22 Inspiring Education Leaders Join the Transformative Leadership Experience Black Principals Network, an initiative powered by Surge Institute, proudly announces its third cohort of The Leadership Collaborative, welcoming 22 exceptional…
Our alumni are active, growing their careers, and making a difference all over the country. Many are living out their freedom dreams through new business ventures. Take a look at…
Surge Alumni are active, growing their careers, and making a difference all over the country. Take a look at what these Alumni have been doing—and join us in congratulating them…
14 Inspiring Education Leaders Join the Philadelphia Surge Academy PHILADELPHIA (October 3, 2024)—Surge Institute’s Philadelphia Surge Academy is thrilled to announce a powerful new collective of 14 brilliant education leaders…
11 Inspiring Education Leaders Join the New 2025 Detroit Surge Academy DETROIT (September 19, 2024)—Surge Institute’s Detroit Surge Academy is thrilled to announce a powerful collective of 11 brilliant education…
25 Inspiring Education Leaders Join the Surge Chicago Fellowship CHICAGO (September 5, 2024)—Surge Institute’s Chicago Fellowship is thrilled to announce a powerful new collective of 25 brilliant education leaders beginning…
Surge Alumni are active, growing their careers, and making a difference all over the country. Take a look at what these Alumni have been doing—and join us in congratulating them…
Surge Institute is thrilled to announce David Henry’s appointment as the new Vice President of Development. With a rich history of dedication to service and equity for marginalized communities, David…
Pitch Night event marks the culmination of a six-month intensive entrepreneurial development cohort CHICAGO, July 18, 2024 — Surge Institute, a trailblazing organization that empowers leaders of color in education, recently…
The Surge Institute is proud to announce that Ulric Shannon has been recognized by the Chicago Defender as a 2024 Man of Excellence. This prestigious honor celebrates African-American men who…
Surge Alumni are active, growing their careers, and making a difference all over the country. Take a look at what these Alumni have been doing—and join us in congratulating them…
Applications Open May 1 for the Chicago Fellowship and Detroit and Philadelphia Academies CHICAGO, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Surge Institute is excited to announce the opening of applications for its new 2025 cohorts in Detroit, Philadelphia and Chicago beginning May…
The Washington D.C. Surge Academy is thrilled to announce a powerful new collective of 19 brilliant education leaders beginning their fellowship journey next month as they set out to accelerate…
Black Principals Network (BPN), powered by Surge Institute, is thrilled to announce the second cohort of The Leadership Collaborative (TLC), a groundbreaking program designed to empower and uplift Black school…
Surge Alumni are active, growing their careers, and making a difference all over the country. Take a look at what these Alumni have been doing—and join us in congratulating them…
The Surge Institute is excited to announce the talented Surge Alumni selected for the 2024 Surge Angels cohort. Aligning with the Surge Institute’s mission to develop leaders of color,…
We are excited to announce a remarkable achievement in our leadership ranks. Surge Institute CEO and founder, Carmita Semaan, has been selected to The Highland Project’s Cohort Three, a prestigious…
Individuals Anonymous Adanta Ahanonu Amanda Aiken Eugene Aiken Jacqueline Statum Allen David Altshuler Mercedes Alvear Ben Arendt Stephanie Arias & Dom McKoy Nathan Armstrong Juliana Atencia Diego Baez Janise Baldwin-Brewer…
The Surge Institute is excited to announce the appointment of José M. Andre Iniguez as the new Program Director, Alumni Impact. With an impressive background that includes leading strategies for…
Surge Institute adds a Visionary Leader Stepping Up to Shape the Future of Education The Surge Institute is thrilled to announce the appointment of Ulric Shannon as the organization’s Chicago…
Elham Mohaba Stephanie Ogbogu The Surge Institute is proud to announce the addition of two new team members, Elham Mohaba, National Programs Coordinator and Stephanie Ogbogu, Digital Strategist. Elham Mohaba,…
The Surge Institute is proud to announce the addition of Maria Heredia and Teresa Ward-Maupin to our esteemed Board of Directors. Maria serves as Chief Legal Officer, responsible for overseeing…
The Bridgespan Group has announced Surge Institute founder and CEO, Carmita Semaan, as its newest Bridgespan Fellow. The Bridgespan Group is a global nonprofit that collaborates with social change organizations,…
The Surge Chicago Fellowship is thrilled to announce a powerful new collective of 21 brilliant educational leaders beginning their Surge journey this month as they set out to accelerate their…
The Philadelphia Surge Academy is thrilled to announce a powerful new collective of 15 brilliant educational leaders beginning their Surge Fellowship journey this month as they set out to accelerate…
Surge alumni are active, growing their careers, and making a difference all over the country. Many are living out their freedom dreams through new business ventures. Take a look at…
Andre Smith Divinity Pittman Cecilia-Ananya Belser Patton The Surge Institute is honored and excited to announce three new staff members joining our team to further our mission and vision: Andre…
Today’s Supreme Court ruling that colleges and universities can no longer take into account race as a specific basis in admissions is a saddening move, one that represents a step…
Carmita Semaan transcends the range of possibilities expected of a little girl who grew up below the poverty line in Birmingham, Alabama. While her childhood was steeped in adversity, Carmita…
Over the April 29-30 weekend, The Leadership Collaborative (TLC) celebrated the beginning of their immersive learning experience together at their opening retreat in Houston, Texas. The Leadership Collaborative is a…
This week we’re celebrating Amanda Aiken, a brilliant leader, experienced changemaker, and Harvard Doctoral Fellow, who is completing her impactful Surge residency. As an Innovation Doctoral Resident for Surge, Amanda…
The 2023 Alumni Convening in New Orleans from March 29th through 31st was a rousing success—and how could it not be? With such vibrant speakers, such committed attendees, and such…
(Las Vegas, NV – March 28, 2023) The Las Vegas Surge Academy launches its inaugural cohort for emerging educational leaders across Clark County. A powerful collective of 11 educational leaders…
(Chicago, IL- March 21, 2023) Four brand new members are joining the Chicago Advisory board to continue their work on expanding the impact of the Surge movement. Learn more about…
(Washington, D.C. – March 14, 2022) A collective of 16 brilliant educational leaders set out to begin their Surge Fellowship journey this month during the opening retreat on March 23-25,…
The Surge Institute recently awarded $100,000 in funding to three early-stage ventures run by Black, Latinx, Asian, and Pacific Islander education leaders CHICAGO, IL (February 1, 2023) – The Surge…
The Leadership Collaborative is a brand new collective experience, designed for Black principals across the nation to co-create and learn together. NATIONAL — The Black Principals Network is proud to…
PHILADELPHIA – November 1, 2022—In partnership with Comcast & Spring Point, please join us in welcoming our inaugural Philadelphia Academy cohort of 14 brilliant leaders of color! The Surge Institute…
Janaia Nash brings unique experience and knowledge to a brand new role for the national nonprofit racial-equity organization serving leaders of color. The Surge Institute is honored and excited to…
