D-E’s 13 delegates to the 2015 NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) just returned from Tampa, Fla., last night, with the six students and seven faculty/staff members feeling exhausted but exhilarated. From Dec. 3 to 5, they attended seminars and workshops; heard a variety of speakers including spoken word poet Sarah Kay and UPenn professor Dr. Howard C. Stevenson; and got to know fellow students and educators from 40 states & 4 countries. With a sold-out crowd of 1,600 students at the 22nd SDLC and roughly 2,700 adults at the 28th PoCC, this year’s conferences were the largest to date.

Equity seminars, general sessions, workshops and affinity group experiences were available to PoCC attendees throughout the 2.5 days at the Tampa Convention Center. This year’s attendees were Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and trip leader Clinton Carbon; Communications Associate and SDLC chaperone Terecille Basa-Ong '03; visual arts faculty member Marisol Diaz; sixth grade history teacher Ben Fleisher; Lower School music teacher Mary Heveran; Middle School performing arts teacher Carla Moriarty; and ninth grade class dean Lisa Wittner.

Students spent Thursday and Friday at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina training to become student leaders for their respective schools with curriculum crafted by SDLC faculty, most of whom are SDLC alumni themselves, including D-E Director of Student Activities and two-time SDLC attendee Maya Gunaseharan '08. Then, on Saturday morning, the students led a discussion with their adult delegates that had been planned out during SDLC. This year’s attendees were Justin Gross '17, Seon Layne '16, Belicia Rodriguez '17, Jahod Silver '18, Nevien Swailmyeen '16 and Vanessa Velez '16.

These experiences made all attendees reflect upon themselves and their roles both at D-E and in the world, which they will be sharing with the D-E Diversity Committee as well as Upper School Principal Joe Algrant and Head of School Dr. Rodney De Jarnett this Tuesday afternoon.