In this 37-hour virtual course, faculty teaching in Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) learn to utilize the principles of culturally responsive teaching to inform and guide their instructional decisions and course environment to benefit Latinx/é students in HSIs. 

In the initial summer retreat, faculty conduct an equity audit of their own learning environments and reflect on how to further improve their current Latinx/é  student learning outcomes and equity.  Faculty learn about Latinx/é cultural frameworks and the historical marginalization of these frameworks, and how research on relationships, learning neuroscience, assessments, and academic validation can eradicate bias and support Latinx/é student success. In addition, faculty complete several reflective exercises that increase their understanding of their cultural selves, resulting in a self-awareness that improves their empathy for and relationships with students. They also create a plan for changing their instruction in a course they teach in the fall by selecting and implementing high-impact strategies to actively address the cultural disconnects that often occur between institutions and Latinx/é college students, creating higher levels of educational opportunity and learning for Latinx/és.

The program continues after the summer retreat as faculty apply ideas from the retreat to improve student engagement and learning in a course they are actively teaching, and use the provided metrics, observation protocols, and surveys to make shifts and then measure the impacts of those shifts as they implement them.  During this time, ESCALA Faculty Peer Coaches work closely with the participants to give feedback. The reflective coaching process ESCALA uses improves the chances that faculty will follow through with trying out their project ideas and overcoming implementation roadblocks.