DEI Certificate Program: Decolonizing Leadership

Dr. Angela Irvine applies her training in International Development and Sociology to a management approach that decolonizes white leadership while lifting the leadership of people who have been the most impacted by systems of oppression–Black people, indigenous people, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and people impacted by criminalizing systems such as the courts and foster care systems. She and Aisha Canfield, who has worked with Dr. Irvine for over thirteen years, will be leading a certificate program that shares the Ceres management philosophy and tools.

Program Overview

This class aims to share the lessons we have gleaned over the past twenty years on how to successfully lift the leadership of people who have been most impacted by systems of oppressions.  Class topics include:

  • The social construction of race, gender, sexual orientation, urban and colonized spaces, academic achievement, and safety.

  • The history of housing segregation, loss of generational wealth, and inequality in school quality for communities impacted by intersecting oppressions.  

  • Committing to restructuring power within your organization to lift people impacted by intersecting oppressions.

  • Developing job descriptions that signal that you value people impacted by systems of oppression.

  • Conducting outreach that finds your target audience

  • Creating transformational applicant review matrices (and sticking to them).

  • Developing transformational personnel review matrices.  

  • Creating an environment that supports people impacted by intersecting oppressions during local, national, international community crises.

  • Creating time tracking and holiday policies that center family and create a work/life balance.

  • Managing by focussing on staff strengths while also addressing lackluster performances if they arise.

  • Building generational wealth for your employees.

  • Developing transparent and transformational salary and promotion ladders.

  • Building a horizontal organizational structure that is financially sustainable. 

  • Participants will be provided all review tools and matrices.  They will also be given a tool to conduct a full organizational assessment. After analyzing the results of this assessment, participants will leave with a strategic plan to decenter white leadership that they can share with their boards and funders.

  • Participants will leave the class with the following:

    • 48 hours of instruction

    • 24 hours of individualized assignment review

    • 14 hours of office hours and coaching

    • A checklist for effective job postings and outreach.

    • A model applicant review matrix.

    • A model personnel review matrix.

    • A checklist for an affirming organizational culture that supports staff retention.

    • A model salary and promotion ladder.

    • An organizational assessment that can be completed annually to track progress.

    • A strategic plan to decolonize leadership that participants can share with their boards and funders.

    • A certificate from the Ceres Institute

  • This class is taught in two formats. The first is an intensive three month class that combines online sessions with an intensive 7-day course in Portugal each summer. The second format is an online seven-month class from September through March each year. Click on the “Apply” button above to contact the Institute staff. We will set up a call to answer questions and explain the application process.