Upper School Youth for Justice club brings civic awareness to the Lower School

Juniors Brie Starghill and Hadassah Broughton brought their Youth for Justice club into the Lower School today to lead mini civic lessons for younger students. During the visit, Upper School students read books on topics such as how to be a good citizen, caring for our environment, and the basics of democracy, curated by Ms. Koehler from the Library. Each session concluded with age-appropriate conversations that invited Lower School students to think about how these ideas can take shape in their own lives, while also fostering meaningful cross-divisional connection.

Youth for Justice was co-founded by Brie and Hadassah during their sophomore year, in response to the upcoming election and their shared frustration with the lack of youth voice in politics. Together, they envisioned a space to channel student concerns, educate future voters, and create accessible entry points into civic participation.

Last spring, Brie expanded her civic engagement efforts through her Social Innovators Program project, Girls in Government, which focused on helping teen girls feel more included in local government by connecting them with political education opportunities and concrete ways to engage in their communities. Hadassah will launch her own Social Innovators Program project in February, Through Their Eyes: DEI Story Circles, an initiative that addresses the lack of inclusive, identity-affirming education for students, particularly those who do not see themselves reflected in traditional curricula or who rarely encounter diverse perspectives. Her project centers on small, opt-in storytelling circles that connect students with diverse voices from their local community, fostering empathy, cultural awareness, and deeper understanding through lived experience.

Both students are able to pursue this work through the Social Innovators Program, offered in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice and Schoolyard Ventures. The program is available to Upper School students enrolled in the National Center for Girls’ Leadership Leadership Endorsement Program and provides hands-on experience in social entrepreneurship, culminating in a certificate from the University of Pennsylvania.