At this year’s Middle School Social Justice Retreat, students engaged in discussions related to environmental issues and social justice. The day kicked off with an intertribal group of southern New England women called the Nettukkusqk Singers, who spoke about preserving their culture and traditions. Students asked questions about the instruments the women played and the importance of these instruments to the tribe. Watch a snippet of the performance below:

After the morning’s keynote, there were three sessions of workshops that dove into topics relating to environmental justice and community—from climate change to fast fashion to food insecurity. Click here to read more about each of the six workshop options.

“The Future of Fashion workshop was my favorite because it opened my eyes to how destructive the fashion industry can be.” – Colin Meagher ‘26

In the afternoon, students made their way to “Design + Create workshops”, which were hands-on, deep-dives into the morning topics. Students could make their own miniature graphic novel with artist Bren Bataclan; create art for awareness; film a video; or repurpose thrift store clothing.

The students came out of the retreat with a wider knowledge of preserving the environment, and keyways they can make an impact.