Just months before the pandemic, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist Marissa Colston and I had been pondering the need for a more robust and inclusive orientation for our students from underrepresented and underserved communities. We had written and submitted a proposal for funding for such a program from a national diversity and inclusion organization. Unfortunately, along with the closing of schools throughout the United States and world, COVID-19 also abruptly shut down our envisioned orientation program and its funding effort.
With the 2020-2021 school year underway and with more and more students able to attend in-person learning on the Westtown campus, Celeste Payne, Upper School Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, joined Marissa and me in rekindling the aforementioned new orientation initiative. In light of the difficult experiences of our own current students in distance learning, the three of us felt an even greater sense of urgency to offer an extensive pilot orientation program for at least a small segment of our new Upper School student population prior to the official beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. Marissa, Celeste, and I chose to offer a camp experience to all ninth grade BIPOC students as this target group would give us an ideal number of students new to the Upper School, around 25, for our experimental program. Also, we wanted to have about 5 additional older BIPOC students to serve as mentors at camp.
Then-Interim Head of School Chris Benbow and Upper School administrators embraced our concept of a Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp and funding was found in the school’s operating budget to make it happen. We felt it important to extend an invitation to both ninth grade BIPOC students who were new to Westtown and to those rising from our Middle School. Despite somewhat short notice, to our delight, but not our surprise, over twenty, ninth graders and five mentors eagerly accepted our invitation to attend Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp. While Marissa, Celeste, and I served as camp founders and facilitators, we solicited a number of administrators, faculty and staff to lead sessions, to serve as overnight dorm parents, and to provide essential resources and services from Operations departments.
The purpose of camp was to present ninth grade BIPOC students with opportunities to develop a genuine sense of belonging and to build strong relationships with each other, as a cohort, and with key staff and faculty before the official start of school. We sought to introduce them to multiple areas of the Westtown School program, its intentional community, this gorgeous campus, and resources and activities in the surrounding area. Marissa, Celeste, and I also hoped that each camper would develop courage and confidence as they challenge themselves to identify specific personal benchmarks for success in the ninth grade year. Our complete energy and focus would be on this cohort of kids having a fun and memorable experience. There was emphasis on them finding, sharing, and sharpening their voices and them taking ownership of their Westtown experience. By design, we opted to focus on preparations for enriching these students’ experiences and positive contributions just in the ninth grade year so as not to overwhelm. We were confident that they would benefit from goal-setting sessions and that they would take delight in physically being back in community on campus and with each other.
The Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp extended over four days and three nights and occurred approximately two weeks prior to the opening of school. In order to maximize opportunities for positive socialization among participants, we made it an overnight camp (despite about half of the participants living locally). Over 20 interactive sessions were offered covering a wide variety of academic, residential life, co-curricular, and community topics. The older students who served as mentors at camp were expected to embrace and contribute to camp goals and objectives, to help facilitate sessions, to be positive and caring role models, and to provide supervision at camp and in the dorm. A common-thread running through camp was the project of requiring each camper to write and to present his/her/their personal mission statement. A number of sessions were devoted to motivational topics and self-discovery exercises for the purpose of campers envisioning attitudes, skills, and resources needed for success in the ninth grade year as they focused on the personal mission statement project. Campers might gain inspiration for their personal mission statement based on a relationship with a former teacher, a parent, or sibling or from a poem, aquote, spiritual passage, or image that had special meaning to them.
Another theme throughout camp was the assembling for each camper of what we affectionately called “Thrive Kits.” Thrive kits are, fundamentally, care packages with contributions from a variety of sources. The kits contained fun gifts, KOB’s (kindness of bearers - a Westtown tradition, learn more about their history here), inspirational notes and letters, and motivational readings. Each camper contributed to the thrive kits of others and to their own. Camp participants also enjoyed a number of recreational and social activities both on and off campus.
