CRI Institute @ Buffalo State University
Let’s design learning youth can carry with them.
CRI Institute @ Buffalo State University
The CRI Institute @ Buffalo State University is a 3-day professional learning experience where teachers and teacher leaders learn and apply the CRI Framework to design culturally relevant, inquiry-driven units using the curriculum they already teach. CRI Design Participants will...
- Engage in hands-on design sessions;
- Experience high-leverage instructional practices;
- Receive structured feedback throughout the process;
- Collaborate with educators across schools and districts; and
- Contribute to and access a repository of CRI exemplars and resources.
Every session moves CRI Design Participants from idea to action.
Over the years, thousands of educators across New York State have participated in CRI workshops, seminars, and other related professional learning experiences. The CRI Institute brings together the collective classroom wisdom cultivated through teaching and learning alongside amazing teachers and teacher leaders in a focused, hands-on curriculum design experience.
What is CRI?
Culturally Relevant Inquiry (CRI) is an evidenced-based design framework for learning and teaching that affords teachers and teacher leaders the opportunity to reimagine their curriculum as inquiry-driven, so that youth have a more meaningful learning experience. Rooted in the expansive intellectual work of Gloria Ladson-Billings, originator of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, CRI invites students of all ages to think deeply, create boldly, and connect learning to the world they live in.
What makes the CRI Institute unique?
The CRI Institute operates as a curriculum design studio where participants bring a set of lessons, a unit of study, and/or a mentor text and then apply the CRI Framework to produce inquiry-driven learning experiences with and for youth.
By the end of our institute, CRI Design Participants will have a unit of study that builds on Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, draws upon NYSED’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, meets select competencies of the Portrait of a Graduate, and aligns with the latest research on the Science of Learning.
The CRI Institute is not a typical sit-and-get professional development. It is a curriculum design studio for building learning that students carry with them today, tomorrow, and into the future.
Who is the CRI Institute for?
The CRI Institute is for teachers and teacher leaders who...
- Want deeper engagement without lowering rigor;
- Believe identity and intellect belong in the same space;
- Understand that inquiry is a powerful tool to enhance youth learning; and
- Are ready to design, not just deliver, curriculum.
CRI Institute Outcomes
In three days, CRI Design Participants won’t just learn; they’ll leave with . . .
- A culturally relevant, inquiry-driven redesign of existing curriculum;
- A CRI Design Implementation Guide for immediate classroom use;
- A professional CRI Design Poster for sharing with colleagues and school/district leadership; and
- A complete CRI Design Portfolio with actionable resources.
These artifacts will be ready to use . . . Day One!
In addition, CRI Design Participants will...
- Earn 15 CTLE Hours and
- Have the option to enroll in graduate credit.
Want to attend the CRI Institute @ Buffalo State University?
Dates: July 14th through 16th
Time: 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Location: Buffalo State University, Butler Library
Meals and Parking: We will provide a continental breakfast, lunch, and a parking pass to each participant.
Early Registration Rate: $795.00 (until May 15th)
Inaugural Registration Rate: $995.00 (standard rate: $1195.00)
Participation is limited to approximately 36 educators to preserve a high-quality design experience. Spots typically fill quickly once registration opens.
About the Founder & Executive Director of the CRI Institute
Dr. Jevon D. Hunter is the Woods-Beals Endowed Chair for Urban Education and Professor at Buffalo State University and creator of the Culturally Relevant Inquiry (CRI) Framework. An award-winning author, he has worked with thousands of educators across New York State. His work centers a simple belief: Joyful learning can be unapologetically intellectually rigorous, culturally grounded, and deeply meaningful so that young people can shine in school and life.
Contact Us
Have questions about the CRI Institute or team registration? Please contact us at 716-878-5907 to cps@buffalostate.edu!