Kimberton Waldorf School

Education That Matters

Social Justice

Welcoming Arassari Pataxó for two unforgettable assemblies.

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On Monday, our school community had the profound honor of welcoming Arassari Pataxó for two unforgettable assemblies.

Born in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, Arassari shared what it means to live in deep relationship with the land – where every choice we make ripples outward into our bodies, our rivers, and the Earth itself. Through story, humor, and lived experience, he invited our students to think more consciously about what we consume, how we care for nature, and how we show up in the world.

He reminded us that protecting Mother Earth begins with something simple yet powerful: Attention. Focus. Presence. Through a playful but challenging concentration game, students experienced firsthand how awareness lives not just in the mind, but in the body.

As a chief, artist, and advocate, Arassari carries the voice of the forest into every space he enters, whether through his environmental work, planting tens of thousands of native trees and restoring rivers, or through his art, which speaks when words cannot.

11th Grade Civil Rights Trip to Alabama

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Our eleventh-grade class recently spent an entire week in Alabama as a conclusion to their Civil Rights main lesson block with Mrs. Tonya Rice. Their educational itinerary included important sites such as: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Rosa Parks Museum, Maya Lin Civil Rights Memorial, the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and more.

Here is a written reflection on the trip from current 11th grader Annabelle Gauthier:

On Monday, April 7, we embarked on our Civil Rights Trip to Alabama. We travelled around a few cities: Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, and Tuskegee, studying the Civil Rights Movement. During our time there, we visited many museums, including the Rosa Parks Museum and the Legacy Museum. We also visited institutes, universities, monuments, and parks. Through these experiences, we delved deeper into subjects and events we had learned about in class and about significant historical figures. We talked to people who lived through and even participated in protests and marches, as well as others whose parents were strong activists in the movement. We stood on land where people were killed, walked across a bridge where approximately 600 people marched for voting rights, set foot in a baseball field where black people used to have their own league, and saw art that was inspired by all the fighting and courage that took place to get to where we are today. 

During our down time we played card games and shared many great laughs with our chaperones. One evening, we watched the movie Selma, which told the story of Bloody Sunday and other occurrences related to civil rights in Selma, Alabama. It was a very moving film that broadened our understanding of the march and connected us to the people who were involved in it in a new way. 

It was very emotionally hard to see the number of people that were lost during the period of slavery and throughout the Civil Rights Movement, seeing it in person made it all the more real and impactful. We learned of things that are very heavy to think about, that give you a pit in your stomach that you cannot get rid of, yet it is what made the experience so memorable. The Civil Rights Trip is one that we will never forget, one that will stay vividly in our memory for years to come. 

Bridging Community with Local BIPOC Businesses

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Kayla Hirschfield, 11th Grader

Written by Alicia (Warner) DeMont

Last year, current KWS junior Kayla Hirschfield (class of 2023) was nominated by her rabbi to participate in an anti-racist program through The Chester County Religious Action Center. The focus of the program is on racial equality and social justice issues. Upon the completion of the course, participants are asked to undertake a capstone project. As her capstone experience, Kayla decided to build a website that features a list of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) owned businesses in Chester County. She built “the website to encourage the community to support BIPOC owned businesses as well as for people who already want to support such businesses, but don’t know where to start.”

Through a KWS class on business entrepreneurship and her own experiences, Kayla came to realize just how foundational locally owned businesses are to the overall health of a community. She also knows that BIPOC owned businesses face unique challenges. “Dealing with obstacles like racial discrimination and systemic racism, it has always been harder for BIPOC to move forward with their businesses. BIPOC owned businesses face injustice socially, economically, and systemically whether it be from banks, customers, social problems, etc. While white owned businesses face some of the same hardships that BIPOC businesses face, they never have to deal with the struggle of race. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, it’s gotten more difficult for all businesses to stay afloat. We see more BIPOC owned businesses shutting down significantly more than their white owned counterparts as they are the most affected group in business.”

In thinking of ways to connect to and give voice to BIPOC owned businesses in Chester County, Kayla contacted BIPOC business owners and invited them to be listed on her website. Seven businesses are listed on her website – ranging from restaurants, a toy collection store to an organization called Diaspora Community, which is a web-based community aimed at guiding African businesses in Diaspora seeking to do business in Africa.

On August 29, 2021, Kayla launched her website on zoom. She invited the KWS and wider communities to attend. It was a successful launch with more than 20 people in attendance. During the launch party, not only were the business owners recognized and celebrated for their entrepreneurship, but they also had the chance to discuss issues of systemic racism, especially in light of business ownership.

