WILD LEADERSHIP

A Retreat for Education Leaders

October 26 – 28, 2023 Albuquerque, NM

What happens when we lead with a sense of wild possibility? What emerges when we shift the wild ride of leadership from something stressful or out of control to something wonderfully innovative and full of heart?

What is Wild Leadership?

For nearly a decade, we’ve convened education leaders from across New Mexico and the United States for a restorative and inspirational retreat grounded in both scholarship and heart. The retreat centers around the Sofia Center’s principles of Wild Leadership, each informed by diverse education scholars, visionary thinkers, and practitioners — and each offering a pathway for leading with wisdom and courage.

Join us to:

Rethink your leadership practice through the principles of Wild Leadership
Connect with a vibrant constellation of education leaders
Dive into compelling ideas rooted in education scholarship
Replenish through expertly-guided play & movement
Expand your leadership toolkit
Tend your educator heart
Nourish yourself through optional Yoga & Mindfulness
Enjoy healthy and delicious food & drink

Register Now

Learn more about your hosts

Retreat Logistics & Registration

WHEN: Thursday, Oct 26, 4:00 p.m. — Saturday, Oct 28, 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Albuquerque Museum in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico.

COST: Registration includes all food & drink, materials, & optional wellness sessions. Lodging and travel are not included; see options in drop-down menu.

Early-Bird: $485 (Ongoing)
Regular: $585 (We have extended the early-bird rate!)

SCHOLARSHIPS: Thanks to our donors, sponsors, and partners, we are able to offer this retreat at the above price, as well as offer scholarship funds to further increase accessibility. You will find the scholarship request form in the drop-down menu to the right. Requests accepted on a rolling basis.

Each year’s cohort includes education leaders working in public, independent, and charter schools, pre-K through University level, along with education leaders working in social profit and public organizations. Participants hold diverse positions: heads of school, principals, deans, instructional coaches, department leaders, and teacher leaders.
Schools/orgs represented at past retreats include: Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico schools from Taos to Silver City to Grants, Independent Schools from Oakland to Chicago to Madison, BIE’s Many Farms Community School in Arizona, Higher Ed Institutions such as Prescott College and UNM, LANL Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, CYFD, and more.
The retreat will take place at the beautiful Albuquerque Museum, starting with a reception and opening session on Thursday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday evenings include retreat activities and dinner. Please consider the evenings an essential part of the retreat experience.
Heritage Hotels
Hotel Albuquerque and Hotel Chaco are next door to each other and located in the heart of Albuquerque, within walking distance or a short ride of the retreat headquarters at the Albuquerque Museum. Old Town, Sawmill Market, and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center are all nearby.
Use the links below for a 30% discounted event rate based on current online prices.
Click Here to Reserve a Room at Hotel Albuquerque
Click Here to Reserve a Room at Hotel Chaco
We highly recommend reserving your room early, as both hotels will be very popular in October.

Other Lodging Recommendations:

Sarabande Bed & Breakfast on Rio Grande (15 minutes from the museum)
TownePlace Suites by Marriott on 12th (less than 10 minutes from the museum)
Holiday Inn Express on 12th (less than 10 from the museum)
There are also plenty of nearby AirBnB or VRBO rentals.
Thank you for your interest in Wild Leadership. Please complete this scholarship request, and we will get back to you within a week.

Register today!

What people are saying…

“Every single element was wonderful! It was one of the best PD experiences I've ever had! I didn't want it to end. Everyone that attended and facilitated was authentic in a way that I've never experienced before.”

— Jacqueline, Head Royce School in Oakland, California, 2021 Cohort

“Teachers are not often seen as leaders in the education system. Instead, this title is attributed to administration, instructional coaches, or higher education faculty. Teachers feel underappreciated and overworked. Am I a leader? The Sofia Center Wild Leadership Retreat made me feel worthy of this type of thinking and reflection. I felt appreciated and celebrated, a feeling that not enough teachers have the chance to experience. I am grateful to the Sofia Center for believing in the power of teacher leadership and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the retreat experience with education leaders - yes, like myself.”

— Ivonne Orozco, 2018 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, 2019 Cohort

“For me as a leader, this retreat was right on time. The culmination of a year filled with so much sadness and harm will be processed for many days to come. Exploring the guiding principles, writing about them, moving our bodies, sharing space with other educators, listening, speaking, drawing, painting, sculpting and 'chiseling thought' in new ways gives me hope for the days to come. The diversity of expression in this retreat welcomes the educator spirit with open arms and I am deeply grateful for this warm hug.”

— Siobhan, WLRP Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project in Mashpee, MA, 2021 Cohort

“I am leading differently as a result of participating in this retreat for several years. I ground myself in the pillars of wild leadership, and each year I set goals to improve in one of the pillars — setting the stage by being more intentional about staff meetings; having courageous conversations around race, equity, identity, and implicit bias; building my mindfulness practice.”

— Jenn, South Valley Academy in Albuquerque, NM, 2019 Cohort & Previous