If you were lucky enough to be in the LWHS library last Wednesday evening, you witnessed a beautiful celebration of students, learning, and community at our second 9th grade Community Showcase of the year. 

The event served as the culminating event of a semester-long journey, offering a window into the work our 9th grade students have undertaken this year in the Identity & Belonging class. The showcase is a vital part of the course, moving students beyond the bubble of the classroom to share their learning with a wider audience: their families. 

Identity & Belonging is a cornerstone of the LWHS frosh experience, designed to help our newest students build both community and shared language, as they enter high school from dozens of different zip codes and middle schools. The curriculum prepares students to make the most of their time at LWHS by exploring:

• The Beloved Community: Using Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision as a foundational framework for building inclusive, supportive spaces.  
• Curiosity: Learning to approach differences with an open heart and a questioning mind, to build connections with all kinds of people.
• Intersectionality & Power: Understanding how the various layers of our identities overlap and influence our unique experiences in the world.

The rich conversations that follow give 9th-grade students a place to practice the skills of being co-creators of LWHS’ intentionally diverse learning community. In an increasingly complicated and divided world, our students benefit from diving deeply into what it takes to build a strong community where each of them can flourish and find new challenges, passions, and friendships.

"The skills students develop here—dialogue, listening, and empathy—are the very skills the world needs most right now," says Eran DeSilva, who teaches the course along with Matthew Oakland and JR Arimboanga.

By making this a universal 9th-grade experience, LWHS ensures that every student starts their high school career with a baseline of empathy and self-awareness. The class recognizes the essential connection between belonging and learning, moving these concepts beyond words on a page or in a brochure, and into the daily work of building a Beloved Community here at LWHS.

The impact of the course is best described by the students themselves as they reflect on their growth over the semester, like Matteo P. ‘29:

I felt really connected to my community, including the parents. Especially through the people I watched, I saw that they share many experiences with me. I also am grateful that everyone got along together and was open to share topics that were sensitive to them.

The course also connects to other initiatives and classes on campus, such as our Public Purpose Program (PPP) days and topics in U.S. history, English and even Biology. 

For example, during our PPP days this year, students worked with organizations such as Mission Action, the Homeless Prenatal Program and Root Division and got to see firsthand how the concepts they discussed in class—such as community resilience and intersectionality—manifest in the real world. Their work in the community gave them concrete examples to bring back to the classroom and use for deep dives into history and identity.

Identity & Belonging represents a uniquely Lick-Wilmerding approach to education. It is an intentional investment in the whole student, ensuring that building community and belonging is an active, ongoing practice—the habits of head, heart, and hands that our students strengthen every day.

Ultimately, we know that when a student feels truly seen and connected, they are poised to do their most profound and courageous thinking. By cultivating these ways of being, our 9th graders are not only enriching the LWHS campus, but are also developing the tools of connection and understanding our world so urgently needs.

Enjoy the photo gallery below, featuring photos from our fall and spring Community Showcase events.