(CHICAGO, IL – September 6th, 2022) As the Surge Institute approaches its seventh year as a national organization, the community is honored to welcome 16 emerging leaders of color who…
(Kansas City – July 13, 2022) In 2018 the Surge Institute launched its traveling program, the Surge Academy in Kansas City and since graduated two cohorts in 2019 and 2020.…
(Chicago, IL – June 28th, 2022) The Surge Institute is excited to announce a key transition and several new faces serving the mission and vision of elevating and connecting leaders…
(Chicago, IL – May 10th, 2022) – The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Chicago’s Annual Celebration Awards honor the outstanding achievements in the Chicago nonprofit sector. YNPN Chicago received dozens…
(Chicago, IL – May 5th, 2022) – Surge Institute is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency have earned a 95/100 rating from Charity…
Aijeron Simmons (OAK’20) will transition into a new role as UTK Coordinator for the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy. (Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education hosts and coordinates the 21CSLA…
“Our students can still get what they need as if they were in a physical classroom,” said Dr. Brandalyn Hayes (IND’22) in the Walton Family Foundation’s highlight of Paramount Online…
Christopher Goins (CHI’16) has been named the next President of Girard College in Philadelphia. Read more here. Girard College is a historic boarding school in North Philadelphia that provides free…
(United States – April 14 2022) The Surge Academy, a national program that develops, elevates, and unites leaders of color within the education and youth-serving space, will be expanding to…
“For me, the stories of our participants reminded me of the strength, creativity, and persistence that lives in our schools and communities, specifically Black and brown communities. There was an…
“Latino students are rarely going to encounter a Latino teacher along their educational journey. We know that when they see themselves reflected in their teachers, they’re going to have better…
“Nobody really focuses on the leaders,” Cain said. “And if we don’t focus on the leaders, specifically Black leaders who are experiencing stress at rates and levels that are higher…
(Oakland, CA – April 4th, 2022) Since 2018, Surge has had the incredible honor of joining disruptors in the Bay Area to carve out a fellowship space designed specifically for…
Rosecrans Ventures Founder, Halleemah Nash (CHI’17), will join the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP) as an Executive in Residence in support of its signature program, HBCU in LA. The…
The South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce honored six projects for the 2022 Community Impact Awards at its Annual Dinner, and Youth Guidance was awarded the Big Impact award of…
Chicago, IL – April 1st, 2022) The Surge Institute is excited to welcome Milka Ramírez, Ph.D., LCSW, PEL as the organization’s new Director of National Programs. Dr. Milka Ramirez is…
Naptown United, a new Indianapolis-based soccer club, was featured in a local news segment. Naptown United is led by Stand for Children bilingual organizer and Peruvian native, Carolina Figueroa (IND’21).…
The Transition Academy, an organization founded by Kim Riley (KC’20), was recently announced as one of NewSchools Venture Fund’s newest grantees. She is part of a new group of innovators…
Claudia Montes Salinas (IND’22) has begun her new role with Indiana University Health as the Mosaic Center Special Projects Manager. The Mosaic Center for Work, Life and Learning is a…
After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from students/faculty/staff/alumni, Dr. Brian Dinkins (IND’22) will join the Butler University College of Education faculty as an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership & Director of…
TaraShaun Cain (CHI’20) has joined the Surge Leadership team as Executive Director of the Black Principals Network. The Black Principals Network was incubated and funded by Charles and Lynn Schusterman…
The Surge Institute announces relaunch of the Black Principals Network (BPN) as part of its national programming suite TaraShaun Cain announced as Executive Director of BPN (Chicago, IL – February…
Tiara Wheatley (CHI’20) has accepted the role of Vice President, Alumni Impact at the Surge Institute. In her new role, Tiara will be responsible for developing the strategy and ensuring successful…
(Chicago, IL – February 18, 2022) The Surge Institute is excited to welcome Surge Alumna, Tiara Wheatley (CHI’20), as the new Vice President of Alumni Impact. An educator, mentor, equity…
Dr. Lateshia Woodley (KC’20) was featured in EdWeek’s 2022 Leaders to Learn From. The honorees are innovative district leaders who have showed resiliency and fortitude as they found ways to…
The local Indianapolis news recently covered Thrival Indy’s hypnotherapy services and the impact that this focus on mental health has had on our school culture. India Johnson currently serves as…
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN – February 3, 2022) Last Fall kicked off the Surge Institute’s recruitment cycle to seek the next class of leaders of color in Indianapolis to #JoinTheSurge. After having…
(CHICAGO, IL – January 26, 2022) – Surge Institute is excited to announce the “Let Us Write/Right Our Story” Summit, a virtual convening on February 21, 2022 that will focus…
The Poetry Foundation has welcomed Diego Báez (CHI’19) as a new Harriet Books reviewer. Named after Harriet Monroe, the founding editor of Poetry Magazine, Harriet Books centers the work of…
(CHICAGO, IL – January 12, 2022) We are excited to share the results from last year’s end-of-year giving campaign, #SurgeForMore. Through the support, generosity and love we received from our…
Aaron Harris (OAK’22) has accepted the role of Dean of Instruction at Aspire Golden State Prep. Aspire’s mission is to open and operate small, high-quality charter schools in low income…
Dirrick Butler (CHI’19) has transitioned to a full-time role of Project OneTen. Founded by Butler as part of his fellowship capstone project, the organization that engages and mentors Black and…
Ashley N. Leonard (CHI’17) served as a panelist for Forefront’s monthly Philanthropy Club convening titled “Black Philanthropy: Money, Mentoring, and More” in her role as a co-chair of the South…
Amanda Paz (CHI’18) has been promoted to Associate Principal at the Civic Consulting Alliance. In her new role, she will serve on management team, lead high-impact projects for the City…
(WASHINGTON, DC – December 16th, 2021) In partnership with Education Forward DC, the Surge Institute expanded their Academy fellowship program to Washington, DC earlier this year, and today, the organization…
During the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis Dala (day-luh), India Johnson (INDY’21) and Keeanna Warren (INDY’21) were honored for their distinguished performance in the field of education as well as…
AJ DeLeón (CHI’15) has completed the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative – Education Scaling Program sponsored by the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) and the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN).…
Zuleica Lopez (OAK’20) was promoted to Senior Director of Program at OneGoal, an organization whose mission is to close the degree divide in America. Learn more about OneGoal at: www.onegoalgraduation.org
Ajia Morris (KC’20) was recognized as one of 20 to Know in Commercial Real Estate by the Kansas City Business Journal. Her first project is renovating a 3.7acre city block…