“I care about racial injustice because this issue still greatly affects people of color, and I feel that if I can do something about it, even in a small way, it can make a difference. Systemic racism affects businesses owned by people of color, and if we can support those businesses, we could be a step closer to making that difference. I know that KWS is committed to being an anti-racist community and I’m hoping that students, faculty, [alumni] and parents will see the importance of such initiative.”

KWS/KFS alumni are encouraged to support Kayla in her work to promote BIPOC businesses. She “would appreciate any referrals of eligible businesses in Chester County that might be interested in being included in the website. This would be a great way to participate and potentially make a difference for a local entrepreneur.”

Please contact Kayla Hirschfield at: ccbipoc@gmail.com
Website: https://bipocbusinesseschestercounty.carrd.co

Developing Anti-Racist Education

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Kimberton Waldorf School is committed to promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our curriculum and our school. The Board of Trustees and our Governing Team have supported a Diversity Committee and our teachers have been working to address systemic racism in our curriculum. In on-going conversation in our faculty meetings and in our inservice meetings our faculty and staff have been discussing ways to incorporate more diversity and inclusion in our curriculum and teaching practices. Some of our faculty and staff have attended workshops and courses and have been sharing the fruits of what they learned. We are incorporating more diversity in our library collection. We have also formed reading groups on recent publications about strengthening anti-racism. This is ongoing, challenging,  and important work for all schools including KWS. Read more here about DEI in Waldorf schools from the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America:

Learn more from the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America
MLK Chalk Drawing

Social Justice Discussion with Torin Finser, July 9

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KWSPA hosted Torin M. Finser on July 9th


Torin has over 60 years of experience in Waldorf education as a student and learner, parent, teacher, teacher of teachers, author, Ph.D., and leader in the international Waldorf community.


“Waldorf Education for Social Justice” is his passion and the focus of much of his current work.  He emphasizes the need for schools to connect with the current issues dividing our society: political polarization, racism, income inequality, immigration, nationalism, and religious fundamentalism to name a few.  Focus on these problems at the educational level can be transformative and put power in the hands of the community to address their immediate concerns, seek out new ways for the field to change and adapt in the future.  But external advocacy needs to be balanced with opportunities for introspection as well, which Waldorf education also beautifully teaches our children. 


Please take a moment to become familiar with Torin and his work.  His extensive bio and the books he has authored are linked below.  We’ve also attached a link to recent and powerful articles to read in preparation.  There will be a small window for discussion and a few questions.  Please take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to engage with change. 

Bio https://www.antioch.edu/new-england/faculty/torin-finser/

Books https://www.amazon.com/Books-Torin-Finser/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ATorin+Finser

The Future of Waldorf Education: Beyond 100 https://www.waldorftoday.com/2019/09/the-future-of-waldorf-education-beyond-100/

Beyond 100: A return to the social justice roots of Waldorf Education https://www.antioch.edu/new-england/2019/04/19/beyond-100-a-return-to-the-social-justice-roots-of-waldorf-education/

A Discussion on Anti-Racism with Mari Avicolli, June 25

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Thurs, Jun 25, 7:30p (see community email for link)

We would like to thank all those who participated on June 25 in the first of a series of Social Justice discussions through the KWS Parent Association.  Many thanks to Mari Avicolli for hosting.  We’re proud to say it was our largest Parent Association gathering thus far!  This anti-racist self-reflection work is not easy or comfortable, and we acknowledge the courage it takes each individual to look within for evidence of racism or bias.  This is the only way forward to a peaceful and socially just world, which is one of the core principles of our school.

Mari Avicolli is an alumna who returned to KWS to teach in 2015. Prior to that, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State with a focus in cross-cultural communication. From 2017-2019 she served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. While there, she led diversity trainings for PCVs and host country nationals in an effort to help everyone be seen and feel playing in the orchestra for the musical, assisting on the Odyssey, or roasting coffee and talking about Ethopia with the 7th and 8th grades.

We are grateful to Mari for initiating the conversation about anti-racism with our community, and during this discussion she will share an overview of…

white fragility – cultural appropriation – how to raise anti-racist children – intersectionality

Resources for Talking about Race

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Resources for Talking about Race and Making Positive Change

Kimberton Waldorf School is deeply saddened by recent tragic events of racial injustice. We support work in the world that aims to break down systemic forms of racism. We wish to express our sorrow for all people of color who are and have been subjected to injustice and racial discrimination. Diversity and inclusion are important values of our school community, and we honor the inherent dignity of all human beings.

Talking About Race

Bryan Stevenson on the Frustration Behind the George Floyd Protests