Over the last three years our social media feeds, newspapers, podcasts, and evening news programming have documented the impact of violent rhetoric and social injustices in our society. As an association that has peace and social justice at the heart of our mission, it is our duty to speak up about these issues and find actionable ways to address these topics through our programming. This issue of our monthly newsletter is a step in that direction. As children in our communities begin a new school year, we believe it is important to examine how kids across time and space negotiate their identities as they move between home and school in a society that creates and sustains barriers to their full participation. The theme for this month’s newsletter is navigating identity, schooling, and community. Jane Addams once said “action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics”. We selected two Jane Addams Children’s Book Award titles that exemplify this quote and encourage us to consider what actions we can take to make schools and communities more ethical and welcoming spaces that support diversity and equity for children and adults.

“action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics”
-Jane Addams