(Chicago, IL – October 13, 2021) The Surge Institute is excited to share that our National Leadership Team is once again growing in a very special way. Stepping into the…
Sonya Mehta (OAK’18) has started a new role as the new Chief of Staff at Families in Action for Quality Education (FIA Oakland). FIA Oakland is a community-organizing coalition working…
AJ DeLeón (CHI’15) was recently nominated and elected into membership of the ECC. Membership in this exclusive club connects him with the heart of Chicago’s C-Suite to learn from more…
(Chicago, IL – September 16, 2021) Cecily Relucio, Surge Chicago Program Director, was interviewed on Chicago’s WCPT 820 – Chicago’s Progressive Talk. During the segment, Cecily connected with Joan Esposito…
(Chicago, IL – September 15th, 2021) Over the summer season, Surge has continued to develop, expand and evolve into the next chapter as a national movement: last month the 2022…
Jonathan Chaparro (CHI’17) and Shenita Johnson (CHI’17) have been appointed to the BES National Board of Directors. BES is an organization that invests in leaders so that they can invest…
Cristina Marquez (KC’20) has begun serving as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater, The University of Kansas (KU). “I have served and will continue to serve as a Field…
(CHICAGO, IL – September 7th, 2021) As the Surge Institute approaches its seventh year as a national organization, the community is honored to welcome 15 emerging leaders of color who…
India Johnson (INDY’21) was featured on an episode of Terrell Talks where she shares on her work and how she is lighting the path to the future through her educating…
Dawn Hicks (CHI’17) has accepted a new role as Senior Director of the BES Fellowship at BES. In this role, she will providing direction and strategy to the Fellowship, oversee…
(Chicago, IL – August 30th) The Surge Institute is excited to announce that seven Surge Chicago Alumni have been selected to join its inaugural Abolitionist Design Lab. Beginning in August…
Are you or a leader you know interested in learning more about the 2022 Surge Academy cohort in D.C.? All candidates can fill out this form to be notified of…
(OAKLAND, CA – August 18th, 2021) The Surge Institute is excited to welcome 17 leaders from across the Bay Area to join the 2022 Oakland Surge Fellowship cohort. As the…
Keeanna Warren (INDY’21) has recently accepted the new role of Associate Executive Director of the Purdue Polytechnic HS Network. Read more here. “We want our students to be prepared with…
Co-Led by Sanam Jorjani (OAK’19), the Oakland Literacy Symposium (hosted by the Oakland Literacy Coalition) will be a two-day virtual conference that will bring together educators, youth development professionals, leaders,…
Osayuware (Tina) Enagbare (OAK’18) has been promoted to Head of Talent & Equity at Peer Health Exchange, and she now advises growing her capstone project, the organization’s Youth Advisory Board,…
Liam Bird (CHI’18) was promoted to Director of Racial Equity Initiatives at Chicago Public Schools. Launched in 2018, Liam is a founding member of the CPS Office of Equity: the…
Jessica Sullivan-Wilson (CHI’21) has transitioned into her new role as Director, Community Affairs at Teach For America – Greater Chicago – Northwest Indiana.
Brittany Jones (CHI’20) served on a panel at the ASU GSV Summit 2021 for a conversation on how art, social justice, history, and philanthropy intersect to evolve ways of being…
Michelle Y. Bess (CHI’16) was quoted in Crain’s Chicago Business’s recent article on tackling the access/support gap within the technology sector. “I’m thrilled about the work I get to do…
Chicago Latinos in Philanthropy (CLIP) has announced Alberto Morales (CHI’20) as CLIP’s first Project Manager. Read more in the official press release.
Jermaine Wilson, Ph.D. (KC’20) has accepted a new role as Executive Director of Student Support Services at DeSoto Independent School District.
Elisa M. Botello (CHI’16) has been appointed as Chief of Staff at Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS). In her new role, Elisa will serve as a member of the…
Noble Network of Charter Schools has welcomed Dalonte Burns (CHI’21) as new principal of UIC College Prep. Crain’s Chicago Business also featured him on ‘People on the Move’. Read more…
Jawann Pollard (CHI’17) has accepted a new role as Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission at Loyola University Chicago.
Bridget Lee (CHI’18) has been promoted to Director of Education Strategy. In her new role, she will support the Chief Education Officer in achieving the CPS Vision: Success Starts Here.…
July 2021 “We hope that this [program] is just the beginning,” Collier said. “Our students need more of these opportunities to have paid work experiences in their own community. Our students…
(Oakland, CA) The Surge Institute is excited to welcome a dynamic trailblazer to our Local Oakland Advisory Board. Please join us in welcoming Osayuware (Tina) Enagbare (OAK’18)! This is an…
Robbie Curry (CHI’20) is bringing to life his Surge Fellowship Freedom Dreams Project, The Marcus Literacy Project, Inc., which is an education tech company that is building a video game…
Ngozi Harris (CHI’19) was recently featured on a segment for ‘Our Chicago,’ highlighting the work of Youth Guidance’s WOW program and its impact on girls in Chicago and beyond. See…
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-kqif9wie’ admin_preview_bg=”] (Indianapolis, IN) On June 18th, the Surge Institute brought together their inaugural Indianapolis Surge Academy cohort for the first time to…
For his work in starting Man the Bay, a four-year fellowship program that trains and supports Black men to become teachers, CBS SF Bay Area presented the Jefferson Award for…
Osayuware (Tina) Enagbare (OAK’18) has joined Surge Oakland’s Advisory Board.
June 2021 In an effort to boost its reach and impact, The Greenline Initiative, a social enterprise co-founded by Ajia Morris (KC’20), has for the second year partnered with the…
Five Surge Alumni were announced as part of 4.0 Schools’ 151 Fellows for their Essentials and New Normal Teams, as well as their Meet the Moment 2.0 Grantees. 4.0 is…
Dr. Lateshia Woodley (KC’20) has published her newest book, Navigating Life’s Sling Shots & Leading From Within, a project that was created out of the desire to bring awareness to…
June 2021 Ada Gomero (CHI’20) has accepted a new role as Learning Officer at the MacArthur Foundation. In her new role, she will facilitate the use of data and information…
June 2021 Chanelle Bell (CHI’19) has been promoted to Senior Managing Director, Public & Community Affairs at TFA Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana. In her new role, she will be leading the…
On June 22nd, Promise Prep, a new Indianapolis public charter school founded by Geoff Fenelus (INDY’21), had their official ribbon cutting ceremony. Along with the festivities, the school also hosted…
Chicago, IL (May 20th, 2021) – The Surge Institute is excited to announce the introduction of two seasoned and passionate leaders to the National Board of Directors. As Board Members,…
Innovare – Social Innovation Partners, founded by AJ DeLeón (CHI’15) through his Surge Fellowship Capstone project, has become a Google for Education Partner. Google for Education is a service that…
Denmark Diaz (OAK’21) has received an award entitled: The Giraffe (Sticking Your Neck Out for Social Justice) Award from SF State University at the Student Affairs and Enrollment Management (SAEM)…
India Wells-Carter (KC’19) has brought to life her new venture, Fresh Factory KC, a selfie experience inspired by the art and people of Kansas City. Learn more about this next…
Ana Martinez Shropshire (CHI’15) has joined Surge’s National Board of Directors. Read the full story here.