Camp concluded with a closing session and brunch to which parents and other family members were invited. In the closing session, program details were reviewed and anonymous sample personal mission statements were shared. Mentors offered important tips in preparation for opening of school and we enjoyed a Vlog from a recent Westtown alum in which he shared ten suggestions about how to be successful as a Westtown boarder. Time was also set aside for family members to write a personal letter to their camper’s thrive kit. We were surprised with a wonderful slideshow containing highlights of Ninth BIPOC Camp. After receiving fond words of welcome from Chris Benbow, the closing session ended with camp testimonials from campers, mentors, and parents, some of which are listed below:
“My highlight was when we went gift shopping for the other person. That was really when all the campers, mentors, and teachers got close. It was also really fun.” - Camper
“For me, my biggest highlight was hanging out with new people (whether that be walking around Philly, bowling with them, or playing ping-pong in the dorm).” - Camper
“Great time to bond, I think the students had a blast.” - Mentor
“I’m definitely more excited for school, since I’ve made a good connection with a few of my peers already. I think having a solid group of friends you can connect with before school starts is definitely an advantage, especially when you're entering your first year in Upper School.” - Camper
“I would not change anything. I am really happy that this was offered. This helped my daughter to feel more relaxed about the new school year at Westtown and be far from home.” - Parent
Perhaps the most gratifying part of the Ninth Grade BiPOC Camp experience for us as planners was that a number of participants expressed that they wished we could have extended camp to a full week. Yikes! :)
Narrowing the Divide: Reintegration to In-Person Learning
By Jay Farrow ’75, Dean of Access & Equity
Part 2: Westtown’s Inaugural 9th Grade BIPOC Summer Camp
Just months before the pandemic, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist Marissa Colston and I had been pondering the need for a more robust and inclusive orientation for our students from underrepresented and underserved communities. We had written and submitted a proposal for funding for such a program from a national diversity and inclusion organization. Unfortunately, along with the closing of schools throughout the US and world, COVID-19 also abruptly shut down our envisioned orientation program and its funding effort.
With the 2020-2021 school year underway and with more and more students able to attend in-person learning on the Westtown campus, Celeste Payne, Upper School Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, joined Marissa and me in rekindling the aforementioned new orientation initiative. In light of the difficult experiences of our own current students in distance learning, the three of us felt an even greater sense of urgency to offer an extensive pilot orientation program for at least a small segment of our new Upper School student population prior to the official beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. Marissa, Celeste, and I chose to offer a camp experience to all ninth grade BIPOC students as this target group would give us an ideal number of students new to the Upper School, around 25, for our experimental program. Also, we wanted to have about 5 additional older BIPOC students to serve as mentors at camp.
Then-Interim Head of School Chris Benbow and Upper School administrators embraced our concept of a Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp and funding was found in the school’s operating budget to make it happen. We felt it important to extend an invitation to both ninth grade BIPOC students who were new to Westtown and to those rising from our Middle School. Despite somewhat short notice, to our delight, but not our surprise, over twenty ninth graders and five mentors eagerly accepted our invitation to attend Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp. While Marissa, Celeste, and I served as camp founders and facilitators, we solicited a number of administrators, faculty and staff to lead sessions, to serve as overnight dorm parents, and to provide essential resources and services from Operations departments.
The purpose of camp was to present ninth grade BIPOC students with opportunities to develop a genuine sense of belonging and to build strong relationships with each other, as a cohort, and with key staff and faculty before the official start of school. We sought to introduce them to multiple areas of the Westtown School program, its intentional community, this gorgeous campus, and resources and activities in the surrounding area. Marissa, Celeste, and I also hoped that each camper would develop courage and confidence as they challenge themselves to identify specific personal benchmarks for success in the ninth grade year. Our complete energy and focus would be on this cohort of kids having a fun and memorable experience. There was emphasis on them finding, sharing, and sharpening their voices and them taking ownership of their Westtown experience. By design, we opted to focus on preparations for enriching these students’ experiences and positive contributions just in the ninth grade year so as not to overwhelm. We were confident that they would benefit from goal-setting sessions and that they would take delight in physically being back in community on campus and with each other.
The Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp extended over four days and three nights and occurred approximately two weeks prior to the opening of school. In order to maximize opportunities for positive socialization among participants, we made it an overnight camp (despite about half of the participants living locally). Over 20 interactive sessions were offered covering a wide variety of academic, residential life, co-curricular, and community topics. The older students who served as mentors at camp were expected to embrace and contribute to camp goals and objectives, to help facilitate sessions, to be positive and caring role models, and to provide supervision at camp and in the dorm. A common-thread running through camp was the project of requiring each camper to write and to present his/her/their personal mission statement. A number of sessions were devoted to motivational topics and self-discovery exercises for the purpose of campers envisioning attitudes, skills, and resources needed for success in the ninth grade year as they focused on the personal mission statement project. Campers might gain inspiration for their personal mission statement based on a relationship with a former teacher, a parent, or sibling or from a poem, aquote, spiritual passage, or image that had special meaning to them.
Another theme throughout camp was the assembling for each camper of what we affectionately called “Thrive Kits.” Thrive kits are, fundamentally, care packages with contributions from a variety of sources. The thrive kits contained fun gifts, KOB’s (kindness of bearers - a Westtown tradition, inspirational notes and letters, and motivational readings. Each camper contributed to thrive kits of others and to their own. Camp participants also enjoyed a number of recreational and social activities both on and off campus.
Camp concluded with a closing session and brunch to which parents and other family members were invited. In the closing session, program details were reviewed and anonymous sample personal mission statements were shared. Mentors offered important tips in preparation for opening of school and we enjoyed a Vlog from a recent Westtown alum in which he shared ten suggestions about how to be successful as a Westtown boarder. Time was also set aside for family members to write a personal letter to their camper’s thrive kit. We were surprised with a wonderful slideshow containing highlights of Ninth BIPOC Camp. After receiving fond words of welcome from Chris Benbow, the closing session ended with camp testimonials from campers, mentors, and parents, some of which are listed below:
“My highlight was when we went gift shopping for the other person. That was really when all the campers, mentors, and teachers got close. It was also really fun.” - Camper
“For me, my biggest highlight was hanging out with new people (whether that be walking around Philly, bowling with them, or playing ping-pong in the dorm).” - Camper
“Great time to bond, I think the students had a blast.” - Mentor
“I’m definitely more excited for school, since I’ve made a good connection with a few of my peers already. I think having a solid group of friends you can connect with before school starts is definitely an advantage, especially when you're entering your first year in Upper School.” - Camper
“I would not change anything. I am really happy that this was offered. This helped my daughter to feel more relaxed about the new school year at Westtown and be far from home.” - Parent
Perhaps the most gratifying part of the Ninth Grade BiPOC Camp experience for us as planners was that a number of participants expressed that they wished we could have extended camp to a full week. Yikes!
Next: Hitting the Ground Running in 2021-2022
Part 3: Hitting the Ground Running in 2021-2022
Cycling back, our main reason for offering the pilot Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp was for new students, primarily, coming from outside of Westtown to get a jump on addressing challenges, exacerbated by an extended period of distance learning, associated with a return to face-to-face learning, at a new school no less, prior to the opening of the 2021-2022 school.
In my role as Dean of Access & Equity, I genuinely feared that these new ninth grade students, despite presenting well in their applications, would be entering their new school with uneven and, perhaps, detrimental previous school experiences due to COVID-19. The entire spectrum of impact from the pandemic might be represented in terms of its impact on health and finances, student activities and opportunities, and personal academic instruction. Administrators, teachers, and advisors would need to be even more empathetic in understanding the various levels of academic preparedness and the background from which these new 9th graders entered Westtown. The fact that ninth graders coming from the Westtown Middle School had the benefit of in person learning during the bulk of the 2020-2021 school year, perhaps put them ahead of new classmates from outside, many claiming to have engaged in uneven, and in some cases, dubious distance learning for over a year. Many of our Westtown Middle School ninth grader families also had the financial means and flexibility to circumnavigate COVID-19 related instructional hurdles unlike many students coming from underserved and under-resourced households.
By offering Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp, Westtown accepted the premise that it needed to pause and figure out the immediate work to be done in genuine support of student success, belonging, relationships, and community especially for this cohort of new Upper School students. In working with and getting to know students at camp, as a facilitator, I immediately accepted that the pandemic had affected each camper differently and I was eager to go about understanding their stories. BIPOC Camp served to reframe what the first year of the Westtown experience could be like in support of success for at least this target group of students in the pilot program.
