Kent Place Attends 10th Annual Widening the Lens Conference

Kent Place sent a cohort of 16 to this year’s Widening the Lens Conference, hosted by The Farbrook School, on Saturday, November 15. This was the 10th anniversary of the conference and Kent Place’s 10th year in attendance. 

The annual conference brings together the cross-section of voices and perspectives that exist within independent schools. The theme this year, “Living Our Missions and Staying the Course,” provided a platform from which each school could reflect on its individual progress and recommit to the promises of its mission. Students and school leaders also discussed challenges, experiences, and best practices.

Kent Place was delighted to have three representatives participate on panels: Walidah Justice, Chief Community Life and Well-Being Officer, spoke alongside school leaders, and Sophie Ewart ’26 and Vivienne Vengroff ’27 were part of a student panel.

Making up the rest of the KPS group were faculty and staff members Danielle Barnes, Cendahl Cornellio-Alter, Ruthanna Graves-McQueen, Dora Gragg, Tyhisha Henry, Iveliz Morales, Caitlyn Roper, Vicky Tong, Joan Wilson, Lise Woodring, and Jill Woodrow; and parents Sipiwe Moyo P ’34 ’38 and Mieke Smith P ’33.

“Attending the Widening the Lens Conference gave me incredible insights on the importance of outreach. I was inspired by the sheer amount of enthusiasm from everyone there,” says Sophie. “On the panel, I was able to listen to the inspiring stories and views of my peers and respond to thoughtful questions posed by audience members.”

Says Vivienne, “My three biggest takeaways were that transparency is important for everyone, that it isn’t always easy, and that staying anchored is good but being rooted isn’t. I found this impactful because knowing when to hold on tight to what ‘has always been’ and when to let go is vital for the progress of our community.”

“Widening the Lens is a critically important gathering for schools annually,” says Ms. Justice. “This year, there was a greater need to create brave spaces, where attendees had intentional dialogue about how their schools are moving the work forward. Instead of its usual keynote speaker, the planning committee decided on a panel, which spoke to how diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work is continuing in New Jersey independent schools. The panel reemphasized the importance of staying the course while remaining aligned with your school’s mission. By continuing this important effort, schools can meet all students where they are, as well as work actively toward true belonging for all students.”

After a full day of keynote panels, small constituency groups, and a final session together, the group returned to Kent Place feeling inspired and ready to share what they learned with the school community.