Susana Elizarraraz (KC’20) has transitioned as VP of Educator Supports at the Latinx Education Collaborative. In this new role, Susana will help to build LEC’s collective voice and amplify the…
Originating from her Surge Fellowship capstone project, Jordan Owens (CHI’19), recently introduced Msaada, an organization that supports the education, empowerment, access, and equity for parents and students within the special…
In a recent Kansas City Spotlight segment, KC STEM Alliance featured Inspired Aesthetics’ recent event, #RemakeDaysKCCHALK. The project came to life from Surge Alum and Founder/ED of Inspired Aesthetics, Cescily…
May 2021 India Johnson (INDY’21) was featured on the May/June 2021 issue of Huami Magazine, an African American Community focused publication that serves several U.S. states. The issue will be…
Last October 2020, Osayuware (Tina) Enagbare (OAK’18) brought her Surge Fellowship capstone to life. She launched her organization’s 1st Youth Advisory Board and ushered in the next phase of health…
Jayo Miko Macasaquit (OAK’19) is The 19th’s new Chief People Officer. The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting at the intersection of gender, politics and policy. Learn more about…
Ángel L. Vélez (CHI’21) has launched Rabble-Rouser Diversity Consultants LLC, an anti-racist diversity training company that deals with racial equity issues in P-21 education and the workplace. Learn more about…
Melissa Flores has accepted her new role as COO at the Latino Policy Forum, an organization whose mission is to build the power, influence, and leadership of the Latino community…
A leader who is deeply passionate about supporting community responsive services and access at school sites, Leslye Salinas (OAK’21) will complete her Doctorate in Education from the USC program in Organizational Change and Leadership in…
On Wednesday, April 14th, Truman College (in partnership with Poetry Foundation & Poetry Magazine) will host a virtual poetry reading with Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley! This gathering is the final culmination…
March 2021 For #WomensHistoryMonth, Citizen Education asked readers on social media to nominate the women who are changing education for the better. Congratulations to all those a part of the…
Adanta Ahanonu (OAK’19) has been promoted as COOP’s first Chief Program Officer. Adanta joined the California team exactly one year ago — re-energizing the regional team out west and revolutionizing…
JuDonne Hemingway (CHI’19) has accepted the role to serve as the next Principal of Gary Comer Middle School with the Noble Network of Charter Schools.
Natalie Neris (CHI’17) was a part of a recent panel titled, Equity in Education for All: Closing the Gap. This virtual conversation was moderated by Kate Grossman, a Senior Education Editor…
Cheryl Flores (CHI’19) was elected as a new board member for Telpochcalli Community Education Project (Tcep), a grassroots organization in the Little Village community. She is part of the Donor…
April 2021 Charles Cole, III, Ed.D., MPA (OAK’18) has officially released the audiobook for his dissertation titled, “Beyond Grit & Resilience.” Give it a listen today on Audible or Apple…
April 2021 AJ DeLeón (CHI’15) was featured on an episode of LatinxAmerica’s Podcast. Click here to give it a listen and learn about AJ’s journey within education, tech and entrepreneurship…
March 2021 As part of their #WomensHistoryMonth celebration, CBS Chicago highlighted Melissa Connelly (CHI’15) for her ongoing work as CEO of OneGoal.
Ana Agarrat (CHI’19) is joining fellow alum, ángela mungía (CHI’18), at AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits. She will serve as Associate Director, a role focused on developing and building out the programming…
(Chicago, IL) The Surge Institute would like to warmly welcome Soledad Alfaro to the National Leadership team as the new Chief Operating Officer. Soledad is a brilliant leader who…
Jahna Riley (KC’20) was recently interviewed for Startland News regarding her Freedom Dreams Project, Aya Coffee + Books, and its immediate impact thus far. Started as an online bookstore, Aya…
Ángel L. Vélez (CHI’21), doctoral candidate in EPOL and OCCRL research associate, was recently featured in an NBC News story on Racism Within Racial Diversity. Vélez explains the danger of…
Nina Sanchez (CHI’17) was selected as part of Chicago magazine’s 30 “New Power 30,” highlighting her transformational, equity-centered work as Director of Enrich Chicago.
Will Collins, VP of Development & External Affairs and 2017 Surge Chicago Alum, was recently announced as an inaugural member of the 2021 Black Bench Chicago Fellowship. The Black Bench…
What an amazing time to be a part of the Surge movement! Our 2020 #SurgeForMore celebration concluded on December 31st, and we’re on cloud nine from the explosion of donations,…
Jessica Cañas (CHI’21) has been promoted to Assistant Director of Education at Enlace Chicago, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Little Village Residents in Chicago.
2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Lydia Mercer, has launched The (Un)Learning Space. In this space, (Un)learning refers to the process of recognizing and addressing our implicit biases. Through a process rooted…
2020 Surge Chicago Alum, Destiny Ortega, has been promoted to Associate Principal at Civic Consulting Alliance, a non-profit consulting organization that works on high-impact projects with government agencies in the…
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Indiana announced an exciting staff addition late last year, bringing on local education leader Allissa Impink to serve as Manager of Community Engagement for K-12…
December 2019 At the PILI Annual Awards Luncheon, Shareholder and Secretary of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Board of Directors, Daniel Lange, presented the Distinguished Intern Alumni Award to…
“Tech is something that is still moving forward. While the world has to stop and the world has slow down we know, and we see that the tech world and…
2015 Surge Chicago Alum, Candace Moore’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice for the city of Chicago has announced a citywide Together We Heal initiative, which invites Chicagoans between now…
Surge Chicago Alumni have been elected as representatives for Local School Council(s) within Chicago Public Schools. See below for full results. Nicole W. Beechum (CHI16) elected as a Parent Representative…
DuJuan Smith, 2015 Surge Chicago Alum, has successfully defended his dissertation, Black While Leading: Unmasking the Lived Experiences of Senior-Level Black Men Administrators at Historically White Institutions and earned his…
April 2020 2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Adanta Ahanonu, has accepted a new position as Senior Director of Program for California at COOP Careers. The organization’s mission is to build a…
“To be of service to the younger me.” 2017 Surge Chicago Alum, Halleemah Nash, appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show where she shared the impact she’s had through her company,…
Aurora Flores Garcia (CHI’18) has been promoted to Director of Undergraduate Success at National Louis University. In her new role, she will oversee the work of the Student Success Coaching…
(Chicago, IL) – The Surge Institute would like to warmly welcome Aeriell Robinson to the team as the inaugural Chief of Staff. In her role, Aeriell will collaborate with the…
2018 Surge Oakland Alum, Joanna Vazquez Zelaya, has accepted a new role as Public Policy Manager at Alliance for a Better Community. The mission of ABC is to promote economic…
2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Kyra Mungia, was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 in education. She is the youngest director or deputy director working in the mayor’s office in…
2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Taica Hsu, was recently selected as part of The Roddenberry Foundation 2021 Fellowship. Launched in 2016, the Roddenberry Fellowship is a $1mil investment in the innovators,…
Initiated by 2020 Surge Chicago Alum Derrick M. Fleming, Jr., The #JUSTBE campaign. is meant to help dismantle current and historic systemic forms of oppression or indifference, foster anti-racism, eliminate…
