Gia Matika traveled to Brooklyn, NY last week with five other students to represent Friends Central School at the 2017 Quaker Youth Leadership Conference held at Brooklyn Friends School. The theme this year was Bridging Communities. Close to 200 students participated in workshops, activities and listened to guest speaker, Niyonu Spann. The best way to bring different communities together is to learn about people who have had different experiences and about their communities in order to foster a healthy curiosity for unfamiliar cultures, celebrate differences and help bridge the gap!( 2/17)
Gia Matika spent three weeks in Peru this summer with classmates from Friends Central School! During the trip students stay with a host Peruvian family for two weeks. They also volunteer daily for two hours in a clinic for children with disabilities. In addition, they attend Spanish classes for four hours everyday. In the last four days of the trip, the group hikes the Inca trail and they stay in campsites and rustic conditions.(6/18)