After a successful camp experience, this cohort of new Upper School students truly hit the ground running in 2021-2022. They were warmly welcomed on the first day of school and were emotionally bolstered by the many helpful items (none of which they had been physically privy to) in their thrive kits. These care packages brought back fond memories of camp and many words of motivation bolster their optimism for the upcoming year. Almost immediately during opening week, faculty enthused amazement at the level of comfort, confidence, and positive energy exhibited by campers. At the end of the first quarter of this school year, I solicited impressions about the progress of our campers from colleagues. They observed the following:
“I've noticed that the students who participated [at camp] seem happier and more connected to Upper School life in general.” - Marissa Colston, E & I Specialist and BIPOC Camp Facilitator
“I have noticed that the residents of Balderston who attended the BIPOC camp were excited to start school to a degree that I haven't seen before from 9th graders, particularly for those boarding for the first time. While I'm sure they were nervous to move in and start school, attending the BIPOC camp meant that when they moved in for the school year, it was with the joy of getting to move back in and to rejoin friends they'd already made. The students who attended the BIPOC camp are still close friends and they have excitedly folded other residents into their friend group.” - Emma Bracker, Balderston House Dorm Head
“I definitely think that the BIPOC Camp was a benefit to their transition to campus/school. I definitely noticed less stress around moving in and found that they had a head start on social settling. They had already been in community together so when they got here it was more of a reunion than an ``I don't know anyone and I am really nervous situation’.” - Josh Reilly, Guerster House Dorm Head
“I have spoken to a number of 9th grade students who attended the BIPOC camp this summer. Every single one of those students cited it as a cornerstone of their experience at Westtown so far. The fact that they were given an opportunity to make connections before the onset of the school year enabled them to hit the ground running socially. They expressed appreciation for being able to meet faculty members and administrators and to get a feel for what the experience of the Upper School at Westtown would be like. I have also heard from a variety of students how impactful the returning student leaders were who helped facilitate the camp. New students instantly had role models to learn from and point people for questions about life at Westtown that they might not otherwise have been able to ask. A testament to the program's power is the fact that so many of these new students have already expressed to me great interest in becoming a mentor for the program in the years ahead.” - Ted Freeman, 9th Grade Class Dean
In surveying campers about how they were feeling and progressing after the first eight weeks of school, to a person, they continued to express delight and comfort about being in Upper School. Most were quick to lift up friendships and knowledge about a variety of resources as being the most sustaining. Some remarked:
“It really helped to make close connections at camp and to carry those connections into the opening of school and beyond...I also appreciated the tips at camp about how to get work done and to stay on task.” - Julien
“I am still interacting with friends from camp. There are certain people who I know that I can go to for support such as the camp mentors and coordinators. I also appreciated hearing what to bring to school at camp as that information really helped me to hit the ground running!” - Blondie
“Camp provided me with strong connections and resources to tap that guided me through my first two weeks of school.” - Kocheyion
“As a ninth grader who attended Westtown Middle School, I enjoyed expanding my circle of friends and that has served me well in Upper School.” - Francisco
“Friendship from camp has brought me lots of happiness in Upper School in these first 8 weeks!” - Liana
“Friends from camp taught me more about my own culture and personal identity than any previous acquaintances and teachers. Strong connections with BIPOC campers really helped me to feel more comfortable, confident, and interested in dealing with DEI issues in the Upper School.” - Faith
Finally, in reviewing a random selection of first quarter Progress Report grades and comments for campers, I am left feeling even more encouraged about the effectiveness of Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp. Most campers surveyed are on the “Academic Distinction” list and they are widely dispersed over a number of areas of co-curricular engagement and community life. Celeste, Marissa, and I continue to enjoy our almost daily contact with many of our campers and we are pleased that they have remained happy and settled at Westtown School. More campers than what we will be able to accommodate have expressed interest in serving as mentors in the next summer camp that they naturally assume that we do. Given that Ninth Grade BIPOC Summer Camp has already become another “signature program” at Westtown, the camp founders are more than eager to oblige.