OneGoal who were selected as a winner of The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s 2020 Holiday Impact Prize. Special shoutout to 2015 Surge Chicago Alum and CEO of OneGoal,…
November 2020 2015 Surge Chicago Alum, Candace Moore, was recently featured in Bloomberg Cities’ highlight of 10 innovators who are raising the bar in the fight against COVID-19. November 2020…
2020 Surge Alum, Garrett Webster Sr., will serve as the Executive Director of Kansas City as Youth Guidance announces the launch of their #BAM and #WOW programs in Missouri in…
“As college success advocates in this moment, we must consider whether asking our students to persevere more is truly a credible or responsible strategy.” The team at The University of…
“(Multilingual students) finish high school with such an advantage. Here we have children already with that advantage that we’re telling them that they don’t have.” Jacqueline Rodriguez, Director of ESOL…
“Radically reimagining what’s possible in education through relationships will not only prepare middle schoolers to navigate school in the age of coronavirus but all of the challenges this moment in…
2021 Surge Academy Fellow, Keeanna Warren, was recently awarded the Outstanding Educator in STEM award during the 2020 Women & Hi Tech Leading Light Awards and Scholarship Gala. The Leading…
The Latinx Education Collaborative hosted its third annual professional and leadership development conference, Evolución, for Latinx education professionals (and friends) virtually on Saturday, October 24, 2020 streaming live from 9 am…
EmbraceRace recently spoke with Savitha Moorthy and Surge Oakland Alums Aija Simmons and Sara Rizik-Baer to describe Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors, a community-focused effort from Tandem, Partners in…
2020 Surge Oakland Alum, Tyfahra Singleton, has been appointed to the Oakland Police Commission. The purpose of the Police Commission is to oversee the Oakland Police Department’s policies, practices, and…
2017 Surge Chicago Alum and VP of Development & External Affairs, Will Collins, served as moderator for The Chicago Urban League’s October 13 Fireside Chat with Michael Strautmanis, Chief Engagement…
“For me, it’s an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is and say, ‘Hey, I truly care about my friends on the east side and this is how…
“I grew up thinking that I was inferior, that we were less and here are these intrepid, brilliant revolutionaries who thought differently and did incredible things. There’s a fire that…
For the first time, the ASU+GSV Summit featured an all Surge Institute Alumni panel: Katie Boody (KC19); Melissa Connelly (CHI15); Candace Moore (CHI15); Randal Seriguchi, Jr. (OAK18). The panel was…
2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Chanelle Bell, has been promoted to Managing Director, Public and Community Affairs at Teach For America Chicago-NWI. In her new role, she will manage a portfolio…
Educate78 and Energy Convertors have launched The People’s Literacy Fund, a new pilot program that will award grants between $500 and $5,000 to members of the community who are helping…
2015 Surge Chicago Alum, DuJuan Smith, has been named a 2020 Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Fellow at Illinois State University. Read more about the list of recipients HERE.
September 2020 “Even before the upheaval of the last several months, our education system was in dire need of a shift in how to define success for our young people.”…
During this time that we are in, Surge has continued to be resolute regarding our mission to empower and elevate leaders of color given the widespread impact the COVID-19 pandemic…
Earlier this year, we made the exciting announcement of the Surge Academy’s expansion to Indianapolis, IN, thanks to the partnership of The Mind Trust, an education focused nonprofit organization whose…
LEANLAB Education (Katie Boody, Co-Founder & CEO) announced the first recipients of their $50,000 Micro-Grant Support Fund, which included the impact and work of six Surge Alumni. Learn more about…
2015 Surge Chicago Alum, DuJuan Smith, has accepted the role of Associate Director of Graduate Advising for The University of Chicago Professional Education. This opportunity will allow him to serve…
2020 Surge Alumni Charles King and Edgar Palacios have been announced as part of the fifth cohort of the Deeper Learning Equity Fellowship, which is made up of sixteen emerging leaders…
August 2020 2019 Surge Chicago Alum Melissa Flores has been elected to the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Alumni Council, for which she will be serving for four years. In addition,…
2019 Surge Chicago Alum Melissa Flores has been elected to the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Alumni Council, for which she will be serving for four years. In addition, she has…
“Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.” ― Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements It is incredible to think that over two…
August 2020 2019 Surge Chicago Alum JuDonne Hemingway will be moderating at the 2020 InnoPower Minority Business Conference. She will be a part of a discussion on “Education CEOs: The…
2018 Surge Oakland Alum Sonya Mehta was featured on an episode of on PRI’s The World! She, along with others, spoke with reporter Rupa Shenoy about how they feel as…
2020 Surge Academy Kansas City Alum, Cristina Marquez, has recently accepted a new role the Founding Social Worker at Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy.
August 2020 2020 Surge Chicago Fellow Ulric Shannon has been accepted into the The Chicago Urban League’s IMPACT Leadership Development Program for emerging African-American Leaders in Chicago.
“It takes a village, and our babies need the excellence and support that you have to offer.” 2019 Surge Oakland Alum Ty-Licia Hooker has recently published her first article in…
August 2020 Now, more than ever, students and teachers must draw on their social and emotional capacities in order to be resilient and to learn through this pandemic. Both adults…
July 2020 2018 Surge Chicago Alum, Paul Morgan, has accepted a position with Northwestern Mutual as a Financial Representative. In his new role, he plans to support and work with…
July 2020 2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Dirrick Butler, has recently accepted his new role as Managing Director of Partnerships and Civic Engagement at City Year Chicago.
July 2020 2020 Surge Oakland Alum Teni Ugbah has been promoted from a Senior Analyst, Certificated Recruitment to SFUSD’s Manager, Recruitment. In this role, she will lead the recruitment efforts…
July 2020 2020 Surge Alum Jacqueline Rodriguez has been promoted to Director of ESOL & Migrant Programs at KCKPS. In this role, she will oversee the ESOL department for the…
July 2020 2019 Surge Chicago Alum Nick Freeman has recently been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design’s Executive Program for Social Innovation Design.
July 2020 2020 Surge Academy Kansas City Alum, David Muhammad, has recently accepted a new role a Martial Arts Enrichment Teacher at Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy.
2019 Surge Chicago Fellow, Ulric Shannon, has recently accepted his new role as the Director of Partner Engagement at AUSL (Academy for Urban School Leadership).
July 2020 2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Jayo Miko Macasaquit, has recently accepted his new role as Director of HR at Mother Jones / Foundation for National Progress.
July 2020 2015 Surge Chicago Alum AJ DeLeón was recently featured in a special edition Negocios Now’s “Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago 2020” publication. View the full piece HERE.
2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Paul Fields has recently accepted his new role as Director of Programs and Partnerships (DoPP) at The Knowledge House, Inc. in The Bronx, NYC. In his…
July 2020 Founded by 2020 Surge Academy Kansas City Alum Kim Riley, The Transition Academy is an organization focused on college/career exploration for high school students impacted by autism and…
July 2020 2016 Surge Chicago Alum Ariel Johnson has been promoted to the C-suite as Chief of Staff of INCS.
