Amplifying Student Voice
Imagine a magazine that allows students to share their identity, perspectives, reflections and dreams. Imagine a publication that is deeply personal, but seeks to shape and influence the culture of a community. Now, imagine a school that supports and funds such a magazine. This world exists! Last year, Bullis School students published two issues of Insight Magazine and plans are well underway to continue publication in the 2018–19 school year.
Insight Magazine (now known as InLight Magazine, but for references to last year I will use the old name) was founded at Sidwell Friends School by Max and Sam Strickberger as a forum devoted to diversity and the exploration of different cultures and experiences. The magazine has grown and spread to other independent schools, and it came to Bullis largely due to the initiative and leadership of Sydney Smith, Bullis ’18. Sydney participated in Operation Understanding DC, a partnership of Jewish students and African American students, with the Strickbergers. She believed that the magazine would be a great fit for Bullis. In August 2017, Sydney, Jocelyn Quinn ’18, Diversity Committee Chair Bryan Whitford and I attended a workshop at Sidwell Friends and learned about how to launch the publication at our own school. Both Jocelyn and Sydney were enrolled in the Humanities and Global Studies Capstone and it fit to have the magazine originate out of this class. Last year, our 145 Bullis seniors were given the option to complete a Capstone project in one of four Signature Program areas. I direct the program for the 15 students who chose to focus on Humanities and Global Studies. I was thrilled to serve as the faculty sponsor for the magazine and give the students any support and guidance behind-the-scenes.

Any new venture needs support, funding and a plan. As Jocelyn and Sydney launched Insight Magazine, they followed the following important steps to ensure its success:
1. The students gained the support of the Bullis School administration: Sydney and Jocelyn created a PowerPoint presentation that explained exactly why the publication was needed at Bullis School and what they hoped to accomplish. They presented to our two Assistant Principals in the Upper School and also met with the Head of School.
2. Jocelyn and Sydney found a source of funding. I worked with the students to develop a proposal for a Parent Association grant to cover the cost of the first issue. Our Parent Association is very generous and supports enrichment projects on the campus. We wrote a detailed grant proposal and received $1,300, which enabled us to print 550 copies of the first issue.
3. The students created a structure. Sydney and Jocelyn served as the Editors-in-Chief of the magazine and then several other seniors stepped up to take leadership roles. The first issue was filled with articles generated in the HGS Capstone class, which ensured we met deadlines and allowed for easy editing and feedback.
4. Jocelyn and Sydney created buzz. They announced the release of the first issue at an Upper School assembly and then distributed issues in English classrooms. Sydney also followed up with lunch sessions to discuss the articles and get additional ideas.
The theme of the first issue was “Making the Invisible Visible.” As the editors explained:
We asked our classmates to write about topics or experiences they believed should be talked about more at Bullis or in their their larger communities. By sharing these stories, we hope to inspire conversations and improve our community. By narrating their own stories, we hope that Bullis students will find commonalities with one another and build a strong sense of empathy towards each other that will strengthen our community and the way we view diversity.

The first issue included articles on topics ranging from support for young women in sports to white privilege to Muslim-American identity. Insight Magazine had a tremendous response from students and staff members. It was universally praised as beautiful and thoughtful and the editors received many e-mails filled with praise. In the winter, Jocelyn and Sydney contributed to a joint issue that represented voices from 12 independent schools, including one public school. We purchased 350 copies to distribute to our community.
We published a second Bullis issue in the Spring, this time filled with articles from students in all grade levels and featuring artwork from the Middle School. The theme of the Spring issue: “Students With Passion Take Action.” Articles focused on the Bullis School students’ response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting and other ways in which students are involved in activism.


We plan to continue the publication at Bullis in the 2018–19 school year. We have new leadership: Ava Cacares ’19 and Andrea Moore ’19 have stepped up as editors and they are both students in this year’s HGS Capstone. In August, Sidwell hosted a second workshop for all schools who host the publication or would like to develop the program at their own schools. This year, there were 100 students in attendance representing 30 schools and the energy in the room was palpable. Sydney, now a recent graduate of Bullis School and a first-year student at Brown University, has taken on an advisory role for the entire organization. She kicked off the workshop by welcoming all of the high school students and setting the tone for the workshop: several teachers told me they thought she was a staff member based on her maturity and poise. The Strickbergers also announced that the publication has a new name: InLight. The best news: we had SEVEN students from Bullis attend the workshop, which ensures that the publication will continue to illuminate and amplify student voices at our school in the year to come.





