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Join us for the 2024 Annual Teachers of Color and Allies (TOCA) Summit

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University Memorial Center

The Teachers of Color and Allies (TOCA) Summit is a free event that gathers education students, local educators of color and allies to provide collegial support, opportunities for networking and mentoring and insights into best practices in education. 

This year's theme is “Navigating the Nuanced Narrative of Neutrality.” Given the current educational landscape and conversations with teachers, we recognize the need to support teachers navigating complex social and political issues from a “neutral” standpoint within their classroom and school community. To quote Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Map of University Memorial Center 

Meet our keynote speaker

 is an associate professor in the School of Education at Colorado State University. A recipient of the highly competitive, four-year Miramontes Doctoral Fellowship, Dr. Basile completed his PhD in science and mathematics curriculum and instruction in the CU �鶹ӰԺ School of Education and a graduate certificate in ethnic studies. During his time at CU �鶹ӰԺ, Dr. Basile oversaw science and mathematics pre-service teachers, and was a founding member of CU’s Graduate Students of Color Collective. Additionally, he designed and taught the science education methods courses for the University of Denver’s Denver Teacher Residency Program.

Prior to his doctoral work, Dr. Basile taught science, mathematics, and social studies for eight years in low-income middle and high schools in the north Denver area. During this time, he also worked outside the classroom on issues of education policy, and engaged in science research during the summers. He is a founding member of the Denver New Millennium Initiative through the Center for Teaching Quality, a national organization focused on efforts to improve public education. Dr. Basile earned his MA in science education and K-12 teaching license at the University of Colorado Denver, where he was awarded the Outstanding Graduate of his cohort.

In his research, Dr. Basile has critically examined federal STEM education policy briefs spanning two decades, revealing cyclical patterns of racial commodification, racial essentialism, and differential racialization. He has written about the theoretical arguments for increasing the number of STEM teachers of color in K-12 learning environments. Dr. Basile’s ongoing research examines criminalization of boys of color in after-school STEM settings, and the ways that decriminalizing practices work to disrupt escalating cycles of punishment, control, and resistance.

What is TOCA?

The Teachers of Color and Allies (TOCA) Summit is traditionally a daylong event that gathers education students, local educators of color, and allies to provide collegial support, opportunities for networking and mentoring, and insights into best practices in education. Hosted by the School of Education in partnership with local school districts, the summit is held every fall.

The Teachers of Color and Allies Summit Board Committee is composed of CU �鶹ӰԺ School of Education staff and faculty, community partners, and teachers from local school districts, government organizations, universities and more.