Dear IRT Community,
During our transition from Spring into Summer, it is a time of joy and new beginnings. IRT warmly congratulates our outgoing IRT scholars who will be entering graduate school this Fall and who have now been inducted into the IRT alumni network, approximately 3000 strong. At the same time, we also welcome our incoming 2023 IRT Scholar cohort who started on June 1st for a comprehensive 10 month program to include advising, webinars, an intensive summer workshop taught by IRT alum faculty and opportunities to engage directly with the IRT Consortium of Colleges and Universities. IRT has truly grown to be responsive to the changing educational landscape. Providing aspiring BIPOC graduate students with ongoing mentorship and support to successfully navigate graduate school and beyond is critical for diversifying and retaining educators across PK-12 through higher education.
Our IRT alums are continuing to engage in numerous ways both supporting the current cohort as well as building a professional network amongst one another. Highlights include: 1) The IRT Alumni Committee started up by newly PhD Dr. Renée Wilmot, IRT ’12, ’17 recruiting its next generation of committee co-chairs and IRT advisory board graduate student representative; 2) IRT having a record number of Summer Workshop Faculty and Statement of Purpose Advisor (SOPA) applications with alumni sharing that giving back in a meaningful and collaborative way motivated them to apply and 3) Juju Wong, IRT ‘ 15 beginning her IRT consulting role offering her expertise in recruitment strategy and alumni outreach.
In addition to an increase in alumni engagement, several of the IRT staff had the opportunity to interact with IRT alums and potential IRT scholars while also advancing their professional development at the 35th Annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, NCORE , held in New Orleans. Namely, Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 Education Programs Specialist and Brittany Zorn, IRT ‘ 13 Arts and Sciences Program Specialist co-led a presentation and I co-led a 2 day Pre Conference Institute and concurrent workshop session. The week offered intriguing workshops, keynotes and informal conversations that allowed us to embrace our growing edges and expand our knowledge and practice.
All of these efforts continue to remind us of the immense potential that IRT has to deepen its impact with educational equity at the center, and respond to this moment in time with opportunity and optimism.
I’d like to close with a quote from Grace Lee Boggs that speaks to the core of who IRT is. “We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it’s never a question of ‘critical mass.’ It’s always about critical connections.”
Your continued support for IRT is very much appreciated. I look forward to our ongoing work together. Wishing you a wonderful summer!
Aloha,
Catherine Wong
IRT Associate Director and Manager of Programs
Institute for Recruitment of Teachers 