Educator Leadership

The goal of this program is to uplift and co-create a space for educators to re-energize, connect, and support one another as they work to transform themselves, students, and their schools.

Upon completing the program, our participants:

See themselves as agents of change

Feel dignity and humanity

Believe they deepened their racial consciousness and identity.

Feel restored and energized

100% of participants recommend this program to others

“I believe in myself and how I can share what I learn with other teachers to build capacity and possibilities for a better place for learning for our students.”

“This was a creatively curated space to dig into how our identity impacts our leadership. I believe a lot of great teachers can benefit from this program.”

The space creates opportunities: 

  • For educators to see themselves as agents of change

  • To deepen racial consciousness and practice intraracial and interracial healthy dialogue 

  • To reclaim and restore humanity through healing

  • To fund programs to support your classroom or school that will address racialized disparities and foster dignity

Get info

We begin outreach in March of each year for the following year.  If you’d like to be considered for a future cohort, please reach out to

info@foundation65.org

The Program:

Who:

10-12 educators are invited to participate. These educators are typically classroom teachers who bring a wide range of social and positional identities to the work. They are diverse in race and ethnicity, age, experience, grades taught, etc.  

When:

Educators are invited each spring to participate in a year-long cohort the following academic year.

How:

This space is co-facilitated by consultants Njoki Kamau and Ismalis Nuñez with Foundation 65 Executive Director Alecia Wartowski.

What:

During the year-long cohort, educators will be able to reflect, connect with one another for support, and begin to dream about what’s next for their students and schools. Educators are provided with a stipend to compensate them for their out-of-school time. Every educator who participates will be encouraged to develop a grant for Foundation 65 to support.

Why educator leadership?

Foundation 65 invests in educators to help them support students effectively. Acknowledging the ongoing crisis in education due to COVID and outside pressures, we aim to retain educators, address burnout, and promote racial and social justice.

Recognizing a racial opportunity gap in District 65, we provide collective spaces for educators to reflect, connect, and build leadership skills to support marginalized students.

Educator Leadership Current Students and Alumni

Class List 2023-2024

Educators:

Mirza Campos (JEH) 

Aubrey Chang (Chute)

Patrina Gregory (JEH)

Lisa Harries (Kingsley)

Vania Lopez (Nichols)

Lee Mayen (Kingsley)

Jenica Mullins (Lincoln)

Erin Raab (Dewey)

Ami Shah (Lincolnwood)

Jen Webber (Chute)

Sarah Yoo (Orrington)

Alyssa Zuravel (Kingsley)

Facilitators: 

Njoki Kamau

Ismalis Nuñez

Alecia Wartowski