Parker Students Attend Civic Leadership Summit

A group of Upper School students joined peers from across the country to cultivate leadership skills and make connections at the NAIS Student Civic Leadership Summit.

Representatives from each Upper School grade traveled to Washington, D.C. for this year’s summit, orchestrated in partnership with the Close Up Foundation. This annual event brings together students from throughout the nation to build knowledge, develop strategies and hone leadership skills to make a positive impact. 

Students engaged with experts and practiced collaborative inquiry into pressing national issues while considering their individual and collective responsibilities and agency. They learned more about identifying best practices in community engagement and the ways voices of other community members might shape their work toward a better future.

The summit concluded with a gallery of student work, with each school group presenting their vision statements, strategies and implementation plans to make an impact in their community.

Sophomore B Hirsch shared, “My favorite part of the summit was getting to meet and talk to people from all over the country. Every person there was deeply involved in civics within their communities and had an obvious desire to change the world. It was really cool to talk with people with similar values despite having such different views on life.”

Freshman Sloane Trukenbrod echoed Hirsch’s sentiments: “My favorite part of my experience was bonding with the classmates I traveled with and meeting new people along the way. Trips like this provide amazing opportunities to meet new people and gain other perspectives on prominent issues.”

Congratulations to all students who participated in this summit and learned about taking practical action to make the world a better place.