What is the Social Justice Leadership Institute?

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The Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI) is a two session accelerated social justice program focused on racial and social justice, systemic political analysis, community leadership, organizing skills, and network transformation tools. SJLI supports high school students to acquire a deeper understanding of how systems of anti-Black racism, classism, sexism, cissexism, heterosexism impact their lives and the lives of their peers.

 

Our interactive retreats join student leaders from top New England independent schools to learn, connect and take action with the support of our experienced multi-racial, majority BIPOC staff team. In our Introductory, weekend-long SJLI retreat, students get the opportunity to deeply explore topics of racial, gender, economic and queer justice, and develop skills around organizing and action on campus. Students leave the weekend with stronger frameworks and tools for analysis of systems of power and privilege, and increased motivation and community to support action. 

 

In our one day Advanced SJLI retreat, students practice concrete leadership and community organizing skills, such as facilitation, workshop design, base-building, action development and more. Students will receive small group and one-to-one coaching, networking opportunities with peers, and support to take action around racial and social justice at their school.

 

In line with our values of racial justice, our program is race-explicit and uses race as a leading frame that intersects with all other identities. In our Introductory retreat, we break into the following affinity groups: race affinity, race and gender affinity and race and sexual orientation affinity.

 

What will students gain from our Introductory retreat?

• A stronger systemic framework around how anti-Black racism, racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism and cissexism impact you and your peers

• A transformative community-building experience in a majority BIPOC space that energizes and motivates you around racial and social justice work

• Practice with public speaking and community building in order to take increased leadership roles on your campus

• Access to a larger network of social justice leaders within independent schools in New England

 

​What will students gain from our Advanced retreat?

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• Organizing tools to address racism, anti-Black racism, classism, sexism, cissexism and heterosexism at your school

• Concrete practice on leadership and campus organizing skills

• Access to a larger network of social justice leaders within independent schools in New England.

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Orientation: 

Point of contact for either Fall or Winter SJLI retreat sessions agrees to follow through with our SJLI orientation which goes over our approach to justice, program expectations, partner responsibilities, and identifying students who are a good fit. 

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Who should come to SJLI?

A participant is a good fit for our program if they are interested in the following: political education, popular education, community-centered justice practices, building cross-racial solidarity, and intersectional racial affinity work. Participants must be willing to engage in a race-explicit space that challenges power and privilege based on race, and to reflect on and talk about their experiences of power and privilege based on race. SJLI supports non-Black young people of color and white young people to be accountable around non-Black privilege.