2026 Inclusive Educators Institute

Dear Educator,

All of us at the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities look forward to working with you as part of the Inclusive Educators Institute summer retreat. Congratulations on being selected as a representative from your school! IEI will be held June 9-12 at the University of Lynchburg.

IEI is an innovative program designed to develop a critical mass of educational stakeholders around Virginia who are passionate, committed, and prepared to lead efforts to eliminate disparities based on race and socio-economic status in all areas of school life and academic achievement.

Here are several important details to prepare for our time together:

• REGISTRATION PAPERWORK: Kindly complete the registration form no later than Friday, March 27.
• ABOUT THE SITE: Comfortable single rooms within a 6-room suite are equipped with wireless internet service, full kitchen, and shared restrooms. Meals will be served in Burton Dining Hall. Every effort will be made to accommodate dietary restrictions noted on the registration paperwork.
• WHAT TO BRING: Please feel free to dress comfortably and casually. Though you will be provided with a Participant Manual upon arrival, you may also want to bring your own journal.
• PROGRAM SCHEDULE: Our program begins at 11:45am on Tuesday, June 9 and concludes at 3:30pm on Friday, June 12. Days are long and intense, with programming from 8:00am until 9:30pm. While breaks are given, we do ask that you plan to not bring other work that will shift your focus from our time together.
• STIPEND: Upon completion of the retreat, participants will receive a stipend of $400.

If you have questions prior to IEI, please reach out to VCIC’s Vice President of Programs, Jessica Hawthorne, by phone at (804) 515-7950 or by email at [email protected]. 

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Accessibility:

The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities strives to make our programs as accessible and inclusive as possible while acknowledging the existence of external barriers that may prevent 100% accessibility. VCIC leans into our core values of integrity and openness as we work to provide the most accessible experience for all, while welcoming feedback about what we can do better.

Upon request made at least four (4) weeks before the event, VCIC commits to: 

• Support any needs related to participants’ ASL interpreters or need for large print handouts
• Support our host site kitchen staff in accommodating dietary restrictions
• Provide large-print handouts for participants.
• Provide venue layout information including nearest parking and accessible entrances