Umoja Community Education Foundation, Inc.

Episode 6 of On Leadership with Eric Mayes Ph.D., Ed.M. is now live. What Is the Role of Mentorship? Validation opens the door. Mentorship walks you through it. After someone has been seen, affirmed, and grounded in who they are, the next question becomes: who is guiding them forward? Who invested in their development before they ever held a title? Who stayed in relationship long enough to shape not just their skills, but their character? In Episode 6, Dr. Mayes explores what mentorship truly means in the context of leadership. As CEO of the Umoja Community Education Foundation, he draws from a lifetime of relational leadership to speak honestly about guidance, development, and the kind of intentional formation that titles and training programs cannot replicate. The leaders we become are inseparable from the relationships that shaped us. That is not coincidence. That is mentorship working exactly as it should. New episodes drop every Monday at 8am EST on LinkedIn. One question. Real answers. Every week. Watch, share, and bring a colleague into the conversation. Leadership is not a solo journey. Visit the link to view, like, and subscribe to our "On Leadership" YouTube Playlist. https://lnkd.in/gGWW9RF4 #OnLeadership #UmojaCommunity #DrEricMayes #BlackLeadership #HigherEducation #LeadershipDevelopment #CommunityCollege #Mentorship #EducationalLeadership #Umoja

The CONTINUED success of our scholars is "Everybody's Business!" Hear firsthand from newest members of the Umoja Alunmi Association why it's important donate, support, and fuel young people that are infused with the Sankofa Spirit of reaching back and preparing the next generation of scholars to follow. If you are a graduate from a Umoja Program and you are looking to reconnect with like-minded people, feel the Ethic of Love, and embrace the power of the Umoja Base, join the Umoja Alumni Association today! Ask your coordinator for the information or head to the Umoja Website to apply today. (Umoja Website - click our impact - click Umoja Alumni Association) https://lnkd.in/gQvNPtVG https://lnkd.in/ezwuhcwi #Umoja #umojaalumni #umojacommunity

The Moore Family Scholarship application window closes in just 2 weeks — May 22, 2026 — and we're calling on the entire Umoja network to help get the word out. Two Umoja Scholars will receive scholarship support to transfer to an HBCU through the California Community Colleges HBCU Transfer Guarantee. This scholarship honors the legacy of E. Elaine Moore, a Founder and Charter Member of the Umoja Community whose life's work was rooted in educational equity and Black excellence. Every application submitted carries that legacy forward. If you work alongside Umoja-affiliated students, coordinate with a campus program, or simply know a scholar who needs to see this — please share it widely. 📅 Apply by May 22, 2026 📋 5 finalists selected for a Zoom interview (June 22–26) 🎓 Winners celebrated at the 2026 Umoja Conference Congratulations again to our 2025 recipients Davion Bacchas (Talladega College) and Nia McClean (Bowie State University) for leading the way. 🙌🏾 Click here to learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/gseB5s2n #UmojaCommunity #MooreFamilyScholarship #HBCUBound #UmojaScholars #BlackExcellence #EverybodysBusiness #Umoja2026

Episode 5 of On Leadership with Eric Mayes Ph.D., Ed.M. is now live. The Power of Validation. Before a person can lead others, they need to know they belong. Before they can give affirmation, they need to have received it. Before identity can be carried into leadership, it has to be formed somewhere. In Episode 5, Dr. Mayes brings the conversation back to the human center. As CEO of the Umoja Community Education Foundation, he speaks to what so many leadership frameworks overlook: that belonging, affirmation, and identity formation are not soft topics. They are the foundation. When people feel seen, they lead differently. When communities affirm their own, they build differently. That is not sentiment. That is strategy. New episodes drop every Monday at 8am EST on LinkedIn. One question. Real answers. Every week. Watch, share, and bring a colleague into the conversation. Leadership is not a solo journey. Visit the link to view, like, and subscribe to our "On Leadership" YouTube Playlist. https://lnkd.in/gGWW9RF4 #OnLeadership #UmojaCommunity #DrEricMayes #BlackLeadership #HigherEducation #LeadershipDevelopment #CommunityCollege #ThePowerOfValidation #EducationalLeadership #Umoja

We are deeply grateful. Today, on Big Day of Giving 2026, the Umoja community came together in a powerful way, joining us in person at our Open House and tuning in via Instagram Live from across the state and beyond. Together, we raised $5,585 in a single day. That number represents more than a fundraising milestone. It represents a collective commitment to African-centered education, student belonging, and the futures of Umoja Scholars at California community colleges statewide. Because the success of our scholars is everybody’s business. To every donor, every attendee, every person who shared our campaign or simply showed up in spirit: Asante sana. Thank you. Your generosity fuels the work. And the work changes lives. If you’d like to continue supporting Umoja Scholars beyond today, monthly giving is a meaningful way to make a lasting impact. Visit our donation page via the link below. https://lnkd.in/gzaibp6S #BDOG2026 #BuildingTheVillage #EverybodysBusiness #UmojaStrong #UmojaScholarsRise #AfricanCenteredEducation #CaliforniaCommunityColleges #StudentSuccess

