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Parent Dialogue Offers Insight, Fosters Understanding

 

At top, Upper School student dialogue facilitators (at left) Kailyn Trinh ’26, Grace Garney ’26 and (at right) Harry Ursitti ’25 participate in training with Director of Dialogic Campus Lorre Gifford in September; at bottom, Interim Director of Community, Culture and Belonging Sarah Wright introduces the Oct. 15 parent dialogue topic before participants break into small groups led by students.

Parents and guardians interested in learning more about Ravenscroft’s dialogic programming recently had the opportunity to participate in an exercise led by the Upper School’s student dialogue facilitators.

Ravenscroft introduced the Dialogue Across Difference program in 2021 as part of the school’s commitment to cultivating a welcoming and inclusive community for all students, faculty and staff, and families. Since then, 44 faculty and 93 students have been trained in leading dialogues. Upper School students participate in several peer-led dialogic sessions each year, and trained faculty in both the Middle School and the Upper School use a dialogic approach to build trust and communication among students in their classes.

“Focused on creating space to engage in dialogue across differences, our dialogic initiatives provide the opportunity to facilitate conversation, understanding and connection in our community using our Lead From Here competencies,” Associate Head of School for Student Affairs Kendra Varnell and Interim Director of Community, Culture and Belonging Sarah Wright wrote in inviting parents and guardians to attend the exercise. “Led by their peers who are trained facilitators, students participate in carefully constructed, interactive exercises focused on real-world examples. These sessions are not debates, discussions or problem-solving meetings. In these structured, reflective spaces, they are able to share with each other to promote respectful communication and build empathy.”

The parent and guardian session, held on Oct. 15, brought 50 attendees to the Olander Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center, where they participated in small-group dialogues designed to foster understanding and connection during a period of heightened tension around the 2024 election. Participants, led by student facilitators, did not discuss or debate specific political candidates or positions but rather were encouraged to share their values and priorities — and to listen thoughtfully as others in their group did the same.

Attendees expressed a deep appreciation for the process and how skillfully their student facilitators managed the conversations.

“I was excited to attend the dialogue for two reasons. First, my daughter, Ellene ’26, is a dialogic facilitator, and she is always so positive about the process. Second, the topic of the election and participating in a community event with parents on important issues sounded intriguing,” Mike Warner said. “The dialogue itself did not disappoint. Each of us dug deep and expressed real concerns about our culture, our politics, but most importantly, how we need to come together as a community. The prompts directed us to focus on our values and principles, and when we did that, we could see a lot of agreement and empathy in the room.”

“It was wonderful to participate in a student-led dialogue where the objective was to give parents the opportunity to meaningfully reflect on their hopes and aspirations around the election cycle, one that has become a deeply polarizing issue,” Judith Street said. “Not only did it allow parents to have their own immersive experience in Ravenscroft’s Lead from Here competencies, but student facilitators had a front seat in parent engagement around political differences, in a confidential, judgment-free setting. A wonderful intergenerational learning opportunity for our community!”

Director of Dialogic Campus Lorre Gifford, who oversees the program, expressed appreciation for how committed attendees were to the process. “I was struck by the rich sharing of values — and their origins — that occurred between the generations without fear of judgement,” she said. “From my perspective, this is the definition of community.”

Gifford also praised the students’ work — particularly how they rose to the challenge of leading dialogues with adults. 

“I have been working with young people in the academic setting for three decades. I can honestly say that I have never been more proud of any group of students! Their demonstrations of leadership, facilitation prowess and flexibility were of the highest order of excellence,” she said. “Facilitating an election-related dialogue with parents takes uncommon courage. These amazing young adults did so with unwavering dedication to the dialogic process, layered on top of their existing Lead From Here competencies. Their facilitation was nothing short of brilliant.”

Wright emphasized that, as a key component of Ravenscroft’s work in cultivating a culture of belonging, the dialogic model is “at the core of our mission.” 

“We want to develop students who display empathy, compassion, collaboration and all the tools necessary to navigate a complex and interdependent world,” she said. “Dialogue enables our community to come together, across differences, to hold space for various beliefs and to cultivate spaces where people feel seen, heard and valued.”

This session was part of Ravenscroft’s ongoing commitment to engage and inform parents and guardians on topics related to their students’ education and growth, health and wellness, and development of citizen leadership competencies through Lead From Here. An additional dialogue opportunity is planned for the spring.