Toledo Excel Hosting Oct. 2 Leadership Retreat for Students in Program

September 28, 2021 | News, UToday
By Staff



Toledo Excel is hosting a Leadership Retreat for Toledo Excel Groups XXXII and XXXIII on Saturday, Oct. 2.

The retreat’s special presenter is Tiffany Loftin, who, until early 2021, served as the National Director for the Youth and College Division at the NAACP. Her mission was to train, organize and uplift young Black leaders everywhere who fought for the racial, social and economic equity of all people. Loftin designed the retreat curriculum specifically for Toledo Excel.

Loftin

“Tiffany D. Loftin is one of the most dynamic young leaders in the nation,” said David Young, director of Toledo Excel and Special Projects. “We are thrilled to have her for a day of engagement with our Toledo Excel students.”

In addition to Loftin, the Leadership Retreat will feature Toledo Excel alumni speaking to students about their own “Excel stories” and Excel tradition.

Scheduled from 8:30 am to 5 p.m. in the Thompson Student Union Auditorium, the Leadership Retreat is only for registered Toledo Excel students.

“Groups XXXII and XXXIII could not have the usual immersion experience for Toledo Excel because their on-campus institutes were canceled due to COVID-19,” Young said. “They only had a virtual experience and so never lived in UToledo residence halls or attended classes on campus as all other Toledo Excel groups have done over the 33-year history of the program.”

Loftin has 12 years of experience with training and curriculum creation, campaign organizing and program production. In 2020 she coordinated 40-plus trainings nationwide for more than 15,000 people. In addition, she worked with Planned Parenthood to train more than 400 college leaders in basic advocacy and organizational development in a virtual five-part series to focus on campaigns that they were working on at the local level.

She also helped created coalitions with community organizations like Black Lives Matter, Dream Defenders, and United We Dream, and then coordinated a national commission of 30 national presidents and vice presidents to meet with local community leaders to address the issues of police brutality, healthcare and worker’s wages.

Most recently, she served as one of the lead organizers of the March on Washington for Voting Rights on Aug. 28, 2021.

Since it began in 1988, Toledo Excel, a scholarship incentive program at The University of Toledo, has been striving to prepare underrepresented students for success in college. The retreat is made possible through a $20,000 grant from the FCA Foundation.

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