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Widening the Lens 2024

Four Far Brook students on a panel speaking to an audience at the Widening the Lens conference.

The Far Brook School Diversity Conference

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The image shows a collection of books, including a book titled %22The World is Flat%22 and another titled %22Reaching Teaching and Understanding Poverty%22, along with various other books and writing materials on a red surface.
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WELCOME!

We are thrilled to announce that our ninth annual Widening the Lens diversity conference for NJ independent schools will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024. This year, our conference topic is Beyond the Binary: Honoring Individuality, Identity, and Expression in our Communities.

We are excited to welcome as our keynote speaker this year, writer, activist, independent school alum and parent,  Jodie Patterson. Jodie's memoir, "The Bold World", shares her journey as a parent of a transgender son and poignantly describes the "learning and unlearning we must do for those we love." 

Conference Structure

The unique structure of this conference follows the format of the Dalton School Diversity Conference (NYC), designed by Pollyanna Inc., a nonprofit devoted to increasing racial understanding. We invite schools to register a “pod” of individuals who will work together to advance the diversity and inclusion goals of their school. Each school pod consists of the Head of School, and two participants from each of seven constituencies:

  • Administrators
  • Alumni
  • Diversity Practitioners
  • Parents
  • Students
  • Teachers
  • Trustees

Powerful learning and growth happen when we bring together this cross-section of voices and perspectives that exist within our own communities, and when we share our challenges, experiences, and best practices with colleagues from peer schools.

Conference Schedule

8:30 Registration & Breakfast
9:00 Opening Presentation
10:30 Facilitated Discussions by Constituent Group
Noon Catered Lunch and Fellowship
1:00 Student Reflections
2:15 School Pods Meet for Dialogue and Action Planning
3:45 Closing Reception with Refreshments

Jodie Patterson, Keynote Speaker