July 2020 2018 Surge Chicago Alum ángela munguía has recently transitioned into her new role as founding Executive Director for AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits. AMPT is a new, Chicago-based initiative that…
2017 Surge Chicago Alum D. Nigel Green has accepted his new role as Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the Noble Network of Charter Schools.
June 2020 Surge Academy Kansas City Alumnae Edgar Palacios and Laura Isabel Alvarez appeared on Up NeXt with Kiona where they talked about family, community, leading change, and how the…
June 2020 Project OneTen, an organization founded by 2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Dirrick Butler, celebrated their first cohort, The McGuire Cohort, as they wrapped up their first year of high…
June 2020 Susanna Elizarraraz, 2020 Surge Academy Kansas City Alum, will continue her community-driven work with the Latinx Education Collaborative as the organization’s new Chief Community Officer. June 2020 Roilyn…
June 2020 Nina Smith, 2019 Surge Chicago Alum and Executive Director for LEAP, recently spoke on BONNIE’S EYE on 95.1 FM Chicago where she spoke on how to prepare our…
June 2020 Roilyn Graves, 2019 Surge Oakland Alum was promoted to Director of Special Education at Envision Education.
June 2020 Ty-Licia Hooker, 2019 Surge Oakland Alum, was recently featured on the first episode of the HMTWNHERO podcast. During the episode, they discuss the murder of George Floyd and…
May 2020 Marjorie Johnson, 2020 Surge Oakland Fellow, has accepted her new role as Principal for Envision Academy Middle Grades and will continue fulfilling her vision for students centered on…
Darryl McDavid, 2020 Surge Oakland Fellow, has joined the Board of Director for First Place for Youth, an organization dedicated to helping foster youth build the skills they need to…
May 2020 David Muhammad, 2020 Surge Academy Kansas City Alum, was featured on KCTV news regarding his impactful work as a karate instructor amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the…
2017 Surge Chicago Alum Bryan Jackson and others have officially launched the “Dad Genes: Exploring the DNA of Healthy Fathering” podcast.
LEANLAB Education, an organization founded by 2019 Surge Academy Kansas City Alum Katie Boody that builds communities and launches transformational innovations into K12 schools, recently secured $460K to help schools…
April 2020 2020 Surge Chicago Fellow, Alberto Morales was selected as part Chicago Scholars 35 Under 35 for 2020.
Two virtual gatherings for interested applicants will be offered in April, hosted by Surge Institute Founder and President Carmita Semaan (Indianapolis, IN – April 1, 2020)…
2020 Surge Chicago Fellow, David Blancas has accepted the role of Program Manager for the City of Aurora Financial Empowerment Center at The Neighbor Project.
March 2020 2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Kyra Mungia, has been promoted to Deputy Director of Education with the Office of the Mayor, City of Oakland. In addition, she has been…
March 2020 2019 Surge Chicago Alumni Terrence Pruitt and Steven Rosado are collaborating together to facilitate the “Communities of Praxis” gatherings, a virtual space to process, collaborate and radically re-imagine…
JuDonne Hemingway, 2019 Surge Chicago Alum was featured in a Teach for America online article titled, “Women Empowering Women: Inspirations and Resources from Seasoned Female Leaders.”
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist As the Surge movement enters its fifth year and we…
Adelric McCain, 2018 Surge Chicago Alum was selected for the Leadership Award by the San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools (SF-CESS) for his work as well as that of…
February 2020 Grisel Maldonado, 2015 Surge Chicago Alum, and Ernesto Saldivar, Jr., 2019 Surge Chicago Alum were selected as part of Negocios Now’s list of Latinos 40 Under 40 Class…
It has been a blessing to watch the Surge movement grow and evolve since our humble beginning back in 2015, and we are honored to continue to serve and collaborate…
February 2020 Edgar Palacios, 2019 Surge Academy Kansas City Alum, and the Latinx Education Collaborative worked with Scuola Vita Nuova sixth-grade students on a Shark Tank-style design thinking project.
February 2020 Charles Cole, III, 2018 Surge Oakland Alum was featured on a podcast episode with Dr. Boyce Wakins.
January 2020 Randy Seriguchi, Jr., 2018 Surge Oakland Alum was featured on an episode of the Cook on Monday Morning Podcast.
(Chicago, IL) – The national movement to elevate transformative leaders in education just entered a new chapter as education innovator Rodney Thomas begins a new journey leading program strategy as…
The 2019 #SurgeForMore giving campaign recently concluded with the usher of a new decade, and we were blown away by the incredible wave of generous donations and support for our…
Jonathan Chaparro, 2017 Surge Chicago Alum was announced as a DE&I Honoree from the Chicago Latino Network.
Steven Rosado, 2019 Surge Chicago Alum has joined the Praxis Institute Chicago as the Director of Strategy and Engagement. The Praxis Institute Chicago works with individuals, teams, communities, and organizations…
January 2020 Sara Rizik-Baer, 2018 Surge Oakland Alum was featured on a Learn with Less podcast episode titled “Choosing Books for Infants and Toddlers.”
Innovare – Social Innovation Partners, an organization co-founded by Adrian DeLeón, 2015 Surge Chicago Alum, and Nick Freeman, 2019 Surge Chicago Alum, was selected as part of the GSV Ventures’…
Darryl McDavid, 2020 Surge Oakland Fellow was recently featured in LADYGUNN magazine’s piece, “Life After Foster Care.”
January 2020 2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Janene Ingram, has accepted the role of Director of Program for Pitch In – Wood Family Foundation. In her new role, Janene will will…
TEDxNaperville recently published 2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Chanelle Bell’s TEDxTalk titled “How theatre helped me reclaim my power.”
We are proud to announce that 17 leaders of color who currently serve within the Kansas City education landscape have been selected for the 2020 Surge Academy Fellowship! The Surge…
We are thrilled and honored to introduce the Chicago and Oakland local boards! These seasoned, dynamic and brilliant leaders will help broaden and deepen the Surge movement in each of…
At the PILI Annual Awards Luncheon, Shareholder and Secretary of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Board of Directors, Daniel Lange, presented the Distinguished Intern Alumni Award to 2015 Surge…
December 2019 2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Terrence A. Pruitt founded Project Restore Initiative LLC. Project Restore Initiative (PRI) provides curriculum development, consulting, training and coaching services to organizations, school districts,…
Natalie Neris, 2017 Surge Chicago Alum, and Jacare Thomas, 2019 Surge Chicago Alum have been accepted as CUE (Chicago United for Equity) Fellows for the 2020 cohort. Read more HERE.
The Harvard Education Press, a mission-driven publisher that covers critical issues in education such as classroom practice, equity, leadership and school reform, has recently approved and published a case study…
November 2019 2019 Surge Chicago Alum, Jacare Thomas has accepted the role, Chief of Growth and Innovation, for the Umoja Student Development Corporation. In his new role, Jacare will lead…
November 2019 Amanda Paz, 2018 Surge Chicago Alum started a new role as a Senior Associate at the Civic Consulting Alliance.
