The Umoja Community Education Foundation is excited to announce the 2025 Summer Learning Institute (SLI), set to take place at The Lake House Resort in San Marcos, California, from June 11th to 13th, 2025. This intensive institute is tailor-made for faculty, program staff, and administrators affiliated with Umoja Community programs, offering a unique opportunity for professional development and collaboration. The theme for this year’s institute “Voices of the Future: Elevating Students,” which means that our focus will be on developing in ways that will prepare us to nurture and grow our students as change agents for the future.
Click Here for Our Agenda: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lwWsdARkuWn6kD5sQQwTu17c8CzqsYEi/view?usp=sharing
Designed to immerse attendees in the rich philosophy, pedagogy, curriculum, and theoretical foundations of the Umoja Community model, the Summer Learning Institute promises a dynamic platform for educators from California Community Colleges to engage in bold and courageous discussions about education practices that stimulate the genius of our students. Throughout the institute, attendees will collaborate with their colleagues to exchange ideas, and refine their programs through insightful discussions, keynotes, and activities. Emphasizing collective work and responsibility, college teams are encouraged to attend in teams of 5 to build a shared ethos around supporting Black students and implementing Umoja. fostering a supportive environment for the enhancement of their respective programs.
Key themes and topics to be explored at the SLI include:
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Education for restoration, liberation, and elevation
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Umoja Program purpose, structure, and “nuts & bolts” for implementation
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Culturally Responsive teaching and programming practices that respond to African and African American customs, traditions, and educational legacies
Registration for the 2025 Summer Learning Institute is now open, and interested participants are encouraged to secure their spots early to take advantage of this invaluable professional development opportunity!
For more information and to register, please visit umojacommunity.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
| When is the Summer Learning Institute? | Wednesday, June 11th – Friday, June 13th, 2025, from 8:30AM – 6:00PM |
| Where is the SLI? | In San Marcos, CA, at The Lakehouse Resort
1025 la Bonita Drive San Marcos, CA 92078 |
| Who is the SLI for? | This institute is for those who serve Umoja Programs as coordinators, instructional or counseling faculty, and/or administrators. |
| How many people can my college register? | You may register up to 5 people from your college to attend this institute. These people should come prepared to learn and be fully immersed in the SLI experience. |
| How much is the registration for the SLI? | Registration is $525 |
| Where can I register for the Summer Learning Institute? | Summer Learning Institute - 2025 Tickets, Wed, Jun 11, 2025 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite |
| Where can I book my hotel room for the Summer Learning Institute? |
Lakehouse Resort - Reservations - Room Availability This venue has free parking for Umoja Community. If you are flying in, your college may need to arrange a ride from/to the San Diego airport, which is about an 60-minutes away from this event. |
| What if the Lakehouse Resort is full? Is there a secondary hotel? | Available Rooms - Hampton Inn San Marcos |
| What if the Hampton Inn is full? Is there a tertiary hotel? |
Yes, at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, San Marcos. |
| How many meals are included in the registration for this event? | Registration includes breakfast and lunch on Wednesday and Thursday (June 11th and 12th), and a brunch-time meal on Friday, June 13th, 2025. |
| How should I prepare? |
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REGISTRATION
Schedule
AGENDA AT A GLANCE – Summer Learning Institute
Wednesday | June 11, 2025 | Host: The Lakehouse Resort, San Marcos, California
Umoja Community Education Foundation
7:00 AM
Registration Table Opens
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast and Opening Village Experience
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Village Experience
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
General Session
Teaching the Truth: Countering the Erasure of African History
Anthony T. Browder
10:45 AM - 11:05 AM
A Breath and Transition
11:05 AM - 12:00 PM
Concurrent Sessions (Happening Simultaneously - Choose One): Processing on the Afterlives of Slavery
- The Legacies of Jim Crow and the Education of Black Students
- Pseudoscientism and the Education of Black Students
- Eurocentric Curriculum and the Education of Black Students
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
General Session
Cultural Grounding of the Umoja Community
Drum Calling and Procession
1:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Communal Lunch Break
2:20 PM - 2:50 PM
General Session
Community Building & Communal Intelligence: Social Activity
2:50 PM - 3:10 PM
Chief Welcome and Remarks
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Cultural Memory and Introduction of Keynote
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Keynote Session
Rites of Passage: You, Your Students, and the Cultural Journey
Dr. Lathardus Goggins II
5:00 PM - 5:15 PM
Ustawi Wellness Break
5:15 PM - 5:45 PM
Closing General Session
Regional Panel: Insights and Inspiration
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Evening Reception (with What is Umoja Presentation)
AGENDA AT A GLANCE – Summer Learning Institute
Thursday | June 12, 2025 | Host: The Lakehouse Resort, San Marcos, California
Umoja Community Education Foundation
7:45 AM - 8:45 AM
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:45 AM - 9:20 AM
General Session
Community Building & Communal Intelligence (With Teams)
Sawubona. Ubuntu. Medaase. Akoma. Kuumba. Sankofa.
9:20 AM - 9:45 AM
Special Remarks and Announcements
10:00 AM - 11:35 AM
Concurrent Sessions (Happening Simultaneously - Choose One):
- A Griot’s Guide to Umoja Course Instruction
- Intrusive Counseling in Umoja Programs: A Presentation Panel
- Designing Rites of Passage for Umoja Black Student Success Programs
- The M.O.A. and Administering Umoja
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Refreshments and Transition
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
General Session
Sankofa Address: The State of Umoja
Dr. Eric Mayes, CEO
12:45 PM - 2:00 PM
Communal Lunch Break
2:00 PM - 2:40 PM
General Session
The 18 Umoja Practices: How and Why We Teach and Serve
2:40 PM - 3:00 PM
General Session
UCEF Data Outlook
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
A Break and Transition
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Concurrent Sessions (Happening Simultaneously - Choose One):
- Umoja Course Instruction: An Interdisciplinary Presentation Panel
- The Umoja Practices: A Live Learning Experience
- Defeating “I Don’t Do Math”: An Asset-Based...for Math Education
- Umoja Coordination 101: Basics and Program Elevation
- The M.O.A. and Administering Umoja
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
FAWAHODIE (Means “Independence,” “Self-Governance”)
Plan to have dinner with your team or colleagues and friends.
Friday | June 13, 2025 | Host: The Lakehouse Resort, San Marcos, California
Umoja Community Education Foundation
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
General Session
Umoja White Ceremony: Preparation for the Separation
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Celebratory Brunch and Closing Remarks