Quaker Youth Leadership Conference 2015

Photo by Sidney Bridges

Since 1999 the Quaker Youth Leadership Conference has invited six upper school students and two faculty members from Friends Schools worldwide to a three-day gathering of learning, service, worship and fun.  Although the name of the conference is a bit of a misnomer because the vast majority of attendees are not of the Quaker faith, I consider the QYLC to be the penultimate gathering in Friends education.

Each school selects their students in their own way. While the students may come from very diverse places, there is an undeniable atmosphere created by this conference of respect and celebration of the individual and of our shared values.

Hosted by Tandem Friends School and Virginia Beach Friends School and held at Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville Virginia, the theme of the conference was:

 Art & Social Change: Inspiring Peace and Justice

Through art we can challenge assumptions, spark new ideas,provoke critical thinking and motivate action.

A perfect fit for the Bridge Film Festival.

Ten years ago I presented the first BFF student workshop at the QYLC, also held at Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville.  Since my keynote address to the QYLC in 2010 at George School, I have presented a workshop or screening event each year.  For the past two years, on the second night of the conference, after dinner and before the highly anticipated coffee house, I have presented an hour of films from past Bridge Film Festivals.  Here are links to the 2014 and 2015 QYLC  screening event playlists.

With 200 or so in the audience, the films were well received.  It always gives me great pleasure in extending the reach of our student's ideas and messages of concern via their films.  Please consider choosing and sharing films from the Bridge Film Festival with your schools and Meetings.

The conference included a concert & workshop by David Wax Museum. One of the band members, Suz Slezak, is a Tandem Friends School alum and attender of the very first QYLC.  Ms. Slezak spoke about her experiences at the QYLC and how she had made a life-long friend at the conference.  Above is a short video of their performance.

After traveling long distances and sleeping on a gym floor for two nights, the undaunted chaperons meet to discuss which school or schools will host the conference the following year.  Next year tentatively it will be at Moses Brown School in Providence Road Island and co-hosted by Lincoln School.  Confirmation will be forthcoming.