If you can only go to one professional development opportunity this year go to IREL. It was life changing. Having the chance to work together and have hard conversations with educators from all parts of the country is a gift. Not only will you leave with a greater understanding of race and racial identity but you will get amazing resources and practical teaching strategies for teaching literacy. The facilitators are joyful, outstanding educators and excellent communicators. I learned how to start the hard conversations and how to be leader in creating change. I can’t wait to go back.

catherine l.

I was overall very impressed with this experience and in particular found Tricia and Sonja to be excellent facilitators – so knowledgeable, open, kind, but direct.

middle school teacher

I was overall very impressed with this experience and in This institute provided me with the opportunity to interrogate my practices, beliefs and ideologies and how they show you in my spaces and relationships with staff and students.particular found Tricia and Sonja to be excellent facilitators – so knowledgeable, open, kind, but direct.

cathline t.

My facilitator was amazing. I am so thankful for her guidance and the way she kept us accountable for the work and was honest about her own journey. She shared so much of her work with colleagues and children with us which was so generous, especially when she is grieving. Thank you for creating this community. Overall all the presenters and facilitators were so generous with their time and resources.

third grade teacher