The Tubman Project
The Tubman Project is a global leadership fellowship for teams of Black educators committed to strengthening belonging, sustaining their practice, and deepening their impact in education.
Through a nine-month cohort experience grounded in The Tithe Well’s 4S Leadership Framework- Self, Service, Synergy, and Systems- Fellows design and implement initiatives that strengthen their schools and communities.
The fellowship culminates with a low-cost, cultural immersion experience in Ghana, West Africa, where Fellows are invited to rest, reconnect with themselves and their source of purpose, reclaim their heritage, and reimagine what is possible for their communities.
The 2026 application season has ended.
Sign up for our email list to be the first to know when our next round of applications launch!
Meet Cohort 1: Wendell Phillips High School
Located on Chicago’s South Side, Wendell Phillips Academy High School has a long-standing legacy as one of the city’s historic institutions serving Black students and families. The school is known for its commitment to academic growth, community pride, and developing student leaders who shape their futures and their neighborhoods. With a leadership team grounded in purpose and possibility, Wendell Phillips represents the kind of collective vision the Tubman Project was built to support.
Rashad Talley
Rashad Talley is an accomplished educational leader and principal of Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago. With over two decades of experience in urban education, he is known for transforming schools through a focus on academic excellence, culture, and community engagement. Rashad embodies excellence in both his leadership and personal life. Outside of education, he is a devoted husband and father who values family, faith, and legacy.
Principal
Kristen Zaki
For 15 years, Kristen Zaki's work as a teacher and an instructional leader in Chicago Public Schools has progressed from student support and discipline leadership into systems-level instructional improvement, with a focus on expanding equitable access to honors and AP coursework. She specializes in school culture transformation, staff development, and data-driven strategy. With a background in secondary education and leadership, she blends operational insight with a strong equity lens. Outside of work, Kristen is a doctoral student of critical pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching. She enjoys traveling, playing tennis, cooking and eating, and long walks with her senior dog, Max.
Director of Instruction
James Daniel IV
JD is a dynamic Chicago-based athletic director and coach with over a decade of playing and coaching experience across multiple sports. He specializes in program development, budgeting, compliance, and performance analytics, combining graduate-level academic training with real-world leadership. Passionate about mentorship and entrepreneurship, he builds structured, disciplined environments where student-athletes thrive. Outside of work, JD enjoys fitness, watching sports, reading, and cooking.
Athletic Director
Bridge.
The gap.
Why Ghana?
When Ghana reclaimed its independence in 1957, its inaugural president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah took intentional steps toward his vision of reuniting scattered people of the African Diaspora. Educated at Temple University in Philadelphia, USA, Dr. Nkrumah envisioned economic development, personal liberation, and racial pride as a result of people of African descent coming together as “One Africa.” Under the legacy of Dr. Nkrumah, Ghana has made significant strides to help people of the African Diaspora recognize Africa as their home of origin.
The Cohort Experience
The Tubman Project selects a small team of educators from the same school or learning organization who are deeply committed to the work of community transformation and ready to engage in 9 months of learning, reflection, and leadership that culminates with a team retreat in Ghana, West Africa.
The 2026 application season has ended.
Sign up for our email list to be the first to know when our next round of applications launch!
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*Participation is for teams of 4 educators who work at the same school or learning organization.
Participants must:Be a U.S. citizen
Work full-time in a private, public, charter school, or university that serves more than 40% Black students OR an education-based organization/company that provides services to Black educators and/or youth
Have at least 3 years of experience working in education with the intent to remain in current role for the duration of school year 2026-2027
Hold one of the following positions and intend to remain in current role (or similar) for the full duration of next school year:
Teacher
Principal
Assistant Principal
Instructional Coach
Coach
Community Schools Manager or Facilitator (or equivalent)
Grade team leader
Department Chair
Guidance counselor
Curriculum designer
Professional learning facilitator
Professor/Lecturer
Program Manager
Executive Director/CEO
Commit to completing a Legacy Project by October 2026
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Every participant in The Tubman Project will complete a Legacy Project that brings their personal transformation back to their community. This project invites you to translate what you’ve learned into action and storytelling.
Choose Your Audience.
Decide who you want to share your journey with—students, families, fellow educators, or your broader community.Shape Your Story.
Identify the aspects of your experience that resonate most with your passions or classroom practice. Will you explore names and identity? Family structures? Hair and symbolism? Healing and belonging? The options are endless.Design Your Action Plan.
Select the platform or format that best fits your voice—perhaps a new school club, community action network, classroom lesson, school-wide presentation, art exhibit, podcast, or community circle.Plant the Seeds Early.
