RACE, REFLECTION, AND PRACTICE TOWARDS ACTION:
DESIGN WORKSHOP
LONE ROCK RETREAT | FEBRUARY 5 - 9, 2024
Greetings Fellows! Below you will find information on how to prepare for the 2024 Race, Reflection, and Practice Towards Action Design Workshop taking place at Lone Rock Retreat in Bailey, Colorado. Additionally, please review Pahara’s health and safety protocols for in-person gatherings during your time at Lone Rock Retreat:
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BACKGROUND
In 2024, we will internally focus on developing and designing the next iteration of RRPA in preparation for the 2025 launch of the virtual program. We have learned a great deal since launching this program, with even more learnings coming out of the in-person convening this past June. To truly honor this work, we want to hone a vision for RRPA’s future in partnership with those who have helped steward this work for the past three years.To this end, from Monday, February 5 to Friday, February 9, 2024, our team will gather at Lone Rock with an intimate group of RRPA alumni across affinity groups to workshop the next iteration of the virtual program.
FORMAT OF THE DESIGN WORKSHOP
Our team will come with a soft design of the 2025 RRPA experience. Think of this as a “table-read” that will blend content workshops, feedback sessions, and engaging in another transformative experience. To enable us to receive targeted feedback, we will engage a group composed of 1-2 moderators per affinity group, plus 3-5 program alumni per affinity group.
We are looking for participants who are open to an iterative experience, who deeply believe in the work of RRPA, who are excited to invest in the Pahara community, and who are eager to build with fellow Paharans who have participated in this program.
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~Two hours of pre-session prep (i.e. reading materials)
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Joining the in-person workshop for the full five days:
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Monday, February 5, 2024, arriving by 2:30pm MT or earlier to Denver airport.
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Friday, February 9, 2024, departing Denver airport at 3:00pm MT or later.
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During the February convening, fully engaging in spaces of affinity, cross-group, and debrief sessions in support of the RRPA program experience. Offering critical feedback on the design, raising questions and suggestions, and overall supporting Pahara in improving the experience before it is rolled out to the full Pahara community.
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Completing post-session survey
PARTICIPATION ENTAILS:
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Deepening engagement and continuing to build community with members of the Pahara RRPA community
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Deepening learning in the somatic and embodiment practices explored at the RRPA in-person convening
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Honing your own skills and engagement in building effective spaces of affinity and in cross-racial coalition building
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An opportunity to give back to the RRPA experience and help shape future iterations of this work
PARTICIPATION OFFERS:
TRAVEL LOGISTICS & INFORMATION
PRIMARY CONTACT
Prior to the seminar, please direct all logistical questions to network@pahara.org
DATE & TIME
Start: Monday, February 5, 2024 - 5:00 pm MT, Reception & Dinner
End: Friday, February 9, 2024 – 12:00 pm MT, Lunch (to go)
LOCATION
Lone Rock Retreat
64797 US HWY 285
Bailey, CO 804210
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NOMINATIONNominations are accepted on a rolling basis and, while they are not required for entry into the Fellowship, they are critical to our ability to identify exceptional leaders from across the education ecosystem. Ideally, a nominator knows enough about the leader’s work to share their thoughts on why they would be an excellent choice for the Fellowship. Each nominee is notified and invited to submit an application for consideration. We believe that a broad, diverse coalition is needed to reimagine the role and manner of education in society. While the Fellowship is open to all education leaders who meet our selection criteria, we are particularly seeking to identify innovative leaders of nonprofit schools and from organizations serving nonprofit schools, and leaders bringing perspectives from across the political spectrum. We are sensitive to the ways sponsorship practices can disadvantage women and Black, Indigenous and leaders of color who are less likely to have sponsors. When thinking of incredible changemakers to bring to our attention, we encourage nominators to consider leaders from within and outside of their close circles.
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APPLICATIONLeaders who meet our program criteria are welcome to apply to the Fellowship, with or without a nomination. The application is an essential and required part of the process, and allows candidates to share information about their work and leadership, alignment with our selection criteria, and how they most hope to benefit from participation in this powerful development experience. For applicants advancing beyond this stage, this information serves as rich background information on which to base deep, reflective dialogue during interviews taking place during candidate consideration. While the Fellowship is open to all education leaders who meet our selection criteria, we are particularly seeking to identify innovative leaders of nonprofit schools and from organizations serving nonprofit schools, and leaders bringing perspectives from across the political spectrum.
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CANDIDATE CONSIDERATIONDuring this stage, we seek to understand candidates’ motivations and challenges, learn more about their background and leadership journey, and determine candidates’ willingness and ability to negotiate the multiple domains of difference that contribute to the tapestry of Pahara cohorts. Candidates participate in a 90-minute virtual interview with a Pahara Fellow or a member of Pahara staff via Zoom. This conversation also provides candidates an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the Fellowship. The interview is followed by referencing carried out by our team. This includes reviewing feedback provided by the three references named by the candidate, and checking for potential conflicts of interest amongst candidates being selected into the same cohort. We may also reach out to Fellows in our community who are familiar with a candidate’s work to understand the full scope of their leadership. Given the degree of openness and vulnerability expected in this phase of our process, information shared with us by candidates or in the reference process is held with the highest degree of confidentiality.
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COHORT CURATIONOnce we have identified a pool of values-driven leaders who have demonstrated readiness throughout the selection process, we begin the careful, complex process of curating cohorts. We aim for cohorts that are inclusive of the breadth of our humanity across multiple domains of difference, including socioeconomic background, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, religious affiliation, and political ideology. Cohorts are also distinctive in their inclusion of leaders from various organization models, multiple sectors in education, different geographic regions, and various leadership roles. This careful cohort curation is critical, as the cohort is the container within which the personal and professional transformation Pahara is most known for occurs. Cohort dialogue is confidential and both professional and personal in nature. We seek to foster an environment that celebrates the lived experiences of all of our Fellows.
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SELECTIONWe strongly believe curating a myriad of perspectives in each group is a vital component of the program’s value and impact on participants. We receive many more nominations and applications than we have available seats in each cohort, and because of this level of demand, we are sometimes unable to select leaders who meet our selection criteria. When a candidate meets the selection criteria but is not placed, we encourage them to opt-in to be considered for a future cohort, which can take time. It is not uncommon for a Pahara Fellowship candidate to be considered for a few years before being selected or released.