The thirteenth annual Quaker Youth Leadership Conference (QYLC) will take place at George School from Thursday, February 4, through Saturday, February 6, 2010. The conference brings together students from Friends high schools around the world for an intensive three-day retreat that focuses on supporting, cultivating, and connecting student leadership through service, integrity, and community.

The QYLC is a thirteen-year tradition that has continued to flourish thanks to the leadership and initiative shown by students. George School sent a delegation to the 2009 QYLC, hosted by Wilmington Friends School, and their experience at the event spurred seniors Emma James and Caitlin Brimmer to propose George School as the location for the conference for 2010. The foundation was laid and Emma and Caitlin serve as co-clerks of the 2010 QYLC Steering Committee. Other Steering Committee members are George School students Geetika Gupta ’10 , Sarah Haber ’11, Tina Mackow ’12, and Chloe Sonnenfeld ’11.

The theme of this year’s QYLC is Letting Our Lives Speak. The QYLC Steering Committee has chosen this time-honored Quaker saying for its theme, recognizing in it a wisdom that connects “being” with “doing,” and the eternal with the here-and-now. “We see a natural connection between “letting our lives speak” and the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, service, and stewardship (S.P.I.C.E.S.S.),” explained Tom Hoopes, faculty sponsor for Young Friends, a George School student organization.

QYLC participants will join together in workshops, service projects, affinity groups, worship, and merriment around the organizing theme. “We expect that conference participants will return to their schools with new inspiration and deepened commitments to let their own lives speak,” enthused Tom. “We will gather for three days of learning, activism, service, community-building, and fun—yes, fun!”

Andy Cohen, who founded the Bridge Film Festival at Brooklyn Friends School, will be the conference keynote speaker on Thursday evening, February 4. On Friday evening, February 5, Jon Watts, a Quaker singer-songwriter-performer, will be on stage as part of the annual George School Live Music Weekend. Other conference highlights include ice skating and bowling.

On Friday morning, participants will get a chance to “let their lives speak,” through service placements in the region surrounding George School. There will be service placements at local soup kitchens, Quaker Meetings, education centers, and other community outreach programs.

Also on Friday, there will be a gathering of affinity groups who will discuss student-led and student-centered activities and concerns at George School and other Friends schools, such as ecological activism; gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth issues; student music; literary and poetry publications; human rights issues;, ethnic identity groups (e.g., the Pacific Rim Organization); and others.

Saturday morning will feature workshops centered upon the “letting our lives speak” theme. These workshops will give students the opportunity to meet with people who have led, organized, and initiated an array of projects and experiences that involve putting faith into action. The goal of the workshops is to engage students with experienced adults who have taken risks to follow their own spiritual leadings, and in doing so, have carved out new paths toward living fulfilling and meaningful lives.

The conference will conclude on Saturday with a closing meeting for worship in the George School Meetinghouse. “George School is excited about this opportunity to host the Friends school community at our campus,” said Tom. “This is the first QYLC to be held at a boarding school, and we look forward to sharing our home with over 130 students from more than twenty Friends high schools around the United States and beyond. We are excited that students from Ramallah Friends School in Palestine and Friends School in Tokyo plan to attend this year.”

Each Friends high school is invited to send up to seven participants, including at least one faculty chaperone. To register for the 2010 Quaker Youth Leadership Conference, visit the QYLC website and select the Registration page. For further information, contact Tom Hoopes, tom_hoopes@georgeschool.org, or 215.579.6656.