Students are lined up outside the Robert H. Jackson Center for a recent Student and Educator Symposium.

Students from seven schools area schools p Silver Creek, Chautauqua Lake, Brocton, Pine Valley, Clymer, Gowand, and Jamestown – recently took part in an all-day day Student and Educator Symposium at the Robert H. Jackson Center.

Organized by the Holocaust and Social Justice Education Program, sponsored by the Hebrew Congregation of Chautauqua, the event titled “The Power of Us: A Symposium on Solidarity” aimed to instill the understanding that while everyone has their own identities we all share a lot of similarities.

“Giving our students the opportunity to hear from various speakers throughout the Chautauqua community who came to share their inspiring stories of resolve, persistence and culture was truly incredible,” said Jessica Kardashian, associate program director. “Our students had the opportunity to think about who they are and the challenges they have had to overcome, to see that so many others face obstacles not shown to the outside world and to hear from various perspectives left the students feeling seen and represented in a way that many mentioned how proud they were to attend today.”

The symposium was structured into various segments. In the morning, students questioned how they see themselves and were challenged with various questions regarding opportunities they have had and challenges they have faced. The students then had the opportunity to hear from seven speakers with different backgrounds including GLYS, UCAN, ANEW, Native American Boarding schools, The Resource Center and UpTwnKx.

“I’m incredibly proud of our students for stepping out of their comfort zones to engage in deep, meaningful learning about identity and allyship–understanding others is essential to creating a more just world, and this symposium showed just how powerful that journey can be.” said director Leigh-Anne Hendrick.

For more information about the Holocaust and Social Justice and Education Program of Chautauqua County, visit chqsocialjustice.org.