The Multicultural Teaching Institute IS returning June 16-18, 2026!

2026 keynote speakers

Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Ph.D. is a Professor of English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research, published in leading academic journals, centers on racial literacy and educational equity. She is co-editor of five books, including All About Black Girl in Education. Her forthcoming book, Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacy, will be released by Routledge in Summer 2026. She is also the author of two poetry collections, and is currently writing a third collection reflecting on her childhood in the South Bronx during the 1980s. In 2022, Yolanda delivered her TEDx Talk, Truth, Love & Racial Literacy, at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad is the John Corbally Endowed Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has previously served as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, school district administrator, curriculum director, and school board president. She studies Black historical excellence in education, intending to reframe curriculum and instruction today. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books. She has also received numerous national awards and is the author of the best-selling books Cultivating Genius and Unearthing Joy. She also co-authored the book Black Girls’ Literacies. Her Culturally and Historically Responsive Education Model has been adopted across thousands of U.S. schools and districts across Canada. In 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, she was named among the top 1% of Edu-Scholar Public Influencers for her impact on policy and practice. She has led a federal grant with the United States Department of Education to study culturally and historically responsive literacy in STEM classrooms. In the fall of 2026, her first curriculum, entitled Genius and Joy, will be available to schools and educators.

Multicultural Teaching Institute

The mission of the Multicultural Teaching Institute is to inspire and equip teachers to continue personal exploration of their own cultural identity and where it intersects with teaching and learning.

MTI Conference

HANDS-ON, COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCE, REAL-WORLD TOOLS FOR educators

We specifically recommend this conference for teachers of grades pre-K through 12. Over the three days of the institute, participants will learn hands-on teaching tools to enrich their classrooms while expanding their ability to critically evaluate their own classroom practices.

Consulting

We work with schools, non-profits, businesses and colleges in a variety of ways, such as workshops, trainings and facilitated discussions. Our goal is to move individuals and organizations toward philosophical and practical change in support of diversity, equity, and multicultural education.

We work with each institution to develop an understanding of the needs, then collaborate in the creation of a relevant program.