2025 Black Studies Summer Institute
The Summer Institute will be held:
Sessions: Monday, July 14 to Friday, July 18, 2025
Final Presentations & Closing: Monday, July 21 to Wednesday, July 23, 2025
2025 Black Studies Summer Institute for High School Educators
This eight-day Summer Institute is for St. Louis metropolitan region high school educators who either incorporate aspects of Black culture, history, and literature in their courses or admin / teachers at a school that offers or plans to offer the AP/African American Studies course. The Institute will center St. Louis as the focal point for various themes and topics related to African & African American Studies.
The Summer Institute will:
- expose participants to Washington University scholars with expertise in African and African American Studies,
- give participants access to and knowledge about resources in Olin Library, particularly the Special Collections holdings related to African American culture, history, political movements, and arts, and
- provide participants support in developing content, instructional activities & field trips for incorporating St. Louis & Black Studies lessons into their courses.
Morning & Afternoon Sessions:
Each day of the Institute is divided into a morning session (9:00 AM—12:00 PM), lunch, and an afternoon session (1:30 PM—4:00 PM). The morning session will feature a presentation by a Washington University scholar on a specific theme or subject relevant to the Institute. The afternoon session features a presentation or a field trip to a relevant St. Louis or on-campus site.
Closing Sessions:
During the closing sessions, educators present ideas for incorporating information from the institute into their future lesson plans or classes.
Questions? Contact us
Apply Here
Co-Sponsors:
The Department of African & African American Studies
Dean's Office of Arts & Sciences
Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2)
Past Summer Institute Highlights
In the summer of 2024, The Department of African and African American Studies (AFAS) hosted an 8-day summer institute for high school teachers from St. Louis high schools who either incorporated aspects of Black culture, history, and literature in their curriculum or taught at a school that offers the AP/ African American Studies course for its students.
The 11 high school teachers spent the 8 days on Washington University's campus learning about history, culture, and the richness of St. Louis' Black communities and individuals. Each teacher represented an array of educational expertise from diverse backgrounds, contributing to the institute's overall success.
The Department of African and African American Studies (AFAS) completed its 2nd Annual Summer Institute with one foundational principle: to expose teachers to scholars and expert leaders in the field of African and African American Studies to deepen their knowledge and provide them with intellectual and moral support in incorporating Black Studies lessons into their curriculum. This goal is one of excellence and growth.
Summer Institute Leads & Faculty Facilitators
Lead Facilitators
Dr. Shanti Parikh, Chair & Professor, African & African American Studies, Professor, Sociocultural Anthropology
Dr. Marlon Bailey, Associate Chair & Professor, African & African American Studies, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Dr. Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, English & African & African American Studies
Faculty Facilitators
Dr. Sowande Mustakeem, Associate Professor of History and of African and African-American Studies
Dr. Lauren Eldridge Stewart, Assistant Professor, Ethnomusicology
Dr. Zachary Manditch-Prottas, Lecturer, African & African American Studies, American Culture Studies
Dr. Raven Maragh-Lloyd, Assistant Professor, African & African American Studies, Film & Media Studies
Dr. John Mundell, Postdoctoral Fellow, African & African American Studies
Dr. Kelly Schmidt, Reparative Public Historian & Lecturer, Special Collections Management Research Associate, WashU & Slavery Project
Dr. Geoff Ward, Professor, African & African American Studies, Director, WashU & Slavery Project
Dr. Christopher Tinson, Chair, African American Studies (SLU), Associate Professor, History
Professor Rudolph Clay, AFAS Subject Librarian, Senior Lecturer in African American Studies
Summer Institute Feildtrips