Lauren Horton
Lauren Horton is the Dean of Culture at Lighthouse Community Public Schools.
“When I first heard of the Surge Fellowship, I felt that this community was exactly what I’ve been missing. What draws me to Surge is the commitment, development, and celebration of Black and Brown Leadership in education. I am excited to work in collaboration with other educational leaders to create healing and transformative impact, in order to disrupt the ills that plague our communities. Surge will allow me to grow within this work and sharpen my vision as a Black leader. I look forward to utilizing the resources, tools, and skills learned to network, advocate for equitable ideas, practices, and structures for the Black and Brown youth that I serve.”
Lauren A. Horton is an educator, life-learner, cultural architect and entrepreneur. Her collection of talents and abilities make her a well-rounded visionary leader. Lauren’s dedication to equity is what drives her work in Black and Brown communities. With over 15 years of teaching and leadership experience, Lauren has been instrumental in disrupting cultural inequities in schools. She has dedicated her life to creating meaningful, relational, and holistic experiences for inner-city children. Lauren's educational philosophy consists of restorative practices, developing the whole student and fostering a positive school culture through relationship building and non-violent communication. She believes that all students regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status deserve the chance to thrive.
Born and raised in Detroit MI, Lauren has seen first hand how education can create opportunities. In her grade school years, Lauren had the privilege of attending academic institutions that centered her identity as a Black scholar. A graduate of Howard University, she always felt seen and relevant in learning spaces. Howard is where she made the important connection between a student’s wellbeing and academic progress. This reflection is what fuels Lauren’s work today.
The majority of Lauren’s career was spent teaching, coaching and leading in schools in Washington D.C. While there, Lauren had the opportunity to work as a program manager for an organization that partnered with professional sports teams in the DC area. Their mission was to expose and teach middle to high school students the business of sports. She would then go on to create C.L.I.C.K (Changing the Lives of Inner City Kids) a program that focused on leadership opportunities through athletics. From this experience, Lauren committed to designing programs, structures and curriculums that focused on holistic supports for students. Currently, Lauren serves as the Upper School Dean of Culture at Lodestar: A Lighthouse Community Public School, in Oakland CA, where she leads the work in developing culturally equitable, inclusive and restorative practices for students and staff.
Lauren is passionate about mental, physical, and emotional wellness. In her spare time, you can find her working out or in the kitchen creating tasty vegan dishes to share on Instagram. She is a 90s music lover, cookbook reader, workout enthusiast, and lego builder.
More Info
