After a break of three years due to Covid, Julie Arliss has brought her philosophy conferences for teenagers back to New Zealand. 

 This year the senior and junior days ran back-to-back. We were fortunate to be able to take groups to both. The conferences included lectures from Julie Arliss and her guest lecturer, Dr Andrew Pinsent, who was unable to travel so Zoomed in from the University of Oxford.  There were also debates and, for the juniors, a community of inquiry exercise. 

 While being introduced to the thinking of a range of philosophers, students covered topics as diverse as justice, free will and quantum mechanics. It can be challenging to share an opinion with a large group of people from other schools, so a special congratulations to Trinity Akurangi, Zoe Cowles and Aurora G for speaking to the whole group and a thank you to all the students for contributing enthusiastically to their groups in the inquiry of learning. 

Below is Eva O'Callaghan considering the stimulus material for the community of inquiry.