
RACE, REFLECTION,
AND PRACTICE
TOWARDS ACTION:
IN-PERSON CONVENING
LONE ROCK RETREAT | JUNE 12 -16, 2023
Greetings Fellows! Below you will find information on how to prepare for the 2023 Race, Reflection, and Practice Towards Action Gathering 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:
VISION & CONTEXT
Launched in 2021, the Race, Reflection, and Practice Towards Action (RRPA) program was designed for Pahara Fellows looking to deepen practices focused on personal identity, racial justice, and combating anti-blackness in the education sector. RRPA has approached this work from three levels within spaces of racial affinity: personal reflection and identity work, collaboration and practice, and exploring pathways to systemic change.
A goal of the RRPA program has always been to find meaningful ways for participants across groups to build with and learn from one another. We have also received overwhelming feedback from RRPA participants about your desire to connect in person. During our five days together at Lone Rock, we’ll engage in dialogues, learning circles, readings, and restorative practices. Our intent is to create the conditions for meaningful relationship-building and action towards racial justice and cross-group collaboration.
TIME COMMITMENT
Participating in the in-person convening means engaging in the following:
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Complete relevant readings and other content in advance of the in-person convening.
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Take part in one 90-minute virtual session designed to support the in-person convening. Please select one of the following to attend:
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Friday, March 31st, 9am - 10:30am PT/12pm - 1:30pm ET
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Wednesday, April 5th, 9am - 10:30am PT/12pm - 1:30pm ET
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Attend the in-person convening, arriving at Lone Rock Retreat in Bailey, Colorado by 5:00pm on Monday, June 12, 2023, and departing Lone Rock at 12:00pm on Friday, June 16, 2023.
Additionally, participants should be ready for an experience that invites personal growth and reflection through the tools of mindfulness and somatic exercises.
TRAVEL LOGISTICS & INFORMATION
PRIMARY CONTACT
Prior to the seminar, please direct all logistical questions to jenny@pahara.org
DATE & TIME
Start: Monday, June 12, 2023 - 5:00pm MT, Reception & Dinner
End: Friday, June 16, 2023 - 12:00pm MT, Lunch (to go)
LOCATION
Lone Rock Retreat
64797 US HWY 285
Bailey, CO 804210
The initial retreat for RLP will convene the week after Easter at Lone Rock Retreat in Bailey, Colorado from April 19-21, 2022. We endeavor to combine the strengths of the Pahara leadership development approach with a Christ-centered retreat experience. A successful retreat will mean leaders have had the space to share their faith, reflect on ways to bring their faith into their work, find some sense of spiritual renewal from the time together, and initiate new relationships with other believers.
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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.
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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, including but not limited to experience in nonprofit schools, out of/after school learning, human capital, technology, juvenile justice, political and policy strategy, future of work/workforce development, community wellness and mental health, college access and success, faith-based organizations, community based organizations and philanthropy. Ideally, you know enough about the leader’s work to share your thoughts on why they would be an excellent choice for the Fellowship. 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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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. We conduct a 90-minute Zoom interview with candidates. This interview is followed by referencing carried out by our team. Given the degree of openness and vulnerability expected in this phase of our process, information shared with us by candidates or in reference interviews is held with the highest degree of confidentiality.
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COHORT CURATIONWe 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 diversity and lived experiences of all of our Fellows.
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SELECTIONWe typically receive many more nominations and applications than we have available seats in each cohort. We strongly believe that creating the ideal blend of perspectives in each group is a vital component of the program’s value and impact on participants. Candidates who are not selected may choose to opt-in to be considered for a future cohort.