This year’s Conference on Civic Engagement asked students in Grades 8-12 to focus on examining the multiple dimensions of censored content, from music and lyrics to books and media. Students spent a day immersed in discussions and workshops engaging in the topic of censorship and how it shapes our culture.

Standing by Spence’s belief that diverse points of view strengthen democratic societies, the Spence Conference on Civic Engagement, launched in 2016, is a school-wide learning experience that explores the capacity of individuals to work within complex political systems to impact positive change. 

This annual event, which is immersive by design, gives students the opportunity to explore a current civics topic through panel discussions with civics experts, interactive workshops led by students, teachers and guest speakers, and small-group discussions in advisory teams. By design, Grade 8 students join Upper Schoolers as a foray into the intellectual growth and independent thinking that is further developed in Grades 9-12.

Panelists this year included Becky Calzada, a District Library Coordinator in Leander, Texas; Adam Kissel, former deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs in the U.S. Department of Education; Kasey Meehan, Program Director for Freedom to Read at PEN America; Eliot Schrefer, a New York Times-bestselling author and finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature; and Jonathan Zimmerman, Professor of History of Education and the Berkowitz Professor in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. English faculty member Sara Beasley moderated the panel discussion.

After hearing panelist positions on censorship as well as how their careers and passions relate to the topic, students participated in the discussion by asking questions focused on books, libraries, and who should decide what literature and information students can and cannot have access to. The Q&A with the guest panel demonstrated students’ ability to engage in thoughtful discussion and exchange of perspectives. 

“The thinking that students do in their planning for and participation in the Conference on Civic Engagement is an example of the deep and thoughtful work they do each day,” says Head of School Felicia Wilks. “Students run over 30 workshops for their peers – they bring all of their learning and experience, from asking and answering good questions to creating and running these workshops. Their questions to panelists always amaze me and our panelists, too.”

One example comes from a student who posed a big question during the panel: How can schools and teachers respect student and family values and freedoms while also providing students with accurate and complete information?

“They are thinking from multiple perspectives and seeing the intersecting complexities of the topics under examination, and they are making us all think more deeply with them.” says Wilks.

Later that day, Spence faculty, students, and panelists led workshops around the school on myriad censorship-related topics. Student-led workshops included Censorship in Advertising, Barred in Prison: How Book Censorship Prevents Prisoners from Rebuilding their Lives, Laughing at the Boundaries: Exploring Censorship in Comedy and Media, Censorship in the Ancient World, and more. The day closed with students reflecting on what they had learned, what they agreed with, and what they found themselves continuing to contemplate. 

This year’s conference was planned by Director of Institutional Equity MarQuis Chappell, Director of Curriculum Michele Murphy, Assistant to the Director of Institutional Equity Justine Santana, and student members of the Upper School Civics Club and Equity Council.  

In 2022, the Upper School Equity Council, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Equity and Head of School, created Talk it Out: Civil Discourse at Spence. The guidelines offer a framework for creating meaningful dialogue around complex issues, such as those explored during the Conference on Civic Engagement. Read the full statement on civil discourse here.