James Fields is a Senior Program Director – Neighborhood Leadership Initiative at Mikva Challenge. “My experience as a black educator on Chicago’s south and west sides has taught me that partnership and relationship building with people who are passionate about education and youth work is vital to the success of any radical change in education.…
Tony Diaz is the Deputy Program Officer at After School Matters. “My goal in joining the fellowship is to meet and connect with other influential leaders of color in the formal and informal education setting to bring about changes that will benefit Chicago’s youth at large. I envision a paradigm shift in reimagining the current…
Jazzy Davenport Russ is an Instructional Coach at Chicago Public Schools. “I believe that the Surge fellowship can provide the training, support, and learning that I need to become the impactful educational leader I desire to be and that students, teachers, parents, and our Chicago communities deserve. Engaging in the Surge fellowship is just one…
Mercedes Alvear is a Success Bound Coach at Lefkofsky Family Foundation/Success Bound. “For years Black, Brown, and Indigenous people have worked vigorously to dismantle systems of oppression and white supremacists who have interrupted safe spaces of learning for both educational leaders and students of color. With the influence of Surge, my internal and external journey…
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 and healing our youth. “This my favorite of all the interviews I have ever done because I was authentic in my expression of the joys,…
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 Fellowship training and coaching, and manage the BES Fellowship Team. Learn about about BES at: https://bes.org/
(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 2021, the selected alumni will participate in a cohort-based professional learning and accountability community centered on abolitionist practice and liberatory design, which will meet monthly…
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 upcoming virtual events as well as when the application is live. The program’s homepage can also be referenced for any updates regarding the application timeline.…
(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 organization enters its fifth programmatic year in Oakland, these fellows join a vast network of mission-driven leaders who are currently working within the education and…
Amber White is the Associate Director of Program at Beyond 12. “A movement can only stay alive when those involved are deeply and genuinely invested, not involved for optics or social media. With that said, my hopes to be accepted in the Surge Fellowship cohort of 2022 would be much more than a “great…