In most years, we might think of summer as a time to recharge, refresh, and relax— a time to get off the grid and spend some quality time with ourselves and those closest to us. While these impulses are likely still to be present for many of us, they are balanced this year by other motivations perhaps less associated with summer: reconnecting, rejoining, and rediscovering the joys of an in-person world.

We’ve been through much in the last sixteen months. And while the pandemic is not fully over, this summer feels like a turning point when we might spend less time on Zoom and more time participating in the joys of taking walks, having a coffee, or simply running into friends randomly in the store or on the street. 

During this time, we have marveled at how communities have used largely online platforms to have incredibly challenging conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and creating a sense of belonging among all constituents. We have seen communities engage in deep learning about who they are in this moment of racial reckoning. We have watched communities challenge themselves to live up to the fullest promise of their missions, even if it meant encountering pain and challenges along the way.

Amidst all of this learning and searching for the way forward, another impulse has emerged in many of the communities with whom we work: a desire to have deep and meaningful dialogue about how to apply all that we have learned about ourselves and our communities in these tumultuous times. We are seeing a deeply human impulse to connect personally, share ideas, and learn from each other. In short, people just want to be together and talk. And, after all we’ve been through, who can blame them?

This desire is why we are so excited about the Pollyanna Conferences we have coming up in the next year. Whether only for your school’s constituents or several schools in your area, in-person or online, these forums have always been a place for authentic, uplifting connections that forward our most important DEI efforts as communities. They remind us that, while many of the changes we seek are structural and systemic, we cannot make change without rooting ourselves in relationships. We are proud to provide a structured and safe place for communities to discuss how to be the best, most equitable, and just versions of themselves.

Pollyanna designed the Multi-School and Intra-Conference as opportunities for schools that want to deepen their knowledge, hear all voices and build community in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. They provide a platform across school constituencies for sharing personal experiences, expressing opinions and perspectives, and generating ideas and solutions for growth. 

School Conferences 2021-22

Join Far Brook School, Dalton School, Francis Parker School, Harvard-Westlake School, Ravenscroft School, Tuxedo Park School, Vermont Academy, Watkinson School, and others as a host school of our Intra- or Multi-School Conference models next year! For more information, please email info@pollyannainc.org