2026 Black Studies Summer Institute

2026 Black Studies Summer Institute

The Summer Institute will be held:

Sessions: Monday, July 13 to Friday, July 17, 2026
Final Presentations & Closing: Monday, July 20 to Wednesday, July 22, 2026

2026 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

Summer Institute Leads & Faculty Facilitators

Lead Facilitator

Dr. Thembelani (Themba) Mbatha, Assistant Professor of African & African American Studies 

Co-Convenors

Dr. Shanti Parikh, Chair of African and African-American Studies
Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology and of African and African-American Studies

 

Dr. Marlon Bailey, Associate Chair & Professor, African & African American Studies, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies 

 

Gerald Early | Department of African and African-American Studies

Dr. Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, English & African & African American Studies

Faculty Facilitator

 

 

 

 

Summer Institute Fieldtrips

Washington University in St. Louis University Libraries

St. Louis National Blues Museum 

Greenwood Cemetery Preservation Association

St. Louis Riverfront Adventures

The Black Rep