Summer Workshop – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

Executive Director Letter, Fall 2026

This summer was invigorating not just for IRT Scholars, but also for those of us in the broader IRT community. During these difficult times in education, this community continues to inspire me. I saw these opportunities throughout our Summer Workshop as we built an intentional learning community.

It’s easy to look at our challenging circumstances and assume hope is lost. The Summer Workshop challenges those beliefs through the wonderful research of our scholars and the dedication of our Consortium Deans. I felt inspired by our deans as they discussed the issues at their universities and the research opportunities they find. Our Recruiters Weekend allowed scholars to connect with alumni, see evidence of their work, and acknowledge the realities of their experiences.

2026 IRT Summer Workshop: Building Confidence & Clarity

by Catherine Wong, IRT Associate Director & Manager of Programs

This summer, IRT welcomed 100 scholars to a fully virtual Summer Workshop hosted by RingCentral Events focused on academic, personal, and professional growth. Through Critical Conversations, Writing for Graduate School seminars, Recruiters’ Weekend preparation, scholar presentations, alumni engagement, and community-building activities, scholars explored both the practical and personal dimensions of preparing for graduate education.

What stood out most in scholars’ reflections was a greater sense of confidence and clarity about how their experiences, identities, and aspirations could shape their futures and contribute to broader efforts toward equity and social change.

Executive Director Letter, June 2026

Summer 2026

It’s here!

After admitting our newest class and graduating our most recent, the IRT is thrilled to launch our newest summer workshop. This workshop will continue to build on our previous virtual delivery with curriculum delivery, Chalk Talks, Recruiters Weekend, and opportunities for scholars to demonstrate their learning. I am excited to see how our Summer faculty will continue to develop ways to support scholars through these shifts in higher education and greater society.

Associate Director & Manager of Programs Update, June 2026

Meeting the Moment: Summer at IRT

At IRT, “meeting the moment” isn’t just a phrase; it’s a practice. It shows up in how we design programs, support scholars, and build community. This month, that spirit has been especially visible across our newest initiatives and shared experiences.

Welcoming a New Cohort: Energy, Connection, and Strong Beginnings

We recently launched our newest cohort and they came in with energy, curiosity, and a clear commitment to engaging fully from day one.

At our first All Cohort Meeting, scholars actively participated in RingCentral Events, contributing both on stage and in the chat. Their eagerness to connect with one another was immediately clear, setting a strong tone for the months ahead.

This successful launch is thanks in large part to the leadership of Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91, Education Program Specialist, alongside Alba Lamar, IRT ’14, our new Arts and Sciences Program Specialist. Their thoughtful communication and detailed preparation ensured that scholars felt confident and ready to begin. From syllabus walkthroughs to onboarding touchpoints, the feedback has been consistent: scholars felt prepared.

Since launch, the team has kept the momentum going through weekly webinars, alumni panels, and cohort social hours, creating multiple pathways for connection, learning, and community-building.

The 2026 IRT Summer Workshop

Rooted in community. Grounded in our ways of knowing. Moving forward together.

Last summer, IRT Scholars came together not to be shaped by the academy, but to understand it, question it, and imagine what it could look like in their hands. They arrived carrying their own histories, their languages, and their ways of knowing. They read Anzaldúa and Crenshaw, Fanon and Spivak, not as distant authorities but as people who had wrestled with the same questions they were asking. They wrote. They pushed each other. They showed up for one another. And they left as a community. This summer, we will continue that work.

Knowledge That Belongs to Us

The 2026 IRT Summer Workshop starts from a simple and honest place: the knowledge scholars bring into the room already matters. Over four weeks of virtual, live, co-created programming, scholars will have space to develop their intellectual identities on their own terms while also building the skills to navigate academic spaces that were not originally designed with them in mind.