Virtual RECI Cohort: Fall 2026

Fifteen Sessions. Six spheres. One cohort.

Racial equity consciousness is not a disposition you either have or lack. It is a capability, and capabilities are built through structured practice over time. This is that practice: fifteen ninety-minute sessions, working through all six bilateral spheres of the RECI framework alongside a cohort doing the same.

Click here to register for Fall 2026

General Information
When: Tuesdays, Sept 8 to Dec 15, 2026	Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
Sessions: 15, weekly	Format: Fully virtual
Cost: Free	Open to: Everyone, no affiliation needed
You earn: Certificate at 12 of 15 attended and submission of narrative Zine

The Curriculum: Two sessions per sphere, in sequence

Each sphere pairs an awareness dimension with an action dimension. Recognizing racial oppression without advancing racial liberation is spectatorship. Advancing liberation without recognizing oppression is improvisation.

The Six Bilateral Spheres
Sphere	Awareness	Action
1. Recognizing Racial Oppression and Advancing Racial Liberation	Identify the structures that produce and sustain racial oppression, including the ones that look neutral from inside	Pursue concrete pathways toward liberation where you have influence
2. Examining Racial Identities and Addressing Racial Biases	Examine how racial identity forms and how ordinary socialization produces bias	Confront and transform those biases using cognitive behavioral technique rather than willpower or guilt
3. Embracing Racial Diversity and Growing Racial Literacy	Engage the actual complexity of racial diversity past the flattening that diversity language produces	Build the vocabulary and competency to navigate racial dynamics with skill instead of avoidance
4. Building Racial Empathy and Enhancing Racial Stamina	Understand and share in the racial experiences of others without collapsing them into your own	Build the endurance to stay engaged over years, not weeks. This is where most equity work fails
5. Acknowledging Racial Trauma and Fostering Racial Healing	Name and validate the trauma racism produces, including its physiological dimensions	Practice evidence-based and culturally grounded pathways toward healing
6. Gauging Racial Inequities and Championing Racial Justice	Measure and document racial inequities with rigor, so claims can be defended with evidence	Champion the specific policies and actions that move the numbers you measured

Fall 2026: The full schedule

Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET. Sessions through October 27 run on Eastern Daylight Time; from November 3 onward they run on Eastern Standard Time. If you are joining from outside the Eastern zone, check your local time after November 1.

Fifteen weekly sessions, September 8 to December 15, 2026
#	Date	Session
1	Tue, Sept 8	Orientation and the Foundations of This Work
2	Tue, Sept 15	The Architecture of Consciousness
3	Tue, Sept 22	Recognizing Racial Oppression
4	Tue, Sept 29	Advancing Racial Liberation
5	Tue, Oct 6	Examining Racial Identities
6	Tue, Oct 13	Addressing Racial Biases
7	Tue, Oct 20	Embracing Racial Diversity
8	Tue, Oct 27	Growing Racial Literacy
9	Tue, Nov 3	Building Racial Empathy *Election Day
10	Tue, Nov 10	Enhancing Racial Stamina
11	Tue, Nov 17	Acknowledging Racial Trauma
12	Tue, Nov 24	Fostering Racial Healing
13	Tue, Dec 1	Gauging Racial Inequities
14	Tue, Dec 8	Championing Racial Justice
15	Tue, Dec 15	Closing Session: Integration, Praxis, and the Path Forward

Who it is for

Anyone committed to learning, growth, and fostering equity in their personal or professional communities.

Educators, clinicians, and social workers who meet racial dynamics in daily practice
Managers, HR professionals, and equity practitioners responsible for institutional change
Community leaders, organizers, and faith leaders
Students and researchers building a foundation for this work
Anyone who has done a one-time training and found it insufficient

You do not need prior coursework, a particular role, or any connection to the University of Pittsburgh.

What we ask: Show up, and keep showing up

Attend. The cohort works because the same people return each week and build trust across four months. Certificate eligibility requires attending at least 12 of the 15 sessions.

Participate. Sessions include small group dialogue, reflective exercises, and discussion of assigned material. Review and complete session worksheets ahead of time.

Extend seriousness to everyone else in the room. The cohort includes people at very different points in this work, and it depends on that.

Frequently asked questions:

Is it really free?: Yes. No cost, no fees, no materials charge. RECI is a non-profit educational program of the University of Pittsburgh's Center on Race and Social Problems, and this cohort is supported by the Center and its donors.
Do I need to be affiliated with Pitt?: No. The cohort is open to everyone, and past participants have joined from across the country and internationally.
What if I miss a session?: You can miss up to three and remain eligible for the certificate.
Is there work between sessions?: Prior to each session, an email will be distributed with information on a reflection assignment you should complete for the upcoming session. The culminating assignment for the cohort is your Racial Equity Consciousness (REC) Narrative Zine.
Can my whole team join together?: Yes, and teams often get more out of it because they can apply the framework to a shared context.
What happens after the cohort ends?: Participants keep access to the RECI resource base, and many continue meeting as a practice group. The Racial Equity Collaboratory website is another way to stay connected after the cohort. Individuals are welcome to create an account, share your own work (reflections, zines, write-ups, podcasts, art, and more) and keep building relationships with others in the space.
Will this be offered again?: Yes. We run two cohorts a year, one in the spring and one in the fall.

Contact Us

Questions? Email us at RECI@pitt.edu