Umoja Opens Call for Proposals for Umoja XVI Conference


Theme: “Our crown has already been bought and paid for. All we have to do is wear it” ― James Baldwin. 

The Umoja XVI Conference is currently accepting proposals for workshop session presenters.  

Proposal submissions may only be submitted via this link: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION LINK 


Become an integral part of the Umoja XVI Conference. The success of this Umoja Community Education Foundation annual event relies on you and organizations such as yours to provide the platform for insightful and empowering discussions and collaboration between students, counselors, educators, and community members.  

Umoja serves:  

  • As a leader in providing equity-focused training for students, faculty, and staff across California.  
  • As a program for under-resourced students to achieve their dreams of higher education attainment; and,  
  • As a partner with other institutions to provide a defined pathway for students to transfer from community college to four-year institutions  

Conference Details 

  • Date: February 25-27, 2021 
  • Location: Virtually 
  • Expected Conference Attendees: 600+ 

Workshop session schedule:  We are accepting proposals in the following format: 60-minutes interactive workshops. (A minimum of 15 minutes of the session should be reserved for questions from the audience.)  


Handouts: You will provide digital copies of any handouts and/or presentation to the Umoja Office for posting on the Umoja Conference Event site.  

Fee: There will be no honorarium or reimbursement for the presentation. The selected presenters will receive a discounted registration rate. All presenters must register for the conference. We encourage you to register now.  

  • Call for Proposal:   Monday, December 21, 2020 
  • Deadline: Proposals are due no later than Friday, February 5, 2021.  
  • Notification: Those submitting proposals will be notified by Monday, February 12, 2021 regarding the status of their proposal.  
  • Acceptance: Presenters must accept via email by Monday, February 15, 2021 
  • Final Presentation (All materials, links, etc.) Due: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 

Proposal Submissions 


You will need the following information to submit a proposal: 

  1. Lead presenter name 
  1. Lead presenter biographical information that briefly highlights their expertise. 
  1. Company/college affiliation 
  1. Contact information (email and telephone) 
  1. Indaba Strands (must align with one of the three indaba strands below) 
  1. Presentation Title (should excite and inspire the audience in under 15 words) 
  1. Session Description: What will the audience learn? How will they be transformed? (maximum 150 words) 
  1. Which Umoja Practices will be highlighted?  How?  Read the Umoja Practices 
  1. List 3 key learning objectives 
  1. Student Participation:  How will you engage students in your session? 
  1. Data:  How will qualitative and/or quantitative data inform and support your presentation? 
  1. Keywords/tag (select up to 3 keywords that provide further description about your topic) :  
  1. Student Activism and Leadership 
  1. Community Building and Engagement 
  1. Academic Success 
  1. Transfer 
  1. Cultural Identity Development 
  1. Financial Literacy  
  1. Health and Wellness 
  1. Social Media Engagement 
  1. Creativity 
  1. Data Engagement 
  1. Professional Development 
  1. Strategic Partnerships/Relationships 
  1. Curriculum/Learning Experience 
  1. Career Exploration 
  1. Other 
  1. Additional panelists name and company/college affiliation 


Indabas, in traditional African culture, are gatherings to discuss issues that affect us all.  Indabas are where everyone is invited to the table and has a voice.  It is where the experiences and stories told encourage us to share and act when we walk away from the gathering and back to our communities.  This year's conference theme centers around the following quote “Our crown has already been bought and paid for. All we have to do is wear it” ― James Baldwin. All proposals should uplift the theme by being aligned with one of the three Indaba Strands for this year’s conference: 

Student Leadership, Development, and Activism 



African American/Black students often endure challenges as a result of being seen only through a stereotypical lens of their multiple identities of race, gender, and culture. Umoja strives to shatter the misconceptions of Black student scholarship by utilizing cultural imperatives that highlight excellence through African centered practices. This grounding provides a cultural safety net that allows students to flourish. Critical conversation workshops should highlight the ways in which one’s multi-faceted identity may be different yet can be reimagined and internalized as a catapult for student success. Critical conversation workshops may also raise policy, classroom, and environmental strategies that must be addressed to advance, sustain, and uplift academic engagement and achievement. 

Career Pathways, Academic Transfer, and Life Success  

Umoja programming is holistic and aims to prepare students for success in life regardless of the major or academic goals. Today’s workforce is global, dependent upon technology, and is innovating at a speed that surpasses most of our educational systems. In these sessions, presenters will engage participants in the connection between academic majors and career preparation and will explore the many variations of success.  Innovators, visionaries, and community leaders, as well as career technical and workforce development practitioners, are invited to apply to this strand to help Umoja Community and Umoja students prepare for tomorrow. 


Publish Date: 
Friday, January 22, 2021

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