November 2019 2017 Surge Chicago Alum, Ashley Leonard, accepted a new role as the Founding Associate Director of the Middle Grades Network for the To&Through Project at the University of…
November 2019 2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Zakir Parpia, recently served as a co-editor for the National AfterSchool Association (NAA)’s magazine “After School Today.” Read it HERE.
October 2019 The Latinx Education Collaborative (Founder/CEO & 2019 Surge Academy Alum – Edgar Jose Palacios) and Urban Ed Academy (Executive Director & 2018 Surge Oakland Alum – Randy Seriguchi…
October 2019 2018 Surge Fellowship Alum, Maraliz Salgado, played the role of Camila in The Miracle Center’s recent rendition of “In the Heights.”
2018 Surge Fellowship Alum, Bridget Lee, has been promoted to the role of Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives for Chicago Public Schools.
September 2019 Michael Johns, Director of Student Activities at Kennedy-King College and 2016 Surge Chicago Alum was recently a part of an initiative that started a food pantry for the…
LEANLAB Education, an organization co-founded by 2019 Surge Academy Alumna, Katie Boody, recently welcomed ten companies to their latest fellowship who will be met with real-world classroom partners from nine…
September 2019 2019 Surge Alumna, Nina Smith was selected to join the Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows Program 2019-2020 cohort. Now in its fourth year, the program bridges the early childhood…
2018 Surge Alumnus, Dominique McKoy will be pursuing his MA in Public Policy through the University of Chicago Harris School Evening Masters Program. Designed for working professionals, the Harris Evening…
2019 Surge Academy Alumnus, Charles King currently serves as President and Executive Director for the Kansas City Teacher Residency, an organization that has just been selected as a new partner…
2015 Surge Alumna, Grisel Maldonado will be starting her Executive MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University this Fall. She decided to pursue an MBA to continue…
We are proud to announce that 25 leaders who currently serve within the Chicago education landscape have been selected for the 2020 Surge Chicago Fellowship! The Surge Institute first began…
2017 Surge Alumna, Andrea Black was recently featured in an article for Teach for America. The article titled, “How One Principal Is Building Student and Teacher Confidence,” highlights Andrea’s 6+…
2018 Surge Alumna, Michelle Kemp founded MK Consulting Group, a new consulting firm that focuses on diversity recruitment, human capital management, and project management.
August 2019 2018 Surge Oakland Alumnus, Charles Cole, III, Ed.D., recently released his book, Beyond Grit and Resilience: How Black Men Impacted by the Crack Epidemic Succeeded Against the Odds…
2018 Surge Alumna, Kyra Marcano founded Brilliant Light, LLC, which provides strategic consultative support to clients ranging from identifying individual impact to larger scale strategic planning, staff development, and training.
We are proud to announce that 16 leaders from across the Oakland & Bay Area education landscape have been selected for the 2020 Surge Oakland Fellowship program! This year-long cohort-based…
2018 Surge Alumna, Natalia Torres will be pursuing her Masters in Education – School Leadership with a principal licensure at the Harvard Graduate School of Education this fall.
The Surge Institute would like to extend a warm welcome to three new staff members who will be joining the Surge’s national leadership team! The Development and Program departments are key to…
July 2019 2019 Surge Fellow, Everett Daily recently received an award for Outstanding Educator/Administrator from the Office of Congressman Danny Davis. The award highlights Everett’s work and dedication to connecting…
July 2019 2019 Surge Fellow, Janene Ingram has accepted the role of Managing Director, Strategy & Chief of Staff, Collective Leadership & Engagement at Teach for America. This role is…
2019 Surge Oakland Fellow Dulce Torres-Petty has been promoted to Senior Program Manager for the Brilliant Baby program, the early childhood program of Oakland Promise, helping low-income parents and guardians…
June 2019 2016 Surge Alumnus, Christopher Goins accepted the position of Chief Equity Officer for Thrive Chicago, in partnership with the Obama Foundation, to lead My Brother’s Keeper Alliance for…
2019 Surge Chicago Fellow, Melissa Flores, along with 24 other Chicago Non Profit leaders, were selected as part of the Negocios Now “Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago.” Melissa was recognized…
2017 Surge Alumnus, Cesar Dominguez was accepted into the Broad Residency for The Broad Center. The Broad Residency in Urban Education provides the opportunity for outstanding management professionals to apply…
2017 Surge Alumnus, Bryan Jackson participated on the panel, Creating Inclusive Environments for Every Player, at the US Soccer Foundation’s National Conference in Washington D.C. Approximately 150 national Soccer for…
2017 Surge Alumnus, Jonathan Chaparro has been selected as part of the Class of 2020 for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Emerging Leaders Program. Every year the Chicago Council…
2019 Surge Fellow, Steven Rosado founded Rosado Consulting Collaborative, which provides clients with services in the following domains; community outreach and civic engagement; curriculum development and program design for youth-serving…
2017 Surge Alumna, Dawn Hick founded DSH Coaching and Consulting, LLC where she provides coaching to mission driven leaders who are ready to discover their innate greatness and move in…
Degrees of Change, a national college success, and leadership development organization, announced that its board of directors has appointed 2016 Surge Alumna, Michelle Bess, as new chair of the board.…
2019 Surge Fellow, Nick Freeman, and 2015 Surge Alumna, LeShonne Segura, were named Chicago Agents of Change by Education Pioneers at their Annual Luncheon. Agents of Change work on behalf…
2015 Surge Alumnus, AJ DeLeón was selected to become a member of the NationSwell Council. The NationSwell Council (NSC) is a membership community of service-minded leaders; people who have achieved…
Teachers Who Pray, an organization founded by 2016 Surge Alumna, Marilyn Rhames, recently had its 6th Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. In addition, Marilyn also released her new book, The…
May 2019 2015 Surge Alumna, Candace Moore, has been named the city of Chicago’s first Chief Equity Officer. In her new role, she will be responsible for shaping a new…
2015 Surge Alumna Melissa Connelly has accepted the role as the new CEO for OneGoal. Melissa joined OneGoal five years ago and previously served as the Chief Program Officer. OneGoal…
2019 Surge Fellow Cheryl Flores has accepted the role of Director of Academic and Social Emotional Supports at the Golden Apple Foundation. In this role, Cheryl will support student’s successful college completion,…
2016 Surge Alumna Ariel Johnson has accepted the role of Director of Government Affairs The Illinois Network of Charter Schools/INCS Action. In this role, Ariel holds a number of responsibilities which…
2019 Surge Fellow Onel Abreu was accepted into the Urban Leaders Fellowship program, for the summer of 2019. The Urban Leaders Fellowship is a summer fellowship for early- to mid-career professionals…
2016 Surge Alumnus Michael Johns has accepted the role of Director of Student Activities at Kennedy-King College. In this role, Michael is responsible for the strategic planning and development of co-curricular…
March 2019 2019 Surge Fellow Ty-Licia Hooker will be honored with Saint Vincent’s Day School 30th Annual Children’s Choice Award, on March 29, 2019. Ty-Licia’s efforts as Executive Director and Co-Founder of…
