Inspire, Inform, and Invite to Act - Lawrenceville Hosts Civic Awareness Day

A half-day of discussions, workshops, and interactive activities comprised Lawrenceville’s recent Civic Awareness Day, sponsored by the Hutchins Institute for Social Justice. Held on Saturday, November 2, the day’s events were designed to inspire, inform, and invite action, according to Zaheer Ali, executive director of the Hutchins Institute.

“We are gathered against the backdrop of a significant, historic election,” Ali said. “This first discussion will give some information, your workshops will give inspiration, and the fair will invite to action.”

Opening the event, Acting Co-Head of School and Dean of Faculty Emilie Kosoff encouraged students to “lean into the work today. Show up to be the person you want to be and show up for your peers.”

Kosoff noted that the concept for the day’s events were born in part from the student-driven Democracy Day, organized by Kyle Park ’23 in 2022.

“This day has been designed to inspire each of us as we continue to grow the skills in global awareness to be engaged as citizens seeking lives of high purpose,” Kosoff added. “We do this by showing up, leaning into the work that will strengthen the bonds of our community.”

Alumni Natalie Tung ’14 and Vilma Jimenez ’14 shared their journeys of turning inspiration to action, first as Lawrenceville students and roommates, then as Princeton University undergraduates, and now together with their community-based organization HomeWorks Trenton, a free after-school residential program for high school girls.

Jimenez, a first-generation Guatemalan-American, described how DMCs, or “deep, meaningful conversations” with friends like Tung allowed her to be vulnerable and develop shared connections.

“There are so many different people from all different parts of the world at Lawrenceville that helped me shape my thinking to be more open minded,” said Tung, who hails from Hong Kong. “I encourage you all to really extend and have different conversations with different people because you will never know where that will lead you.”

Jimenez said that connecting with friends from different backgrounds “shaped my understanding of community and that sense of community is what I've carried throughout my life beyond Lawrenceville.”

“Lawrenceville has been instrumental in forming these meaningful relationships,” said Tung. “Vilma and I come from different backgrounds and that is such a basis of Lawrenceville and ultimately me finding my path of having such a meaningful relationship with someone who came from a different part of the world.”

Tung and Jimenez said this foundation of community is what inspired them to create and continue to support HomeWorks Trenton. 

“I believe change happens from the ground up,” Jimenez said. “The members of the community are driving that change, creating a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.”

“I see myself as a facilitator,” she said, “someone who provides resources built upon the power that’s already in the community versus someone coming in to fix the problem. We prioritize voices within the community to make the change that they want to see.”

“My theory of change – the reason why we started HomeWorks – goes back to my experience at Kirby House,” said Tung. “Being in a community where, for me, it was the first time I was in a space where girls were lifting each other up, to realize the power of women, the power of community. When we come together and work on something together, everything going on in the world can be solved. My theory of change is around this notion, and that’s what HomeWorks is all about.”

Following the discussion with Tung and Jimenez, students participated in workshops and a civic fair. Workshops, hosted by students, faculty, and some returning alumni, featured topics ranging from single-issue voting to art as a catalyst for social change, the ethics of artificial intelligence, tax policy, and more.

A civic fair in Tsai Field House featured mock voting booths, button-making stations, as well as tables staffed by Hutchins Scholars in Social Justice discussing their advocacy campaigns. Tablets with headphones showcased the complete set of films created by Hutchins Student Civic Media Grant recipients, four of which were screened the night before.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.