Before traveling to Ghana, we’ll explore themes and intentions that might shape your focus during the journey, so that your reflections deepen in real time.
By the end of the 9-month experience, your capstone becomes both testimony and teaching tool; a living artifact that connects your story to the collective story of Black education and liberation.
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Our journey blends community, coaching, and cultural immersion to support Black educators as they prepare for the transformational experience in Ghana. Each touchpoint is designed to deepen reflection, build connection, and strengthen the personal, cultural, and professional grounding needed for the Tubman Project.
Two 60-Minute 1:1 Coaching Sessions (January & August 2026)
Individualized wellness-centered coaching grounded in Self, Service, and Synergy. These sessions support educators in processing their personal and professional narratives, clarifying their intentions for the journey, and preparing emotionally, spiritually, and logistically for Ghana.
Four 90-Minute Group Coaching Sessions (Feb, April, June, and August 2026)
Live group coaching sessions where the cohort explores concepts of Self, Synergy, and Service. These sessions weave mindfulness, storytelling, guided reflection, cultural learning, and group dialogue to strengthen community connection and shared vision.
60-Minute Community Sendoff (July 2026) *virtual or local in-person
A celebratory pre-departure ritual that invites the larger community to honor and celebrate our cohort before traveling to Ghana.
Optional Media Appearances (varies)
Opportunities to share reflections, stories, and insights from the Tubman Project with a broader audience to highlight participant voice, elevating Black educator leadership, and inspiring future cohorts.
Travel Dates
Travel will take place in July or August 2026. Specific dates will be based on cohort availability and flight rates, and finalized before April 2026. Participants have a chance to indicate availability on interest survey.
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These self-paced milestones ensure participant safety, readiness, cultural grounding, and clarity of purpose.
Passport requirements (if needed: February-March 2026)
Ensure travel documents are current and ready for international travel, with guidance for first-time passport holders.
Visa preparation (March-April 2026)
Step-by-step support for securing required entry documentation for Ghana, with clear timelines and templates.Vaccination and health appointments (February–May 2026)
Guidance for scheduling required and recommended vaccines, plus health considerations for international travel.Legacy Project planning & execution (August–October 2026)
Develop, refine, and deliver your personalized Legacy Project.
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The TitheWell invests $4,000 to cover:
Roundtrip flight from local airport
Hotel accommodations for 7 days, 6 nights in Ghana (double occupancy)
Tickets for sponsored excursions/tours in Ghana
Travel insurance
Participants invest $500 to cover:
Tips for local hosts
Donations to Ghanian school partners
Participant cost is payable in full upon acceptance to the cohort or via monthly payment plan.
Additional participant expenses not covered by program costs:
*required Yellow fever vaccine (costs vary depending on health insurance)
*required Malaria pills (costs vary depending on health insurance)
Travel Visa
Daily meals & beverages while in Ghana
25% additional cost for solo room (if preferred)
Transportation to/from local airport
Personal souvenirs
Personal expenses
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Click here to view the itinerary for Cohort 1!
*Unless otherwise noted, all meals are at the personal expense of the participant
Day 1. Arrive in Accra. Free private transfer from airport to the Lapalm Royal Beach hotel (or equivalent). Check-in, rest and get settled. Community dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 2. City tour of Accra and visit to Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Enjoy lunch and visit the Accra Arts Centre for handmade craftworks. Afternoon visit to the WEB Dubois Memorial Center for Pan African History and Culture. Depart for the city of Akropong and check into Kwayisibea Hotel (or equivalent).
Day 3. Sunrise yoga and breakfast. Visit a local school to connect with students and teachers, then enjoy lunch at Boti Falls. Return to hotel for group dinner with local teachers (provided).
Day 4. Sunrise yoga and breakfast. Group coaching with cohort. Check out of hotel in the afternoon and depart to Elmina, Ghana (4 hour ride in private shuttle). Check into Elmina Beach Resort (or equivalent), enjoy dinner and rest for the night.
Day 5. Enjoy breakfast and visit Assin Manso (River of the Last Bath for Enslaved Africans) and the Cape Coast Slave Dungeons. After lunch, engage in a traditional naming ceremony. Return to hotel for community debrief & dinner.
Day 6. Sunrise yoga and breakfast. Check out of hotel and visit the Kakum National Park before travel back to Accra (4-hour ride in private shuttle). Check back into Lapalm Royal Beach hotel (or equivalent) and engage in community debrief.
Day 7. Sunrise yoga and group debrief before transfer to airport for flight back to USA.
