12TH ANNUAL

SUMMER INSTITUTE

JULY 4–6, 2025 | TUCSON, AZ

PANCHE BE:

SEEKING THE ROOT OF THE TRUTH

THROUGH LIBERATORY ETHNIC STUDIES

Join us in Tucson for our 12th Annual Summer Institute on July 4-6, 2025!

This 3-day gathering is an opportunity to engage in and learn about XITO’s decolonizing Ethnic Studies methodologies and to collaborate, organize and network with other educators and organizers from across the country.

This summer’s theme is the Mayan concept of Panche Be - To seek the root of the truth/Buscar la raiz de la verdad. More than ever we need to come together, resist the erasure of our histories and knowledge and collectively organize against the repression of authentic and liberatory Ethnic Studies!  

XITO workshops will include the foundational underpinnings of Ethnic Studies history and teaching, curricular examples, organizing tactics and decolonial methods, including XITO’s TIAHUI framework.

PRE-INSTITUTE FIELD DAY ON THE BORDER

OPTIONAL – JULY 3, 2025

Limited space is available for one day of fieldwork on the U.S./Mexico border with our partners at BorderLinks. The goal of this day is to foster a collaborative learning exchange by engaging with Indigenous and migrant communities through storytelling and decolonial popular education. We aim to dismantle misconceptions, provide powerfully grounded context, and share skills that educators and organizers can integrate to advocate for transformative systems change. Speakers will share personal stories that highlight the struggles and resilience of those affected by injustice and violence of border militarization. While visiting a desert surveillance tower with local organizers, we will examine how the same technologies are used against Palestinians as well as Tohono O'odham peoples in the region. Finally, we will share lessons from our participation in the local Deportation Defense Network, solidify themes within the current migrant justice movement and encourage deep reflections among participants. 

The pre-institute Border Field Day will take place in and around Nogales, AZ.  Participants will not cross the border but there is a border patrol checkpoint between Nogales and Tucson (no passport required, but for all non-citizens we recommend bringing documentation of their legal presence in the U.S. and a second form of identification). Please contact us with any questions.

Pre-Institute Field Day Cost: $180*

Includes breakfast, lunch & transportation.

To sign up, you must register for the XITO institute.

BorderLinks is a community-based organization where people collectively learn, teach, reflect, share resources, and organize for justice in the borderlands. Through popular education rooted in place and lived experience, BorderLinks and community partners inspire and ignite action to transform unjust border and (im)migration laws and conditions. We belong to movements for social transformation & collective liberation.

Learn more about BorderLinks at borderlinks.org.

DETAILS

  • This gathering is intended for educators, administrators, artists and community organizers who are committed to authentic Ethnic Studies and fighting for our youth and communities facing dehumanizing legislation and opposition.

    You can read more about XITO’s work here and explore our TIAHUI framework here.

  • The institute will be held in Downtown Tucson, easily accessible via public transportation. Specific location details will be shared with registered participants.

  • The institute will take place from 8:30 am–3:30 pm on Friday, July 4th and Saturday, July 5th, and from 8:30 am–1:00 pm on Sunday, July 6th. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided each day as well as dinner Saturday evening. A detailed schedule will be shared with registered participants closer to the institute. 

  • Click here to view a list of recommended lodging and transportation options.

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT

Please read through the following information carefully. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to us.

  • The cost to attend is $800. This price includes 3 days of in-person interactive workshops and materials, a XITO t-shirt, breakfast, lunch, and snacks each day as well as an evening of Flor y Canto including dinner. Participants are responsible for arranging their own housing and transportation. 

    The $800 registration fee is due in full by June 13, 2025.

    You do NOT have to pay in order to register.

    Many participants seek funding from their institutions.* Please contact us ASAP for an invoice or anything else you need to receive funding.

    *Certificates of professional development hours completed can be obtained upon request.

  • The cost of the optional Pre-Institute Border Field Day is $180, which includes breakfast, lunch & transportation.

    To sign up for the field day, please submit the registration form by June 6th and pay the $180 fee by June 13th. Space is limited so you are encouraged to sign up early!

    Once you have registered and paid for the Border Field Day, you will receive more logistics directly from BorderLinks in June.

  • Limited partial scholarships are available, therefore please do not apply for a scholarship if you are able to apply for funding elsewhere. 

    Priority will be given to:

    1. K-12 Educators and graduate students working/studying in Ethnic Studies or a related field

    2. Educators and organizers unable to secure funds through their institution or organization

    3. Educators and organizers traveling a long distance with substantial travel costs

    To apply for a scholarship, you must submit the scholarship application (embedded within the registration form) by May 16th. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis.

    Please note that scholarship funds cannot be applied to the pre-institute field day.

  • Scholarship Deadline: If you are applying for a scholarship, you must register and submit the scholarship application (embedded within the registration form) by May 16th.

    Scholarship Awards: Scholarships will be given on a rolling basis and you will be notified of your scholarship award by May 23rd at the latest.

    Registration Deadline: June 6th

    Payment Deadline: June 13th

  • Use the “Payment” button to pay online via credit/debit card or PayPal.

    If you would prefer to mail a check, please contact us.