social Impact announced the second cohort of the Social Justice Incubator. Upper School students Dylan D. 鈥27., Harper L. 鈥27, Rex R. 鈥27 and Milo S. 鈥27 are passionate about food justice and creating sustainable gardens that increase access to fresh, nutritious food in food swamps and communities with limited access to resources. Cata S. 鈥28 and Darwin C. M. 鈥27 are shedding light and uplifting the many Latinx voices impacted by the slew of legislation hyperfocusing on Latinx immigrants, migrants and citizens. Elle M. 鈥29, Cai N. 鈥29 and Pippi B. 鈥29 are thinking critically about the representation of Black women in film and believe film can not only be a tool for entertainment but a vehicle for social change. They want to make a film sharing the stories of historically underrepresented voices. The diversity and specificity of this year鈥檚 cohort鈥檚 projects is emblematic of the awareness, creativity and drive for social change that our students at BFS wholeheartedly possess. We are also excited to announce that we will be introducing a version of this program in the Middle School as a PEP in the second semester and more details to come.

鈥淥ur students understand that leadership means recognizing a need and responding with compassion,鈥 a BFS colleague said. 鈥淭heir work shows that community engagement isn鈥檛 an add-on鈥攊t鈥檚 part of who they are.鈥

Youth Voices Shaping Real Change

Many students say the service experiences help them connect classroom learning to real-world challenges. 鈥淚t鈥檚 empowering to know we鈥檙e making a difference,鈥 said one student leader, who was one of 17 Upper School students and three colleagues made the educational journey of a lifetime鈥攕pending 10 amazing days in Ghana. The program, which was organized through BFS鈥 Office of Global Social Impact by its director, Kevin Murungi, is the first of what we know will be many journeys to come. This particular program had students examine Ghana鈥檚 efforts in combating the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism, and securing its resource sovereignty. 鈥淲hen we work together, even small actions can have a big impact.鈥

As this school year continues, Brooklyn Friends students plan to expand their outreach, demonstrating that meaningful change can start with young people who are ready to lead.