Nye Trusty
CEO
Retention Strategist
Wellbeing & Belonging Expert
For over a decade, Nye Trusty’s work as a teacher, leadership development coach, and facilitators has helped shape student, teacher, and school outcomes in communities across Maryland, D.C., Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, El Salvador, Mexico, and Brazil.
As a certified Yoga Instructor (CYT-200) and Holistic Life Coach, Nye Trusty blends classroom experience, trauma-informed practice, and embodied wellness tools to help schools retain their best educators and sustain student achievement.
Ghana holds a very special place in Nye’s heart, being the last place her West African Ancestors would’ve touched African soil before being enslaved in the Americas. She has traveled to four African countries— Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania— and visited Ghana twice.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The flight to Ghana from the USA can take anywhere from 10-20 hours, depending on origin and layovers.
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Cohort will travel to Ghana in July or August 2026. Dates will be selected based on cohort availability and flight prices. Participants will indicate availability on our Interest Form and our team will carefully consider availability when booking flights. Flights will be finalized by April 2026.
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Our immersive learning retreat will consist of:
Visits to local sites/landmarks
Community service at a local school
Community dinner with local teachers
Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness
Cohort debriefs and gatherings
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Ghana is a very safe and friendly country. As with any other location, participants should exercise caution and increased vigilance to maintain personal safety.
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Cost per meal will vary significantly based on dietary preferences, but participants should expect to spend about $25-$50 per day on meals.
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We will review our packing list during our first group coaching session. Ghanian weather in July/August is humid with occasional rain showers. Participants can expect temperatures to reach around 80 degrees F.
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Participants will need the Yellow Fever Vaccine (one-time shot) and a supply of malaria pills. Immunizations and medications are at the participant’s own expense and covered by most insurance plans.
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Only four educators from the same school/organization will be selected to engage on this learning journey as a cohort. The Tubman Project is designed to empower deep, transformative change within schools and organizations. As such, each cohort is intimately crafted and customized according to context.
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There will be two virtual 1:1 coaching sessions- one at the start of the cohort and one following our return from Ghana.
During the pre-trip coaching session, participants will explore concepts of Self and Synergy by exploring their personal and professional narratives, clarifying their own intentions, and defining their community.
The post-trip coaching session focuses on Service by reflecting on lessons learned during the cohort experience and preparing participants to complete their Legacy Project.
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Live, virtual group coaching sessions will guide the cohort through concepts of Self, Synergy, and Service. Each session will weave mindfulness, storytelling, guided reflection, cultural learning, and group dialogue to strengthen community connection and develop shared vision.
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All 1:1 and group coaching sessions are conducted virtually.
The community sendoff in July may be virtual or in-person. Plans will be finalized in May 2026.
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The TitheWell invests $4,000 to cover:
Roundtrip flight from local airport
Hotel accommodations for 7 days, 6 nights in Ghana (double occupancy)
Tickets for sponsored excursions/tours in Ghana
Travel insurance
Participants invest $500 to cover:
Tips for local hosts
Donations to Ghanian school partners
Participant cost is payable in full upon acceptance to the cohort or via monthly payment plan.
Additional participant expenses not covered by program costs:
*required Yellow fever vaccine (costs vary depending on health insurance)
*required Malaria pills (costs vary depending on health insurance)
Travel Visa
Daily meals & beverages while in Ghana
25% additional cost for solo room (if preferred)
Transportation to/from local airport
Personal souvenirs
Personal expenses
-
The TitheWell provides multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to improve educator wellbeing and retention. The Tubman Project is a Tier 3 service providing intensive, focused support for educators working within specific contexts. We provide other programs focused on specific demographics and contexts.
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The cohort journey is designed to help teams of educators deepen impact within their specific learning/working context. If there is not enough interest in your school/organization at this time, stay tuned for future opportunities!
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A Legacy Project is your opportunity to transform theory into action and share your learning with your larger community. All participants will complete a Legacy Project by October 2026. Examples of a Legacy Project could include:
Launching a new club/program
Sponsoring a community event/assembly
Creating an exhibit or social media campaign
Participating in a podcast or interview
Leading a classroom lesson
Writing a newsletter or blog
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We understand that life happens and plans change. However, by participating in The Tubman Project, participants are agreeing to remain in their current role for the duration of the 2026-2027 school year. If you’re unsure, we encourage you to reserve participation until you feel confident!
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Yes! Your school/organization can cover participant fees by making a donation to The TitheWell in your name. Once accepted into the cohort, you’ll receive further instructions.
Ready to nominate your team of educators for a transformational journey?
The 2026 application season has ended.
Sign up for our email list to be the first to know when our next round of applications launch!