Carmita Semaan was recently featured on Make it Better Magazine’s list showcasing 38 of Chicago’s TOP Black Women of Impact for 2019. In honor of Black History Month, each woman…
February 2019 2018 Surge Alumnus Liam Bird has accepted the role of Equity Policy Strategist (EPS) at Chicago Public Schools. In his new role, Liam will be responsible for conducting policy…
2018 Surge Alumna Tamara Hoff Pope accepted the role of Managing Director of College Success at Chicago Scholars. Chicago Scholars uniquely selects, trains, and mentors academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to…
Two alumni of the Surge Fellowship were recently awarded as recipients for the Negocios Now 2018 Latinos 40 Under 40 List. Paul Morgan (2018 Surge Alumnus) and LeShonne Segura (2015…
2018 Surge Alumna Janine Franklin has accepted the role of Project Director at the The University of Chicago Urban Labs. Urban Labs works to address challenges across five key dimensions of urban…
2017 Surge Alumnus Andres Avila has accepted the role of School Counselor, Junior Lead at Back of the Yards College Prep. In this role, Andres works to ensure that all…
2016 Surge Alumna Khadeejah Lasuc-Lewis has accepted the role of Vice President of Talent and Training at Chicago Scholars, an organization that uniquely selects, trains, and mentors academically ambitious students from…
As the 2019 Surge Fellowship program began, The Field Foundation announced 2019 Surge Fellow, Steven Rosado, as the recipient of their Field Leader Award. The Field Leader Award is a…
Joanna Vazquez Zelaya is a 2018 Surge Alumna, a graduate of the inaugural Oakland Surge Cohort, the Alchemists. Joanna Vazquez is an advocate for students who find themselves at the…
Our 2018 #SurgeForMore seven-days of online giving has come to a close, and once again, we saw an inspiring flood of support from our growing community of change agents. Through your…
The Surge Institute is proud to announce that 2017 Surge Fellowship Alumnus William J. Collins has joined our leadership team as Vice President of Development and External Affairs. In this…
2019 Surge Fellow Aimee Rodriguez has accepted the role of Title IX Compliance & Training at Chicago Public Schools. In this role Aimee leads a team to develop, implement, monitor,…
October 2018 2018 Surge Alumnus Nicole Magtoto recently published a blog entry for the San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools using the theme of identity awareness, reflect on the…
October 2018 2019 Surge Fellow Lydia Mercer has accepted the role of Director of Secondary Supports on the National Program Team at OneGoal. In her new role, Lydia will learn from…
2018 Alumnus Paul Morgan has accepted the role of Executive Director at Ignition Community Glass, an organization that uses hands-on learning to chip away at the diversity gap in glass art.…
2015 Alumna Adria Husband has launched Shifting Hearts and Minds, an organization that believes that true transformational change in our educational system and our society at large will come through shifting the…
2018 Fellow Willow Walker has accepted the role of Director of Admission and Recruitment with the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund. In this new role. Willow develops the strategic plan for recruiting…
From an impressive pool of applicants, 25 African American and Latinx leaders were selected for the 2019 Chicago Fellowship program. In October, the 2019 cohort will begin the year-long program…
August 2018 2018 Fellow Sonya Mehta has accepted the role of Director of Partnerships at The Teaching Well, an Oakland-based nonprofit consulting group that supports schools across California with teacher…
2017 Fellow William Collins has been accepted to the 5th cohort of the Chicago Urban League IMPACT Leadership Development Program. Through IMPACT, the Chicago Urban League strives to move the needle toward…
2015 Fellow LeShonne Segura has accepted the role of Manager of Program Investments for the Chicago Public Education Fund. In this role, LeShonne will manage a portfolio of programs and investments,…
2018 Fellow Susan Tovar has accepted the role of Senior Director of Teacher Support for OneGoal. In this role, Susan will lead OneGoal’s Year 1 team to meet its end-of-the-year…
2015 Fellow Adrian DeLeon and 2019 Fellow Nick Freeman were selected as 2018 LEANLAB K-12 Fellows. LEANLAB accelerates the growth of transformational innovations that address achievement gaps and inequities that persist…
2018 Fellow Osayuware (Tina) Enagbare has accepted the role of Vice President, Talent & Equity for Peer Health Exchange, Inc. In this role, Tina will guide people, culture, and how the…
Eleven leaders from across the Bay Area education landscape, have been selected for the 2019 Surge Oakland Fellowship program. The year-long cohort based program unites, accelerates and empowers emerging leaders…
2018 Fellow Christine Diaz is has accepted the role of Chief Education Officer for Acero Schools. In this role, Christine is an essential leader in Acero’s quest to achieve consistently excellent…
2018 Fellow Adelric McCain is has accepted the role of National Director of Equity and Impact for the Network for College Success. In this role, Adelric organizes and implements the…
2017 Fellow William J. Collins has accepted the position of Vice President of External Affairs at OneGoal Chicago. In this role, William’s mission is to ensure OneGoal-Chicago maintains its financial…
2018 Fellow Dominique McKoy has accepted the position of Associate Director at the University of Chicago’s To&Through Project, a project that aims to use research, data, and resources to give every…
2018 Fellow Iris Dominguez was awarded as Administrator of the Year from the Chicago Public Schools Office of School Counseling and Post-secondary Advising. She was recognized for her exemplary contribution…
2018 Fellow Janine Franklin has accepted the position of Associate Director of Pipeline Programs at the University of Chicago. In this role, Janine will oversee initiatives that train and mentor…
2017 Surge Fellows William J. Collins and Ashlie Tyler and 2018 Surge Fellow A.J. Watson were named Agents of Change by Education Pioneers. Agents of Change are Education Pioneers alumni who…
2018 Fellow Amanda Paz has accepted the role of Continuous Improvement Work Plan Coordinator at Chicago Public Schools. In this role, Amanda is responsible for the management of the Continuous Improvement…
2018 Fellow Nicole Spicer has accepted the role as Principal of Bronzeville Classical School, a new classical high school launched by Chicago Public Schools in the fall of 2018. Bronzeville Classical’s…
2017 Fellow D. Nigel Green has accepted the role as Diverse Leaders Mentor and Noble Fellow at Noble Network of Charter Schools. In this role, D. Nigel is responsible for supporting…
2017 Fellow Halleemah Nash has accepted as the role of Chief Partnerships Officer at The Academy Group, a new enterprise established to create a sustainable source of highly skilled, diverse, resilient…
2017 Fellow Andrea Serrano has accepted the role of Managing Director of Individual Giving at Teach For America, an organization committed to expanding opportunity for children by affecting profound systemic change.…
2015 Fellow Stacey Mitchell has accepted the role of Director of People at the Obama Foundation, a working, living center for citizenship with the goal to develop the next generation…
January 2018 2017 Fellow Alejandro Espinoza Olazaba has become a 2018 Fellow of The Civic Leadership Academy, an interdisciplinary leadership development program for emerging and high-potential leaders in nonprofit organizations and…
2018 Fellow Ángela Munguía has accepted the position of Chief Dream Director at The Future Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to unlock the limitless potential of every young person…
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