Center for Peace, Equity & Justice

Mission

Friends Seminary’s Center for Peace, Equity & Justice* supports student and faculty development of the core values of equality, diversity, and community engagement, which reflects Quaker testimonies and their accompanying legacy of activism. The Center brings together academic, social, and cultural programs that contribute to wider movements for social change. By connecting theory to real-world practice, the Center stresses learning through action, and equips students and faculty with global competencies that allow them to realize their human capacity to bring about the world that ought to be. Through its programs and course offerings, grounded in Quaker philosophy and practice, the Center seeks to connect ideas, resources, and people to advance social justice, build inclusive and sustainable communities, and foster lifelong commitments to public service.

* The Center for Peace, Equity & Justice was first named in the School’s 2008-2012 strategic plan: We will establish a center to promote peace, equity, and justice. All current Quaker values-based programs at Friends, such as Diversity, Service and Peace Week, will be brought under the care of the Center so that the work of these programs will gain synergy, strength and focus.

CPEJ Purview & Programming includes:

Diversity and Inclusion
Environmental Sustainability
Global Education
Public Purpose Partnerships
Quaker Education
Service Learning

Check out the Center for Peace Equity and Justice news feed for stories of the center at work, Click here to see upcoming events, and to find helpful links resources.

Contact Us

Leitzel Schoen

Dean of Co-Curricular Programs

Director of Service Learning and Public Purpose
Director of Global Education

Jason Craige Harris

Director of Diversity & Inclusion

Claire Brennan

Service Coordinator

Annie Harper

Sustainability Coordinator

The Center is led by a team of diversity and inclusion practitioners who are committed to a service learning approach to teaching and learning that promotes peace, justice, and equity. The Dean of Co-Curricular Programs oversees the Center and the leadership team is guided by the Director of Diversity & Inclusion, the Director of Service Learning & Public Purpose, and the Director of Global Education.

The Center’s staff serve as the lead facilitators in instituting academic, social, and cultural programming, as well as professional growth and development strategies in these areas. However, Friends Seminary believes it is everyone’s responsibility to serve as an advocate for underrepresented groups and to help foster an inclusive climate that promotes a more peaceful world through civic engagement. Toward that end, the Center staff will work collaboratively with all constituencies: students, faculty, administrators, parents, alums, the Board of Trustees, and NYQM members.