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 Smith, VP Marketing & Communications; Divinity Pittman, Institutional Giving Specialist; and Cecilia-Ananya Belser Patton, Chicago Program Director. Andre Smith, Surge’s new VP of Marketing and…
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 backward in creating equal educational opportunity in America. The Court’s decision ignores the realities of those who will be most negatively impacted by their decision…
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 was held to expectations that knew no bounds by a no-nonsense mother and other aspirational models in her life. After completing her college degree in…
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 brand new collective experience designed for Black principals across the nation to co-create and learn together. Their weekend retreat programming emphasized community building, restoration, and…
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 has supported Innovation and New Projects for our organization—in particular, piloting the launch of our transformative Power Surge program. “For years, we heard from the…
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 a beautiful setting, the experience was bound to be extraordinary! Our goal was to amplify…to amplify our alums and their talent in order to grow…
(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 will set out to accelerate their leadership and personal growth to become influential change agents in their communities. “I am so excited for our very…
(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 the incredible four board members joining the Surge community. Candace Moore 2015 Chicago Surge Alumna, Candace C. Moore, has served as the first Chief Equity…
(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, 2023. Since launching, the Washington, D.C. Surge Academy has welcomed two cohorts of emerging leaders of color. “Coordinated efforts by collectives of passionate change-makers…
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 Institute, a national nonprofit known for programming that creates transformative spaces for education leaders of color, recently awarded $100,000 in funding to three early-stage ventures…