15th Annual Bissell Grogan Symposium

Following the keynote address, students headed off to workshops on topics such as sustainable clothing, solar energy, landscape architecture, environmentally responsible investing, and marine conservation and policy, as well as from organizations such as Newton Community Farm, Essex County Beekeepers Association, and Charles River Watershed.

Symposium Co-Chair Megan Dolan was thrilled with how the day went, noting that the key to its success was the combination of workshop topics that really resonated with the students and a dynamic and engaging keynote speaker who was pitch-perfect in his delivery. “[Auchincloss] inspired and connected with his audience immediately and that’s not easy to do with high school students. They can be a tough crowd,’ says Dolan. “But he customized his message beautifully, and he showed our students how they can positively impact climate change simply by shifting their attitudes and behaviors in the future.”

The Bissell Grogan Humanities Symposium was established in 2006 in honor of Kenyon Bissell Grogan, former Chair of the Board of Trustees and Brimmer graduate of the Class of 1976. The goal of the Symposium is to both educate and engage students in relevant topics of today. An annual event attended by students in grades 8–12, it commences with a keynote speaker and is followed by workshops that explore a diverse range of subjects on a chosen topic. Read more about past symposiums.