Surge Institute

Surge Academy Philadelphia: Real Talk and Roadmap Virtual Event
2025-06-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Join us on June 12th for an important virtual conversation about the upcoming Philadelphia Surge Academy cohort. During this session, we’ll openly discuss the recent shift in our program timeline, what this means for prospective fellows, and how we’re shaping the path forward to ensure a stronger, more impactful experience for everyone involved.This is your opportunity to ask questions, hear directly from the team, and learn about next steps and opportunities to stay engaged!

Virtual Lunch & Learn: Surge Academy Philadelphia Informational Session!
2025-07-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Mark your calendars for July 23 at 12pm ET and take a step towards a transformative experience with Surge Academy Philadelphia. This engaging virtual event, hosted via Zoom, is your gateway to learning more about our fellowship program designed to empower and uplift emerging leaders in education and social impact.
Surge Academy is more than just a program; it’s a movement. Our mission is to cultivate a diverse community of leaders committed to creating equitable opportunities in education. In this session, you’ll hear from alumni, meet our Executive Director, and get a glimpse into the impact that Surge Academy Philadelphia has on its participants and their communities.

Clarity in Chaos: Practical Leadership for Staff Stability
2026-03-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us for our upcoming PLS featuring guest speaker Nikki Grier (Recipient of Liberatory Leadership Award). In this session, leaders will engage in an interactive session focused on what it means to lead through chaos while strengthening staff belonging and retention mid-year. Amid national uncertainty, community stress, and school-based pressures, this session will explore practical leadership strategies to help staff feel seen, heard, and connected, especially as they begin making decisions about returning next year. Participants will learn concrete moves to reinforce trust, strengthen team culture, and create environments where educators feel valued and supported. This session will equip leaders with actionable tools to stabilize culture and sustain commitment during complex times.

It Takes A Village: Open Forum and Virtual Networking Mixer
2026-04-08 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
This event creates a space for Black principals to come together and engage in real-time conversations about current challenges in their roles, while also building community through meaningful, engaging virtual networking.

DET27 + CHI27 Ignite and Inspire
2026-04-21 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
This engaging virtual session, hosted on Zoom, is your opportunity to learn more about how Surge supports emerging leaders in education and social impact who are ready to grow their leadership, deepen their impact, and move in community.
This event will feature a dynamic conversation between two of Surge’s Executive Directors—Andrea Black Evans, Executive Director of Surge Academy, and Ulric Shannon, Executive Director of Surge Fellowship Chicago—both of whom are also proud Surge alumni. Together, they will share their leadership journeys, reflect on the impact of Surge, and offer insight into what it means to lead with purpose and in community.
Surge is more than a program; it is a movement. We are committed to building a diverse, values-aligned network of leaders who are working to create more equitable and just education systems. We hope you will join us and take that first step toward growing your leadership in community.

Leading Well to Lead Strong
2026-04-22 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
The Black Principals Network invites education leaders to a virtual Wellness Wednesday event on April 22 at 6 p.m. CT.
“Leading Well to Lead Strong” is a soulful, dialogue-centered virtual workshop designed to help education leaders pause, reflect, and reset. Through guided conversation and peer connection, participants will explore their current wellness, unpack the hidden weight of leadership, and leave with practical strategies to sustain their energy and impact.
Register now for this free event.

BPN Professional Learning Series: The Wealth We Carry
2026-05-19 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Black principals carry remarkable wealth into every room and an unfair amount of weight. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this virtual event is our intentional response to it.
This session blends research, reflection, and real talk to help you name what you’ve always brought to this work, understand why it’s been hard to claim it, and practice a concrete strategy for leading from your strength. In our last PLS event, 100% of attendees rated the session a perfect score and said they would recommend it to a fellow school leader, with participants describing it as “getting me through the hard times” and calling for more time together. This is your space.
REGISTER Today

Virtual Office Hours
2026-06-04 15:00 - 16:00, 2026-06-10 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Have questions about your application? We’ve got your back! There are two more virtual office hours left before the recruitment season ends for Surge Fellowship Chicago and Surge Academy Detroit. Join our virtual office hours for one-on-one support. Our team can answer your questions, offer feedback on your responses, and help you navigate the process from start to finish.
June 4, 2026, 3-4 pm ET (Zoom Link) | June 10, 2026, 3-4 pm ET (Zoom Link)

Eastern Regional Leadership Summit Informational
2026-06-18 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
This will be a two-part event. The first half will serve as a networking opportunity where attendees can get to know one another. The second half will give an overview of the Summit’s purpose, objectives, and what attendees can expect to gain from this powerful experience. Register now.

All Strategy or All Smoke: Knowing if Your Strategic Plan Can Withstand the Fire
2026-07-22 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Strategic plans are often celebrated at launch but fade when tested by the real challenges of school and district leadership. Too many plans read like wish lists—heavy on initiatives but light on strategy—and struggle to withstand the demands of complexity, fiscal constraints, and competing priorities.
In this interactive session, school leaders will learn how to determine whether their strategy is built to last or destined to burn out. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience as a principal, turnaround leader, district executive, and strategy consultant, Jennifer Reid Davis of Davis Solutions Group will share a practical framework for pressure-testing strategy across five critical dimensions: clarity of problem definition, values alignment, fiscal responsibility, complexity-readiness, and measurable impact.
Through case studies and interactive activities, participants will identify blind spots, examine leadership mindsets, and leave with actionable diagnostic tools and templates they can immediately use with their teams.
REGISTER TODAY!
