WHAT IS THE SURGE ACADEMY?
In service of our mission, the Academy explores an innovative and far-reaching approach to transforming urban education for our youth and communities
As a traveling national program that we bring to small and mid-sized cities all over the country, the Surge Academy spends six months developing, elevating and uniting emerging education leaders of color in a given location so that they, as a coalition, can go on to build movements that influence, innovate and transform the education space with their own communities. With each city we go to, the Academy provides an intensive fellowship experience, packed with powerful content that explores executive skills like finance, strategic planning and change management, while having a deep and unflinching dialogue about personal growth, trauma and the true state of diversity, equity and inclusion in America
Are you or a leader you know interested in learning more about a Surge Academy cohort in Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, or Washington D.C.?
Fill out this form to be notified of upcoming virtual events as well as when the application is live.
Attend a Las Vegas Recruitment Event
In-Person Recruitment Mixer
September 15, 2022
In-Person Recruitment Mixer
October 13, 2022
Virtual Community Mixer
November 1, 2022
Virtual Informational Webinar + Application Support (Office Hours)
November 16, 2022
In-Person Community Mixer
December 1, 2022
Virtual Informational Webinar + Application Support (Office Hours)
December 8, 2022
Attend a Washington D.C. Recruitment Event
In-Person Recruitment Mixer
October 20, 2022
Virtual Community Mixer
November 17, 2022
In-Person Community Mixer
December 9, 2022
Virtual Informational Webinar + Application Support (Office Hours)
December 15, 2022
Alumni-led In-Person Community Mixer
January 13, 2023
Virtual Informational Webinar + Application Support (Office Hours)
January 17, 2023
Recruitment Launches
April 2022
Recruitment Mixer (In-Person)
April 14, 2022
Applications Available
April 14, 2022
Recruitment Mixer (Virtual)
April 28, 2022
Alumni Lead Recruitment Event
May 12, 2022
Virtual Application Support
May 17, 2022
5:30 PM CDT-7:00PM CDT
Application Deadline
May 18, 2022
11:59 PM CDT
Selection Day Invitations Distributed
June 6, 2022
KC23 Selection Days (Virtual)
June 20-23, 2022
KC23 Cohort Announcement
July 7, 2022
KC23 Session Dates
Session 1: Opening Retreat (In-Person)
August 18-20, 2022
Session 2
September 16, 2022
Session 3
October 21, 2022
Session 4 (In-Person)
November 18, 2022
Session 5
December 16, 2022
Session 6
January 20, 2023
Session 7 (In-Person)
February 16-18, 2023
Recruitment Launches
June 2022
Applications Available
June 13, 2022
Recruitment Mixer (in-person)
June 16, 2022
En Communidad with Surge
July 7, 2022
Sneak Peek: Academy in Philadelphia
August 5, 2022
RSVP HERE
Surge Now Recruitment Mixer (RSVP Here)
September 8, 2022
Virtual Application Support
September 12, 2022
Application Deadline
September 13, 2022
11:59 PM EDT
Selection Day Invitations Distributed
September 27, 2022
PHILA23 Selection Days (Virtual)
October 12-13, 2022
PHILA23 Cohort Announcement
October 27, 2022
PHILA23 Session Dates
Session 1: Opening Retreat
November 3-5, 2022
Session 2
December 2, 2022
Session 3
January 13, 2023
Session 4 & Fireside Chat
February 9, 2023
February 10, 2023
Session 5
March 10, 2023
Session 6
April 14, 2023
Session 7 – Closing Retreat
May 11-13, 2023
2022 Indianapolis Academy Applications Are Now Closed
Recruitment Launches
September 2021
Applications Available
September 2021
All-City Virtual Academy Community Mixer*
October 19, 2021
5:30pm-7pm ET
Indianapolis Virtual Community Mixer
Nov 16, 2021
5:30pm-6:30pm ET
Virtual Office Hours
with Academy Executive Director, Michelle Seijas, Ed.D.
