SUMUD IN PRAXIS:

TEACHING FOR SOLIDARITY

FROM TURTLE ISLAND TO PALESTINE

FEBRUARY 13–15, 2026 | TUCSON, ARIZONA

This 3-day professional development institute is an opportunity for educators to deepen their understanding of teaching about Palestine with a focus on how Indigenous populations on Turtle Island and Palestine have practiced sumud (steadfastness) and how educators today must practice sumud  for the right to teach about Palestine in their classrooms.

The institute will include intensive field work on the US/Mexico border, making connections between settler colonial projects, land dispossession and cultural resilience from Turtle Island to Palestine.

This gathering is intended for K-20 educators and leaders interested in teaching Palestine in an Ethnic Studies framework with the goal of developing curriculum using the content from our three days together.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE

Please make sure to read through the following information before you apply!

If you have additional questions, please contact us.

  • APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY DECEMBER 1, 2025.

    Space is limited to 30 participants so that we can travel comfortably to the locations we will be visiting.

    This institute is intended for K-20 classroom educators. If you decide to  apply, please be sure you are able to join us in Tucson on February 13-15th!

    To ensure the safety of all of us, we will be reviewing application submissions before accepting participants to attend the institute. You can expect to hear back within two weeks (by December 5th at the latest) about your application acceptance.

    Once your application is accepted, you will be asked to pay a non-refundable $25 fee to reserve your spot. This is the only charge for the institute, thanks to a generous funder!

  • The institute location will be shared with registered participants in advance.

    We will spend a full day visiting the US/Mexico border in Nogales and surrounding areas. We will not be crossing the border into Mexico but there is a border patrol checkpoint between Tucson and Nogales (no passport required). If you have any concerns about the checkpoint, feel free to reach out.

  • A detailed agenda will be shared with registered participants closer to the institute. Light breakfast and lunch is provided, as well as dinner on Saturday evening.

    DAY 1: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

    9am–3pm, Downtown Tucson

    DAY 2: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 

    Full day of fieldwork in and around the US/Mexico borderlands, including dinner. Times TBD

    DAY 3: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15

    9am–3pm, Downtown Tucson

  • TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION: Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to Tucson and transportation to and from the institute each day.

    SUN TRAN: All public transit in Tucson is fare-free! The institute is located within two blocks of the Sun Link streetcar and the downtown Ronstadt Transit Center. Check out the Sun Tran website for more information.

    FOOD: Light breakfast and lunch is provided, as well as dinner on Saturday evening.

    LODGING: Click here to see a list of hotels and lodging suggestions in Tucson.

APPLY NOW

This institute is co-sponsored through an ongoing partnership between XITO and the Teach Palestine Project of the Middle East Children's Alliance. Together, we have been offering intensive workshops and trainings for educators for over 6 years, building connections across struggles for Indigenous liberation against settler colonialism from Turtle Island and the US-Mexico borderlands to occupied Palestine.