As we welcome our students back to school, the world’s tragedies and troubles—violence, war, racism, religious bigotry, climate change, to name just a few—continue to worsen at an alarming pace. In our roles as administrators, teachers, guides, coaches, and mentors, we must meet both our students and the world as they and it present themselves to us. At Friends Council, we imagine the question, “Where to begin?” has crossed your mind more than once as you begin this particular school year.

For Quaker schools, the answer to this question is as it has always been—the faith and practice of Quakers. If there was ever a year during which to rededicate ourselves to the Quaker practices of peace, integrity, equality, community, simplicity, and stewardship, it is this year. These practices look different for students at different developmental stages, but in the end, they will help each student develop a sense of agency and self-worth, and prepare them to connect with the world and the people in it with a sense of optimism, hope, and purpose that contributes to the world’s transformation.