Nov 30, 2021
5:30pm-6:30pm ET
Lunch & Learn Recruitment Mixer
Dec 2, 2021
12PM-1PM ET
Surge Academy Mix & Mingle
December 7, 2021
5:30pm – 7pm ET
The Block Bistro & Grill
RSVP
Virtual Office Hours/Application Support
with Academy Program Director, Janeen Lee
December 9th: 12pm-2pm ET
December 10th: 11am-12pm, 1pm-2pm, 4pm-5pm ET
December 13th: 5:30pm-6:30pm ET
RSVP HERE
Applications Close
December 15, 2021
11:59 PM EDT
Indy Academy Selection Day Invites Sent
December 2021
Virtual Academy Selection Days
January 24-25, 2022
January 26-27, 2022
2022 Indy Academy Cohort Announcement
February 10, 2021
INDY22 Session Dates
Session 1: Opening Retreat
February 24-26, 2022
Session 2
March 25, 2022
Session 3
April 22, 2022
Session 4
May 20, 2022
Session 5
June 24, 2022
Session 6
July 22, 2022
Session 7: Closing Retreat
August 25-27, 2022
Indianapolis Session Dates
2022 D.C. Academy Applications Are Now Closed
Recruitment Launches
September 2021
Application Launch
September 21, 2021
Virtual Recruitment Mixer: Surge Academy Alumni Spotlight
October 12, 2021
5:30pm-6:30pm ET
All-City Academy Virtual Community Mixer*
October 19, 2021
5:30pm-7pm ET
Washington D.C. Virtual Community Mixer
October 27, 2021
12pm-1pm ET
Virtual Informational Webinar + Application Support (Office Hours)
October 27, 2021
5:30pm-6:30pm ET
Virtual Informational Webinar + Application Support (Office Hours)
November 1, 2021
12pm-2pm ET
Virtual Informational Webinar + Application Support (Office Hours)
November 1, 2021
4pm-6pm ET
Applications Close
November 3, 2021
D.C. Academy Selection Day Invites Sent
November 19, 2021
Virtual Selection Days
December 6-7, 2021
December 8-9, 2021
2022 D.C. Academy Cohort Announcement
December 16, 2021
D.C. Session Dates
Session 1: Opening Retreat
January 13-15, 2022
Session 2
February 11, 2022
Session 3
March 4, 2022
Session 4
April 8, 2022
Session 5
May 6, 2022
Session 6
June 10, 2022
Session 7: Closing Retreat
July 14-16, 2022
How it Began
The Academy began as a pilot in Kansas City, bringing together a cohort of 11 African-American and Latinx emerging leaders to explore how to transform education in KC to best serve all youth and communities. That cohort remains united long after the end of their fellowship experience, working together to not only speak truth to power but to bring power to truth.
Hear from 2019 Kansas City Alumni Charles King, Edgar Palacios and Selina Rios talk about the value of the Academy experience.
The Ongoing Journey
The end of the Academy experience is only the beginning of the Surge journey. Upon graduating the Academy, fellows join a national network of Surge Alumni bolstering a sprawling movement of rising education leaders of color, from Oakland to Chicago to Washington D.C. and beyond, united in the purpose of a greater future.
What Our Alums Are Saying
“Surge has helped me to understand more deeply that my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Selina Rios
2019 Academy Alum
Learning & Evaluation Director
City Year Kansas City
“I began this journey believing the Surge experience would provide the keys to navigating oppressive systems as a Black man; what really happened is that we all received both the tools and permission to break the system.”
Eric Wilkinson
2019 Academy Alum
Director of Operations
Kauffman Scholars
“Surge empowered me to be bold in my thinking and my actions. And to continue to be an outspoken champion of the Latinx community.
Simply transformational.”
Edgar Palacios
2019 Academy Alum
Founder
Latinx Education Collaborative
Join The Movement
To learn more about the program, please reach out to us at
academy@surgeinstitute.org