A Day of Belonging: An Annual Mission Belonging Community Event, Co-Presented by Strathmore

MISSION BELONGING & STRATHMORE PRESENT

A DAY OF BELONGING

REGISTER NOW

A DAY OF BELONGING

CO-PRESENTED BY MISSION BELONGING & STRATHMORE

REGISTER NOW

A full-day, in-person celebration of art, resilience, community, and military service, featuring live performances, engaging creative activities, and appearances by special guests.

Saturday, September 19th, 2026
from 9 AM to 4 PM

Rockwood Manor
11001 Macarthur Blvd
Potomac, MD 20854

Register on Eventbrite

Mission Belonging & Strathmore will also host our United Against Silence community showcase—an evening of poetry and music by community members—on Friday, September 18th at 7 PM at The Strathmore Mansion.

Click here for more details & RSVP today for United Against Silence.

A Day of Belonging took place on Saturday, September 13th, 2025 at Rockwood Manor in Potomac, MD.

Watch the recording of our Opening, Keynote, and Closing Performances,
along with the September 12th United Against Silence Showcase, in the playlist below.

View Photos from the Event

Click here to view photos from our September 12th United Against Silence Community Showcase.

Featuring jessica bunin

COL (ret) Jess Bunin, MD, MHPE smiles warmly while wearing red‑and‑brown glasses, a gray checkered blazer, and a gold necklace. She has short dark hair and is photographed against a soft brown gradient background.

Jessica Bunin

Keynote Speaker

COL (ret), MD, MHPE

COL (ret) Jess Bunin, MD, MHPE is a speaker, executive coach, physician leader, and author who has spent her career running toward the moments most people avoid, whether in a combat zone, an ICU, or a difficult conversation. Today, she is the Co-Founder and Chief Architect of All Levels Leadership, a Professor of Medicine and Health Professions Education, and a Certified Executive Coach who is passionate about developing future leaders through faculty development, coaching, and mentorship. Her forthcoming book, From the Inside Out: How Self-Aware Leaders Build Trust and Transform Healthcare, distills decades of hard-won leadership lessons into a guide for leaders ready to do the inner work. She has delivered more than 50 workshops at national and international conferences, speaking on communication, civil discourse, trust, and moral courage, and she loves it every time. She recently received the 2025 #IStandWithHer Resilience Award from the Power of Women in Medicine Summit Awards Committee and completed the American Association of Medical Colleges’ Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program.

Musical Performances

Wytold

Wytold writes original music on the six-string electric cello inspired by outdoor rock climbing trips, world travel, his background studying philosophy of physics, and his experiences leading music workshops in military hospitals and Veteran populations. Using electronic edge alongside acoustic harmonies and double-stop grit, his electrified-chamber feels equally at home in rock clubs, art galleries, and concert halls.

Growing up in northern Virginia with interweaving passions for youth orchestra, powerful guitar solos, Bach cello suites, and rock and pop songs, Wytold’s original music celebrates classical technique hand-in-hand with modern grooves, improv, and rhythms of pop, rock, jazz, and world styles.

Find Wytold online at wytoldmusic.com and join him on the first Monday of each month for Intro to Music, a Mission Belonging online workshop open to everyone— beginners and beyond.

Composer/Cellist

Christylez Bacon

Bio is forthcoming.

Hip Hop Artist/Instrumentalist

Kofi Dennis

Bio is forthcoming.

Drummer/Storyteller

Activities Include…

Click activity titles to view the descriptions.

A detailed woodburned illustration of a tall mushroom with a textured stem and spotted cap, rendered in fine lines on a light wood surface. The natural grain of the wood adds warmth and depth to the botanical design.

Wood Burning

Learn the basics of wood burning. Participants will explore each step from design to final product as they create a wooden pendant.

Two clay‑covered hands hold a small, round, hand‑shaped clay bowl over a light surface dusted with clay powder. The image captures the tactile, creative process of forming pottery by hand.

Paper Clay

Learn how to create a small sculpture using paper clay. In this beginner-friendly, hands-on activity participants will explore texture, shape, and creativity while making a unique piece to take home.

Crepe Paper Flowers

Learn how to create beautiful handmade poppies while taking a moment to slow down and enjoy the creative process. Using colorful crepe paper, floral wire, and simple techniques, participants will craft a unique bloom to keep or share with someone special.

Artist Trading Cards

Artist Trading Cards are tiny artworks made to trade, not sell. Sign, date, and title the back; decorate the front in any medium. Create cards with collage and doodling using repurposed papers and markers. It’s a quick, approachable way to try something new and connect with other attendees. Trade a card, share a story.

Tattooed hands lift a wooden deckle and mold from a basin of water, revealing a thin layer of pulp that will become handmade paper. The image captures the tactile, creative process of traditional papermaking.

Paper Making

Experience the art of handmade papermaking by pulling your own sheet of paper from pulp created from military uniforms. This hands-on activity offers a meaningful way to transform materials with a rich history into something new.

A person paints blue and green watercolor strokes on paper at a table surrounded by small paint cups, paper towels, and two colorful circular mandala‑style artworks.

Painting

Participants will be guided through a classic painting, step-by-step. But if you’re feeling inspired, you can customize your painting however you like!

A cyanotype print shows the white silhouette of a fern leaf against a deep blue background, highlighting the delicate structure of its leaflets and veins.

Cyanotypes

Discover the magic of cyanotype, a historic sun-powered printing process. Create your own one-of-a-kind blue print using natural objects and simple materials in this hands-on activity.

Three smooth stones are stacked in a balanced tower on fine sand, surrounded by concentric circular patterns raked into the surface, creating a calm, Zen‑inspired scene.

Meditation

Take a moment to step out of doing and into being through a gentle guided meditation rooted in awareness and presence. Together we’ll cultivate equanimity, reconnect with the quiet clarity that’s already here, and remember the peace that never left.

A person stands at a microphone reading aloud from a book to an attentive audience seated in a wood‑paneled room with large windows. The scene conveys focus, creativity, and community engagement.

Poetry Circle

Step into a welcoming space where poetry comes alive with Seema Reza and Kevin Basl. In this circle, participants can share their own work, listen to others, and explore the power of words together. Whether they write, read, or simply enjoy hearing poems, this is a chance to connect, inspire, and be inspired by a supportive community. If you’re interested in sharing, don’t forget to bring a piece of work to share with the community.

Improv

Join comedian Chris Ulrich for an afternoon of laughter and creativity! In this lively improv workshop, participants will dive into theater games and playful exercises designed to spark their imagination. Improv offers a welcoming, supportive space where they can be silly, spontaneous, and inventive.

Music

Join acclaimed musicians Wytold and Christylez Bacon for an engaging, interactive music experience that blends creativity, connection, and participation.