January 2024 – Page 2 – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

Thank you to the Recruitment Team!

It just goes to show that when two IRT alums get to talking instead of being stalled by a challenge, they set out to activate an opportunity. And that is just what Brittany Zorn, IRT ‘13, and Juliana (Juju) Wong, IRT ‘15, did last March (2023). In conversing about the upcoming recruitment season, they brainstormed how best to engage prospective scholars and Consortium partners while accounting for people’s preferences for in-person, virtual, and or hybrid meetings and events. Emerging from their collaboration was the proposal for Juliana to step into a consultancy role as the interim Recruitment and Alumni Program Specialist. Having previously served in roles with IRT as Summer Workshop faculty as well as a Statement of Purpose Advisor, Juliana was well positioned to give back to IRT in this way. This proposal was a win-win for IRT and for Juliana. It expanded IRT’s capacity at a critical time and furthered Juliana’s professional development as she sought to grow her consultancy.

Over the past few months, Juliana worked in conjunction with the IRT staff including LaShawnda Brooks, Catherine Wong, Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT’91, Sara Cerretani, and Janelle Bonasera to design and implement a recruitment strategy that involved; 1) differentiation of activities and materials for increased access to potential scholars across the United States, 2) meeting and co-planning events and info sessions with Consortium partners, and 3) gatherings of IRT alums from across years and fields of study for both social and professional networking.

Appreciations to Juliana and Brittany for their initial brainstorming and to the full IRT team for contributing to this year’s recruitment efforts. It truly takes a village. Juliana, prospective scholars, alumni, and Consortium have all commented on how grateful they are for your outreach, organization, and outstanding presentation skills. Your enthusiasm shines through all your interactions. We wish you the very best in your next ventures and look forward to continuing to engage with you as a fellow alum.

For recruitment event highlights, please read our Recruitment and Application update.

Part-time Job Opportunities for IRT Alumni

Hello IRT alums!

Do you need part-time Summer employment that aligns with your commitment to teaching and leading justice? Are you eager to reconnect with fellow IRT alums who value a sense of belonging and are keen to exchange insights while at the same time innovating their facilitation skills and teaching practices – well, you have come to the right place!

We are currently seeking faculty to teach in our Summer Workshop. We will continue our virtual workshop facilitation so that all scholars, no matter where they reside in the United States, can engage with the curriculum materials and meet with IRT alums and Consortium partners. Our workshop sessions will be highly interactive and participatory as we seek to support and prepare the next generation of diverse educators to teach and lead in positions PK-12 through higher education.

Please consider applying or pass this to a fellow IRT alum.

Applications Due March 8, 2024

Summer Workshop Faculty Job Posting

Summer Workshop Curriculum Coordinator Job Posting

Be on the lookout to apply to as a Statement of Purpose Advisor during the Fall on the IRT Alumni Network soon!

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Alumni Accolades, January 2024

Mishuana Goeman, IRT ‘ 94 is the chair and professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Buffalo. Her community-engaged work is devoted to several digital humanities projects and is widely published in monographs and peer-reviewed articles including Mark My Words: Native Women Mapping (University of Minnesota Press, 2013) and Settler Aesthetics: The Spectacle of Originary Moments in the New World (University of Nebraska Press, 2023).

Alyssa Garcia, IRT ’00 is currently a College Adviser and Assistant Professor of Instruction in Gender & Sexuality Studies at Northwestern University. Alyssa holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Jonathan Anderson, IRT ’01 holds a master’s degree in elementary education, teaching, and divinity. Jonathan is a teacher at Johnston County Public Schools in North Carolina.