Surge Institute Quarterly Newsletter
Summer 2018
Greetings!

As I look at what the Surge Institute has grown into, the evolution of this movement, I don’t just feel warmth. It’s a few degrees beyond that. Much like the heat of a burning fire, our Surge Fellows and Alumni are rising.

Chicago Fellow Nicole Spicer will truly be an architect for a new era for Chicago Public Schools as the principal of the new Bronzeville Classical School , opening in the fall of 2018. Oakland Fellow Charles Cole III is connecting young voices to decision makers. His organization Energy Convertors recently hosted a youth-led panel in which student fellows shared their research and vision for the future of Oakland education with the city’s leaders.

Surge Alums Nina Sanchez and Michelle Bess lifted their voices as thought leaders, writing op-eds on how we fight racial and economic segregation with art and why diversity efforts should lead to discomfort , respectively.

On top of all that, initiatives like Surge Angels and the Surge Academy are the fuel for the future and the applications I’ve peeked at for the 2019 Surge Fellowship bode well for the future of this movement!

I'm inspired.

We are setting the stage. The voices are louder, the sun is brighter, and a fire is burning in us. Things are heating up.  

In community,
Carmita Semaan, Founder and President
News & Announcements
Surge Funds Seven Alumni Ventures
All the talk about elevating brilliant leaders of color is real. Surge awarded $60,000 in venture funding to nine Surge Alumni!
Surge Oakland
Enters the Shark Tank
Our 2018 Oakland Surge Fellows recently swam with the sharks and lived to tell a tale of collaboration, growth and empowerment.
A Seat at the Table:
Conversations with Surge
What makes Surge special? What's the secret sauce? Current fellow Dominique McKoy and alumni William J. Collins and Alejandro Espinoza discuss.
Get to Know:
Randal Seriguchi Jr.
Randal Seriguchi Jr. believes in the genius, strength, and talent of people of color and seeks to build a better system for our youth and communities. He is a 2018 Surge Fellow.
Good Reads:
A Movement by Design
Cecily Relucio Hensler is one of the architects behind the Surge Fellowship curriculum. In this Q&A style article, she delves into the powerful pieces that make up the fellowship.
#LeadTheSurge goes National
For the first time, we held our #LeadTheSurge Reception in two cities, bringing out inspiring voices to communicate the value of the Surge Fellowship experience. See photos and video from both events by clicking the links below!
Fellow & Alumni Recognition
Surge Fellows and Alumni are achieving goals, serving their communities and impacting the future of education. 

2017 Surge Alumni William J. Collins and Ashlie Tyler and 2018 Surge Fellow A.J. Watson were named Agents of Change by Education Pioneers .  

Agents of Change are Education Pioneers alumni who work on behalf of underserved students and demonstrate results toward achieving educational equity and opportunities in many ways, including innovation, entrepreneurship and community advocacy and empowerment.
We are the preeminent pipeline addressing the dearth of leadership of color at the decision-making tables within education reform. Surge educates, empowers and energizes educational leaders of color who will create transformative change in the communities they serve.
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