Be the Change

MADISON, CT - On January 18, The Country School celebrated its 10th annual IDEA Day, taking a break from the regular academic schedule to engage in a full day of hands-on workshops and activities centered around inclusion, diversity, empathy, and action—or IDEA, as it is known on campus. The theme for this year’s 10th anniversary IDEA Day was Reflection, a topic explored by keynote speaker Gabby Mbeki, who founded IDEA Day when she was a 5th Grade teacher at The Country School.

In preparation for this year’s IDEA Day, students and teachers across the grade levels read Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem, the new book by poet Amanda Gorman. An illustrated poem inviting us to join our voices together to create positive change in the world, the book was also a focus of workshops across grade levels. Other workshops included Identity Self-Portraits, StoryCorps, and a Reflection Walk on trails around campus.

During her keynote, "Understanding Community Impact," Ms. Mbeki, now a 5th Grade teacher at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Boston, shared a personal reflection as well as a meditation on the importance of belonging. She described how a similar day of workshops was important for her when she was in middle school, convincing her of the value of students and teachers taking time to explore what is happening in the broader world, our individual identities, how we connect with each other, and what we can do to create a culture of belonging.

As the “A” in IDEA indicates, IDEA Day also centers around action or, as one teacher said, the notion that “anyone and everyone can make a difference. Even the smallest action can have a huge effect. Use your voice and words to create a positive change in the world. Be the change!” In several workshops, students shared ideas for making positive change, with one workshop inviting students to identify an issue they would like to take action on and then develop a plan for implementation.

The Country School has a decades-long history of preparing graduates for the strongest independent secondary schools and high school honors programs in the area and throughout New England, and several alumni have moved on to make impactful change in their communities or the broader world after graduation. Founded in 1955, The Country School is a coeducational, independent day school serving 225 students in PreSchool through Grade 8, ages 3-14, on its 23-acre campus in Madison. For more information, contact Pam Glasser, Director of Admission and Curriculum, at 203-421-3113, extension 125, or pam.glasser@thecountryschool.org.