Nina Smith
“Being part of the Surge Institute would help me to become more confident in my leadership skills and more willing to take on challenges such as seeking out larger-scale collaborations…
Jacare Thomas
“Leaders that I feel have been most successful have kept students at the center of all that they do and have been brave enough to allow themselves to be led.…
Myra Winding
“I chose to be part of Surge to achieve my desired outcome of equity among people of color and to have the opportunity to have a positive impact on those…
Lydia Mercer
“Just as important as dismantling and reconstructing current systems and oppressive institutional forces, there is “work” we, as people of color, must do internally. I believe this is the starting…
JuDonne Hemingway
“As a member of the 2019 Chicago Surge cohort, I believe that I will be pushed and affirmed by like-minded leaders who all aspire to change the educational outcomes for…
Janene Ingram
Janene Ingram is the Director of Program at Pitch In – Wood Family Foundation
Jessica Jones-Lewis
“I grew up with the firm belief that education is one of the greatest equalizers in our society. I also grew up acutely aware that the educational structures and systems…
Cecily Langford
“As a school leader committed to pushing teachers to value alliance across difference, I am hopeful that Surge will support my work of building spaces for a counter-narrative for black…
Helen Loving
“I chose Surge because of my desire to take charge and make change. As an African-American woman, born and raised on the Westside of Chicago, I often find myself afraid…
Nick Freeman
“The Surge movement accelerates the collective impact that African American and Latinx leaders have in the education ecosystem. Part of what distinguishes this movement is that it’s not merely placing…