Becoming We: Culture Jam Brings Community Together for 21st Year
Six schools and 115 student guests visited Ellis in January to participate in the 21st Culture Jam, Ellis’ annual student-led and produced conference focused on diversity.
This year's theme, “Becoming We,” focused on the strength communities gain by coming together, even in the face of hardships, as a pathway for growth. The theme explored intersectionality within communities and how people can unite to support one another.
In addition to Ellis, students from The Neighborhood Academy, Winchester Thurston, Central Catholic, Gateway High School, Sewickley Academy, and South Fayette School District participated. Students from each school organized workshops on topics including: Food Fusion: Bring Cultures Together Through Food; Harmony in Diversity: The Unifying Power of Music; Half and Half: A Multiracial Experience; Invisible Disability; Mind and Beyond: Exploring the Intersection of Faith and Mental Health; Cut and Tagged: When Labels Speak Louder Than Listening; and Celebrating the Transgender Community, among others.
As in past years, a highlight of the event was a panel discussion moderated by members of Ellis’ Student Diversity League and featuring members of both the Ellis and greater Pittsburgh communities. This year’s panelists were:
- Chris Curd (Ellis Parent: 2027, 2031, 2034), Founder and Commissioner of the Pittsburgh Flag Football League. Under his leadership, the NFL Flag program has been thrust into a fast track for growth in Western Pennsylvania in the recreational, interscholastic and competitive levels. Chris has extensive experience in the technology start-up community, and also serves as a development consultant for organizations with marketing and branding needs.
- Will Allen (Ellis Parent: 2035), Founder and President of the Will Allen Foundation. The Will Allen Foundation strives to support every individual they engage with, providing the tools and resources to help each and every person discover their personal Pathway to Success. Through programs like Quest, PAK, and Holiday Giving, the foundation works to level the playing field in under-resourced communities.
- Steffanie J. Jasper (Ellis Parent: 2019 and 2021), Executive Vice President, Head of Enterprise Risk Management at PNC. She is accountable for the oversight of the Enterprise Risk Management Framework as well as overseeing the operational management of the Independent Risk Management department and Corporate Insurance. She also serves as the co-executive sponsor of PNC’s African American Employee Resource Group, influencing the programming delivered to more than 1,500 Black employees in 12 physical and virtual chapters across the U.S. Further, Ms. Jasper is a founding member of the PNC Black Leaders Forum.
- Yazmin Infante Peña, Document Manager for the Office of International Education at Carnegie Mellon University. Ms. Peña is one of the co-leads for CMU’s Latine Faculty and Staff Alliance Employee Resource Group. Outside her work at CMU, she dedicates her time to serving the Latino community through organizations such as ALPFA Pittsburgh where she is one of the Community Affairs Committee Members, and her public speaking brand, The Recovering No Sabo Kid.
About Culture Jam
Centered on social justice issues and core cultural identifiers such as race, gender, religion, sexuality, socio-economic status, family structure, and more, Culture Jam gives high school students a unique opportunity to connect with one another and learn how to ignite the sparks of authentic change. It is designed to empower students to have courageous conversations alongside their peers. Culture Jam offers a safe, inclusive space for high school students to discuss equity-related issues that are present in schools, the Pittsburgh region, and the global community.
Culture Jam is organized and produced annually by The Ellis School’s Student Diversity League. The 2025 SDL Culture Jam organizers are: Zoi Sledge, Class of 2025; Adia Boccella, Class of 2025; Selah Cyrus, Class of 2027; and Eve Kilgore, Class of 2026.
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