Since 2005, Westtown has hosted the biennial access, equity, and inclusion program called the Independent School Multicultural Conference and College Fair on its campus. Westtown took the best of its in-person program to create a virtual program, and changed its name to reflect the mission of the event. The 2021 Westtown Independent School Equity & Access Conference and College Fair partnered with StriveScan to host a variety of panel presentations, student-led discussions, and a virtual college fair on Saturday, November 13, 2021. There was no charge for high school students, parents, guardians, or high school/community-based-organizations (CBOs).
The morning started with the keynote address by Dr. T. J. Snowden, Director of Admissions at Recruitment at Morehouse College, and a lively conversation facilitated by Veda Robinson, Westtown’s Upper School Principal. There were 671 participants from around the world who attended this virtual program. Some of the independent schools in attendance were the African Leadership Academy in South Africa; Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, California; Church Farm School in Exton, Pennsylvania; United World College — Dover in Singapore; and Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon. To listen to the 2021 program recordings, please click here.
The program also featured panels led by Westtown alums and students. Special thanks to the young alums who hosted the “Beyond Westtown: What’s College Really Like?” session: Kavi Gandhi ’21, Anna Li ’20, Mia Melendez-Ruiz ’21, Mustafa Shabazz ’17, Lindsey Turner ’21, Enoch Wang ’20, and Jaydn Williams ’21.
The next conference is planned for the fall of 2023. We hope the 2023 Independent School Equity & Access Conference and College Fair will be in person on our campus. Please contact Dr. Marje Ireland, Clerk of the Independent School Equity & Access Conference and College Fair if you have any questions.