About Our Conference

Principal Dr. Kitsia Ferguson welcomes students, families, and community members to our 2022 Social Justice Conference.

Department of Children and Families Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes delivers a powerful keynote speech in 2019.

Being a Trailblazer is NOT a spectator sport.

The Social Justice Project

Capital Preparatory Magnet School is a PreK-12 social justice-themed magnet school in Hartford Connecticut. 100% of our students receive acceptances to 4-year colleges and universities each year.

Our senior capstone Social Justice Project (SJP) is the culmination of a student's academic career at Capital Prep. A combination of literature review, action research, thesis paper, public speaking, and community outreach, the SJP prepares our students for the rigor of college and the challenges of being a trailblazer.

History of the Social Justice Conference

In 2016, Capital Prep held our first annual Social Justice Conference. Students with outstanding projects shared their experiences, presented their findings, and competed for the honor of "distinction." Community members and organizations were invited to celebrate our students' accomplishments. A scholarship award was added in 2018.

Since then, our conference has grown to include keynote speakers such as DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes and educational revolutionary Dr. Steve Perry. In the spirit of trailblazing, we provide a platform for advocacy groups including the National Conference for Community and Justice, PFLAG, Planned Parenthood, and Girls on the Run. Capital Prep alumni return to share the impact that they are making in the community. Our younger students present as well, honing their advocacy skills.

In 2020, Capital Prep seniors completed their Social Justice Projects. However, due to Covid-19 we were unable to hold a live conference. This past year, we were determined to highlight our students of distinction. Our 2021 Virtual Social Justice Conference was designed to combine all the elements of prior years - and more! This year, we are back in person and looking forward to another incredible conference.

This year, we have decided to expand events and workshops to attract the interest of our lower school students and families. We have planned for developmentally appropriate activites to offer to the youngest members of our school and make this event a truly inclusive and all-school conference! Featured events and workshops will be:

Therapy Dogs

Wee the People

Fortune Cookie Messages of Healing

Meet the Author

Student Musical Performance

Healthy Eating and Affordable Healthy Snacks

RaPoetry

Musical Performance by PreK - 2nd grade!

The Social Justice Conference is an All-School Event

As a PreK-12 school, all students engage in an age-appropriate social justice curriculum. Our Social Justice Conference gives everyone the opportunity to use their voice.

Our younger students convey their desire for equity through the arts. Fifth and eighth graders, who have completed their own smaller version of the SJP, present their work. Further, the Social Justice Conference is an opportunity for Capital Prep juniors to introduce their SJP topics and initial research.

Each year, an accomplished alumnus returns to share their inspirational story. Mia Dorantes, a sophomore at Central Connecticut State University is a program coordinator at the Ruthe Boyea Women's Center, where she is able to exercise her passion for advocacy work.

Khadija Wali, member of the Class of 2015 spoke at our 2019 conference. At the time, she was a full-time student at Central Connecticut State University, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Biology and a double minor in Chemistry and Arabic.

This year, Brigith Rivera, a recent graduate of Capital Prep, will be speaking. We're looking forward to hearing how she continued her work for social justice as she began her college career.

Our Annual Social Justice Conference Logo

Each year, our SJP logo is designed by one of our talented student artists. Melonie Jackson, a member of the Class of 2019 poignantly depicted the themes of our 2018 (Conflict and Compromise) and 2019 (Social Justice is a Universal Language) conferences. In 2021, eighth grader Nyah Noward conveys her interpretation of our theme, "Climb", in recognition of the challenges, adversity, and oppression that our community has overcome in this most challenging year. For the 2022 conference, we held a competition for student artists. Contestants from Pre-K through high school participated. Each piece was so unique with the students' interpretation of that year's theme, Solidarity. This year, our theme is Radical Healing. The artwork featured is from second grader, Malaysia Plummer. She is a creative and talented young trailblazer, and Capital Prep is proud to show her beautiful work and visual depiction of Radical Healing!

In 2019, junior Malik Wooten receives feedback on his proposal for his senior Social Justice Project.

As a sophomore, Anisah Colon informed conference attendees about Planned Parenthood. This year, she is a Senior Distinction Candidate, presenting her SJP.