The PhD Preparation Summit (PPS) is a program aimed at co-constructing a support network with and for post-baccalaureates with minoritized backgrounds that have been historically and severely underrepresented in the academy. The day-long workshop has two main purposes: ​1) to assist participants with preparing applications for submission to PhD programs within schools of education and 2) hold communal space for participants to bring and leverage their full identities in an academic setting​. Participants will continue to receive support post-workshop as they revise, complete, and submit their application. PPS participants will gain tangible resources, make connections with current education Ph.D. students, postdocs, and faculty members, and build lasting relationships with future colleagues. It is our hope that PPS provides a source of creativity, encouragement, and support as participants embark on the graduate school application process.

PPS co-founders, Aireale and Ashley, are PhD students at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. As Black women committed to doing academic work that is not only intellectually rigorous, but also of practical consequence, they deeply desired a community of future education scholars who also understood what is at stake in the work. So they created PPS.

Aireale's (she/her) research focuses on affecting pedagogical and institutional change at white serving institutions of higher education (WSIs) as it relates to equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion. Mainly, she is interested in the development of inclusive and expansive classroom learning environments at WSIs through the design and evaluation of faculty professional development experiences. Aireale holds a B.S. in Social Policy and an M.A. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy.

Ashley's (she/her) research highlights the race-related experiences of youth of color and implications for learning and developmental outcomes. She explores how these experiences manifest in a variety of social contexts including families, school, and online spaces. Ashley holds a B.S. in psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and a M.A. in Human Development and Applied Psychology from New York University.