Education EnCounter

Connecting, developing, and emboldening BIPOC leaders

Dismantling deep-rooted injustices.

TAF’s Education EnCounter relentlessly supports the development and sustainability of leaders of color in education in partnership with district, university, and community organizations and entities. Through a series of coordinated events, we help leaders continually and effectively implement liberation into their practice.

The foundation of our programming is to dismantle and replace institutionalized racist structures and practices. All students but especially students of color will be able to learn in environments that are representative of who they are and help them value the cultures of the world around them. If we are successful, five, ten, fifty years from now, the education debt owed to students of color will decrease.

Bring it to the counter.

With all that BIPOC educators experience, our program’s EnCounters are designed to cultivate a sense of celebration, challenge, and community for leaders. The countertop is historically a place of resistance and a place where we gather to nourish and commune. Throughout history, our “countertop” conversations and various encounters in a White-dominant world have naturally prompted us to create our own powerful counternarratives about who we are.

Education EnCounter is a program designed to provide a safe place for BIPOC educators to discuss challenges specific to our identities. Each year, we embark on an exciting year of seminars to strategically plan for the change we hope for and believe in.

We’re emboldening our leaders to set boundaries and chart their course for impact.

Recognize, undo, replace, engage.

Education EnCounter uses Liberation Pedagogy to embolden our leaders of color. Our program is centered on “headwork”, “heartwork”, and rooted in community, which allows for leaders to chart their own path for growth and change.

Curated convenings for leaders.

Education EnCounter leaders benefit from learning and leading in a space designed for them. Our program provides leaders room to explore their own identities and challenge systems to ultimately lead liberated.

Annual Winter Summit

Beginning in 2022, each Winter, we will host a Summit where leaders can connect and reground in Liberation Pedagogy. Programming will include opportunities to reflect on the elements of liberation pedagogy and how they are manifesting in participants’ leadership, idea and resource sharing for how to effectively communicate the essence of liberation, as well as resources and sessions for care and healing.

Bi-Monthly Seminars and Networking

Approximately every other month Education EnCounter will host programming aimed at supporting community and implementing liberation into practice. Events may include networking, mentoring opportunities, guests who can speak to relevant topics, and informal time to connect and collaborate with other BIPOC leaders.

Affinity Spaces

In between seminars, Education EnCounter provides space for racial affinity groups. The purpose of these gatherings is to allow leaders to connect more in-depth with “family” to interrogate practice and learn from one another.

Resources and Opportunity Sharing

In the near future, we will have a library based on the four components of Liberation Pedagogy that will include:

Recognizing how racism/racist beliefs and practices show up in our life and work
Processes and practices for undoing racism
Replacing oppressive mindsets and behaviors
Engaging continually and engaging others in the process of liberation

Hear from our network.

This is such powerful time of goal setting and planning. Assessment is key to this. I want to dig more deeply into the Liberation Pedagogy and really assess my practice in it's context. I am fairly familiar with this, however, I have a lot of work to do to be intentional.

In viewing the Liberation Pedagogy and the Recognize Resources, it allowed me time to self-reflect and self-assess. There's so much white supremacy embedded in our society that I often don't realize my role in it. I am blessed to have had this session to force myself to look upon myself and celebrate my winds as well as acknowledge where I am lacking.

I'm feeling motivated to look closely at how I maintain white supremacist culture in my teaching, what I want to undo and replace. I'm going to reflect moving forward on how as an Asian settler/immigrant I can get unstuck from the worry that I'm not BIPOC "enough" and just do the work!

"The Year of Intention" for leaders of color.

This year, the Education EnCounter Seminars will be about intentional planning to determining our focus for Revolution — effective and sustainable change — in our practice. We all get physically tired — we lose heart and motivation. But, if we plan intentionally and in community with other like-minded folx, we will feel emboldened and empowered to inspire lasting change.

What do we mean by “determine our focus for Revolution in our practice”?

Well, in 2015 Bree Newsome was arrested for civil disobedience when she removed a Confederate Flag from the South Carolina statehouse in the aftermath of the horrific Charleston Church Shootings. Bree is Revolution (a sudden, complete, or marked change in something) in action and the impact of her bravery is still felt and inspiring many today.

And, Bree did not act alone. She had a community of BIPOC folx and allies who all had a part to play in the key moment of this act of Revolution.

Event Schedule

Seminar 1: Sept. 29th, 2020, 4:30 pm PST
Assessing where you are in your journey and assessing the environment you work in
Affinity Space: October 27th, 2020 at 4:30 pm PST
Seminar 2: Nov. 17th, 2020 at 4:30 pm PST
Isolating your focus and intention and identifying what you need
Affinity Space: December 16th, 2020 at 4:30 pm PST
Seminar 3: Jan. 19th, 2021 at 4:30 pm PST
Research and learning for strategy
Affinity Space: February 23rd, 2021 at 4:30 pm PST
Seminar 4: April 3rd, 2021 at 4:30 pm PST
Identify your community
(This will be a joint Seminar with the Martinez Fellowship)
Seminar 5: May 18th, 2021 at 4:00 pm PST
Sharing our knowledge
Affinity Space: June 15th, 2021 at 4:30 pm PST

Join our network.

Currently, there are close to 500 education leaders of color who convene through our various programming opportunities.

Join the list to get an alert of our upcoming events and receive helpful resources to lead liberated!