2024 Session
Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming session of Sankofa Summer School!
Sankofa Summer School
Request for Proposals
OVERVIEW
Using an Afrocentric approach, Sankofa Summer School is a series of classes and workshops designed to educate people about the lives and work of Africana people the world over. The school runs during the summer months and students are encouraged to set aside time for their personal enlightenment and the opportunity to build community with new people.
We are seeking instructors for the 2023 session. This RFP offers guidance for those interested in participating in this project.
Project Goals
Sankofa Summer School provides an opportunity for students of various backgrounds to engage in learning activities they may not readily have access to in their local communities. Each class and workshop is uniquely designed to promote culture consciousness, educate about African Diaspora culture and history, increase awareness of issues important and relevant to the lives of people of the African Diaspora, and encourage further exploration and inquiry.
Criteria for Instructors
Must be people of the African Diaspora
Classes/ workshops must center on people of the African Diaspora
Materials, sources, research, etc. must be from people of the African Diaspora
Should have experience conducting workshops, giving lectures, facilitating trainings, and/or teaching classes (in-person or online)
Logistics
Sankofa Summer School 2023 will run from July 24, 2023 to August 4, 2022. Instructors will be responsible for presenting one session during that time. Each session should run between 60 and 90 minutes. Depending on the popularity of the session, instructors may be asked to offer a second session at another time. Virtual classes are generally held at 7:00p.m. ET, but there is flexibility based on availability of instructors and interest of students.
This year, we are looking to host in-person classes as well as virtual, so please indicate interest and availability for either session type. Priority will be given to instructors who live in the Philadelphia area (for in-person classes). If you have access to space to host a class in your local city, please indicate that as well. You will receive administrative support to do so.
Instructors are paid for their instructions. Details will be provided upon acceptance of proposals. For 2023, we are limiting the number of course offerings to six in total, so consider the competitive nature of our request.
Submission Requirements
Complete the Proposal Submission Form
Complete and submit this form (https://bit.ly/SankofaRFP2023). Submissions are due March 30, 2023, 11:59 pm ET. Preliminary decisions will be made and selected instructors will be notified to schedule an interview.
Instructor Interview & Final Selection
Interviews with the founder will be completed by April 21, 2023. Selected school instructors will be notified by May 15, 2023 and will have to respond with intent to participate by May 26, 2023.
Further Information
Inquiries should be directed to info@sankofasummerschool.com. Please note: we will reach out to instructors directly if we want to speak further with you about your submission.
How To Build Self-Confidence
This class offers guidance for building self-confidence in a society that functions to make sure you’re never fully happy with yourself and marginalizes people based on race, gender, size, and more.
Doula Yourself: Practices for Compassionate self-reflection, Strategies for Action
As the world re-opens and expectations are adjusted once again, what practices have we learned we want to continue, and what do we want to change/modify/improve? Together, we get to plan our re-entry into our communities, with fun exercises and activities designed for self-reflection and to prepare us for action.
STEAM GEMS: A look at the brilliance and ingenuity of women from the continent of Africa to the diaspora
During this course we’ll look at the innovations of 10 African/ African American pioneers and their contributions to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) fields.
Civics Beyond Election Day
This class will discuss other ways to take political control in your local communities other than voting in elections.
“And We Are (Still) Not Saved”: Critical Race Stories on Anti-Blackness
This class will provide a foundation for understanding anti-Blackness through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT emerged as a school of thought to theorize the ways in which law replicates racial hierarchy and subordination even when formal legal rules change, purport to equalize, and declare themselves colorblind. Storytelling and counter-storytelling are components of the CRT methodology that allows those on the bottom to speak their reality against stories of progress and reform. Students will begin writing their own stories and counter-stories that push back against stories of racial progress to center on the ways in which Anti-Blackness shapes lives.
Village Griots: Black Art as Historical Documentation
Black art is more than just political resistance and storytelling. It is historical documentation and should be revered as such. This class will discuss some Black femme artists, their work, and what it meant for Black history where they were living.
Getting Smarter: Cognitive Disabilities, Intelligence, and Anti-Blackness
The notions about our capacity to learn and grow have been defined over the past two hundred years by Eurocentric frameworks, including IQ tests, literacy tests, and standardized tests. Knowledge, intelligence, and skills are concepts that must be decolonized. We will examine pre-colonial African learning frameworks and participants will come away with a new understanding of how we examine and qualify who can get smarter.
Beyond The Status Quo: Building Black Political Power in the South
An exploration of political power building using lessons from southern organizing. We will talk through examples of both issue-based and campaign organizing with tips and strategies for taking your organizing to the next level. Whether you are a seasoned vet looking to gain new insights, or someone looking to take more proactive steps in your community, this course will be a great jump start.
Queering Revolution: 20th Century Black Queer Women Activists & Agitators
This class will highlight Black queer women who have been key figures in the fight for social justice and liberation.