We are in the final hours of the Big Day of Giving and the UCEF community is this close. $4,185 raised. Halfway to our $10,000 goal. The Umoja Community Education Foundation has spent decades building the infrastructure for African American student success across California's community colleges. The scholars we serve don't just need our belief, they need our investment. That's why we say it plainly: The success of our scholars is everybody's business. If you've been meaning to give, today is the moment. If you know someone who believes in equity-centered education, send them this post. One share can unlock a donor we haven't reached yet. We have until midnight. Let's close this out together. Donate today → https://lnkd.in/gzaibp6S #BigDayOfGiving #UCEF #CommunityColleges #AfricanCenteredEducation #EdEquity #UmojaStrong #GiveNow #ScholarSuccess

TODAY IS BIG DAY OF GIVING!!! Come through to the Umoja Community Big Day of Giving Open House starting at 10 AM to 4 PM at our central office, 1801 7th St, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95811. Meet the team. See the work up close. And witness what it really looks like when our scholars’ success is Everybody’s Business. Can’t make it in person? We will be live on IG from 12 PM to 2 PM so you can still be part of the moment. Scan the QR code in our flyer to donate. TODAY IS THE DAY to make your gift count for Umoja scholars on one of the biggest giving days of the year. Remember, “The Success of Our Scholars is Everybody’s Business.” Show up for our scholars, make it YOUR business today!!! Click the link to donate below: https://lnkd.in/gzaibp6S #BDOG2026 #BigDayOfGiving #BuildingTheVillage #EverybodysBusiness #UmojaCommunity OpenHouse UmojaFamily AfricanCenteredEducation

Over 200 students gathered at the NorCal Symposium at Sac State this April; they didn't just attend. They contributed. Through Umoja's Gifting practice, students become teachers, passing wisdom forward to their peers, families, and communities. At this year's symposium, that looked like a collective poem. Written together. Rooted in identity, culture, and the Umoja experience. Ubuntu Umoja was co-authored by scholars, coordinators, and counselors who gifted their words through a shared writing survey. Vernon C. Lindsay, Ph.D. shares the draft in the latest Umoja Perspectives blog, along with recognition of every student coauthor. The final poem will be published in The Drumbeat, Umoja's flagship journal. Read the full entry at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gWVAFRU6 #UmojaCommunity #UmojaPerspectives #UbuntuUmoja #Gifting #AfricanCenteredEducation #BlackEducators #NorCalSymposium #CommunityCollege

THREE DAYS AWAY and Umoja Community Education Foundation's Central Office is ready to open its doors!!! Join us for the Umoja Community Big Day of Giving Open House this Thursday, May 7th from 10 AM to 4 PM at 1801 7th St, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95811. This is your opportunity to step inside the space where the work happens, connect with our team, and see firsthand how Umoja is changing the trajectory of community college scholars across Northern California through African-centered education and the power of community. Can not be there in person? Tune into our IG Live from 12 PM to 2 PM and still be part of the moment. Scan the QR code in our flyer to make your Big Day of Giving donation. Every gift moves our scholars closer to the futures they deserve. Every person who shows up, in the room or online, strengthens the village. That is what Everybody's Business looks like. See you Thursday. Click the link to donate today: https://lnkd.in/gzaibp6S #BDOG2026 #BigDayOfGiving #BuildingTheVillage #EverybodysBusiness #UmojaCommunity #OpenHouse #AfricanCenteredEducation #StudentSuccess

The latest episode of On Leadership with Dr. Eric Mayes Ph.D., Ed.M. is now available, and this conversation goes somewhere most leadership content never does. How does hate impact leadership? For those leading at the intersection of education and equity, this is not a hypothetical. It is lived experience. In this episode, Dr. Mayes speaks directly to what it looks like to carry a mission forward when external forces are actively working against it, and how grounded, purpose-driven leadership is the response. This is the kind of honest, courageous conversation that the field needs more of. Whether you are a coordinator, administrator, educator, or community advocate, this episode is for you. Watch now and share with a leader who needs to hear this. #OnLeadershipWithDrMayes #UmojaCommunity #LeadWithPurpose #EducationalEquity #DrEricMayes #CommunityColleges #EverybodysBusiness