Humanizing and Culturally Affirming Teacher Preparation Program (HCAT) Summer Institute
June 23–25, 2026 | University of Arizona | Free Hybrid Event
A free three-day institute, hosted through Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA) Induction and the Humanizing and Culturally Affirming Teacher Preparation Program (HCAT), for practicing teachers, teacher candidates, graduate students, and education partners. Held in person at the University of Arizona ENR2 building with Zoom access available, the institute centers humanizing and culturally affirming education through practical, equity-driven professional learning.
Free Registration | June 23–25 | University of Arizona ENR2 Building
What is the HCAT Summer Institute?
The HCAT Summer Institute is a multistranded, cross-disciplinary three-day professional learning event that brings together recent M.Ed. graduates, current teacher-candidates, and secondary educators.
“The institute is designed to support participants through workshops and keynote sessions that center humanizing education, culturally responsive and sustaining practices, ethnic studies, and equity-driven instruction.”
Current secondary classroom practitioners and university faculty will offer sessions for a range of classroom experience, making the Summer Institute as relevant for novice teachers as it is for veteran educators.
Invitation
Who Should Attend?
The HCAT Summer Institute welcomes practicing secondary teachers, teacher candidates, graduate students, recent graduates, mentor teachers, university faculty, and education partners across Arizona who are interested in humanizing and culturally affirming education.
Whether you are currently teaching, preparing to enter the classroom, supporting teacher development, or working in partnership with schools, this free institute offers practical, equity-driven professional learning designed to support classroom practice.
Join us to connect with peers, share insights, and deepen your practice in humanizing and culturally affirming education.
Hybrid Event
Event Format
The HCAT Summer Institute is a hybrid event.
Participants will have the option to join:
In Person
Join us at the University of Arizona for a fully immersive, face-to-face experience with fellow educators and faculty.
Online
Participate through virtual access from wherever you are, with full engagement in sessions and workshops.
Parking Information
Event Location
The event will take place at the Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building (ENR2).
1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85721-0137
Nearby Parking
Sixth Street Garage
Recommended — 1119 E. 6th St., Tucson, AZ 85719. An easy walk to ENR2.
Tyndall Parking Garage
880 E. 4th St., Tucson, AZ 85719. A second convenient nearby option.
Why This Institute Matters
At its core, this institute is about sustaining educators.
“The HCAT Summer Institute is intended to create space for educators to reconnect with practices that are sustaining, grounded, and meaningful.”
At a time when teaching can feel increasingly demanding, this institute is meant to support educators with ideas, community, and approaches that can strengthen both practice and purpose.
Keynote Speakers
Keynote Speakers: Humanizing Practice in Action
We are honored to welcome Dr. Kari Kokka, Dr. Brian Lozenski, Luz Martinez, M.Ed., and Allison Miller, M.Ed. as keynote speakers for this year's HCAT Summer Institute. Together, they bring powerful perspectives on what it means to create classrooms rooted in equity, justice, creativity, cultural affirmation, and care.
Dr. Kokka and Dr. Lozenski bring nationally recognized expertise in mathematics education, Ethnic Studies, teacher education, and community-engaged scholarship. Luz Martinez and Allison Miller, both HCAT graduates and art educators, will offer classroom-based insight into how HCAT principles can be implemented through art education. Their work highlights how humanizing and culturally affirming pedagogy can live in the daily practices, relationships, and creative spaces teachers build with students.
We are grateful for their time, expertise, and willingness to work alongside our HCAT community as our students continue developing as reflective, justice-oriented, and humanizing educators.
Dr. Kari Kokka
She/her
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas | President, TODOS Mathematics for ALL
Brian Lozenski, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair of Educational Studies, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota
Luz Martinez, M.Ed.
HCAT Graduate & Art Educator |
Allison Miller, M.Ed.
HCAT Graduate & Art Educator |
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Kari Kokka (she/her)
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas | President, TODOS Mathematics for ALL
Dr. Kokka studies teacher and student engagement with mathematics that explores social issues. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation, WT Grant Foundation, and CPM.
Prior to academia, she was a math teacher and math coach at Vanguard High School, a Title I school in NYC (2001–2011), and a math teacher and diving coach at Berkeley High School (1999–2000).
She is co-host of the Critical Math Drop podcast (www.criticalmathdrop.com) and co-founder of the Creating Balance in an Unjust World Conference on STEAMM Education and Social Justice (www.cbuw.org).
Dr. Kokka completed her doctorate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (2017), principal certification with the NYC Leadership Academy (2011), and her M.A. in Education (2001) and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (1999) at Stanford University. She is a proud product of East San Jose, CA, K-12 public schools.
Keynote Speaker
Brian Lozenski, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair of Educational Studies, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota
Brian Lozenski is a Professor and Chair of the Educational Studies Department at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. His research explores the intersections of critical participatory action research, black intellectual traditions in education, and Ethnic Studies policy and practice. As a teacher educator and researcher he has worked with youth, educators, parents, schools, and districts to develop perspectives and strategies that aspire toward social justice while illuminating the historical realities that have created current educational disparities. Dr. Lozenski holds deep commitments to community-engaged scholarship. In this effort he is affiliated with organizations such as the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent and the Minnesota Ethnic Studies Coalition.

Keynote Speaker
Luz Natalia Martinez (She/Her), M.Ed.
Art Teacher at Doolen Middle School, Tucson, Arizona.
Ms. Luz Martinez began her teaching journey as a long-term substitute at Doolen Middle School teaching social studies, math, and helping in the various ExEd classrooms. She is an HCAT graduate and now the school's art teacher. She is also the club advisor for Doolen's Equality club, the school's GSA.
Ms. Luz's classes focus on creating art that centers student identity and culture, as well as the intersection between art and other school subjects. Her classes feature a mix of students from different grades and educational levels such as general education, GATE, ExED, and ELD.
Luz's personal artwork explores her relationship to her own identity and mental health through comics and self-portraiture to increase the visibility of transgender and neurodivergent individuals.

Keynote Speaker
Allison Miller, M.Ed.
Art Teacher at Tucson High Magnet School, Tucson, Arizona.
Allison Miller is a dedicated educator and professional visual artist based in Tucson, Arizona. She serves as a certified art teacher at Tucson High Magnet School, where she specializes in drawing and painting. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, with a concentration in Africana Studies, from CUNY Brooklyn College. She recently received her Master's in Secondary Education from the University of Arizona and was awarded the Outstanding Student Teacher Award from the Humanizing and Culturally Affirming Teaching program. Her dual identity and interdisciplinary training have allowed her to bridge the gap between social theory and creative expression, fostering an environment where students can explore their identities through visual media.

Stay Connected
Registration is open for the HCAT Summer Institute, a free three-day professional learning event hosted through Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA) Induction and the Humanizing and Culturally Affirming Teacher Preparation Program (HCAT).
Participants can view the full institute agenda and register using the links on this page. We look forward to welcoming practicing teachers, teacher candidates, graduate students, recent graduates, university faculty, and education partners for three days of humanizing and culturally affirming professional learning.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you.