Summer Institute (RESI)

Teachers College, Columbia University has a faculty with more expertise on issues of race and education than many other graduate schools of education, whose work in the field individually and collectively seeks to reimagine education for a more racially just society. The faculty along with TC graduate students work together under the leadership of their colleague Amy Stuart Wells to co-construct the Reimagining Education Summer Institute (RESI) as an annual three-day professional development institute held in July in New York City and online. Each year, the team comes together to reserve space for the learning community to explore, make sense of, and provide tangible support to reimagine education for a more racially just society. RESI has grown from 130 participants in 2016 to 1,200 in 2020. Over the years, participants have come from schools in 30 different states and several countries, including Egypt, Brazil, Canada, Spain, and China. The three-day Institute is organized around four themes of Why Reimagine? Racial and Cultural Literacy, Equity Pedagogy, and Culturally Responsive Leadership. How can you prepare to address the educational inequalities and widening opportunity gap worsened by the pandemic? How can you lead the much-needed shift in our field away from an over-reliance on standardized tests and toward a more student-centered focus on teaching and learning?

Teachers College’s Reimagining Education: Teaching, Learning and Leading for a Racially Just Society Summer Institute provides the knowledge, support and community of professionals you need to become a racially literate and culturally relevant educator. Without these tools, you cannot support your students’ academic, social and emotional well-being or address injustice in our educational system and society. The future of our diverse democracy and the inter-cultural understanding needed to sustain it depends on our schools’ ability to do the required work to educate and integrate.

Our beloved summer institute, RESI, is back for our 10th year! Professional development will be held from July 12-17, 2026. 

During this weeklong conference, educators can take advantage of affordable professional development to earn their PD credits, while any participating students may also have the option to earn 3 graduate credits towards their studies.

The pool parties, or small-group dialogue sessions, are spaces where participants deepen their learning and build community with others. Similar to school homerooms, each pool party is composed of a diverse group of participants. The facilitator(s) meet with the same group daily to lead the participants through activities designed for engagement with the week’s content, connection with other participants, and self-reflection. Educators explore how insights gained from workshops and plenaries will actively inform their own practice. Participants will be encouraged to engage in critical conversations in order to challenge assumptions and spark innovation for their work moving forward. Participants emerge with a vision of reimagined education and the understanding needed to realize this vision.

To request disability-related accommodations, please fill out the Accommodations Request Form or contact the Office of Access and Services for Individuals with Disabilities (OASID) at oasid@tc.edu, (212) 678-3689, (646) 755-3144 video phone, as early as possible.

ASL interpreters and CART will be provided for Keynote, Plenaries, and Public Teach-in and Policy Dialogue. Please contact oasid@tc.columbia.edu for other disability-related access needs.

Welcome to Guest Housing at Teachers College, Columbia University!  We offer accommodations to students, families, guests, staff, faculty members and affiliates of the Columbia community.  

We are located at 517 West 121st Street, only steps away from the Columbia University community and a short walk to local eateries, shopping areas and subway stations. Our building includes 21 guest rooms designed to bring a feeling of comfort and relaxation to our guests.

The Office of Residential Services strives to achieve satisfaction for our guests by applying our service standards and unparalleled dedication. We will work continuously to exceed your expectations by anticipating your needs and improving our quality guiding principles. The values you can expect from our staff, establishment and community are: Appreciation, Respect, Integrity, Safety & Security.

Please Note: All guests must follow TC's visitor policy in order to enter campus.

To make a reservation you can view availability and book online:

Guest Housing | Guest and Summer Housing | Office of Residential Services | Teachers College, Columbia University

Need an accommodation outside of TC?

The Office of Residential Services provides this listing only as a resource, and we cannot endorse any particular property or service as they are not affiliated with Teachers College. Columbia University also maintains an accommodations list for hotels on the Upper West Side. You can also visit hotel sites directly below.

Area Hotels

The Gorge at Columbia (Hilton)
412 West 126th Street
646-566-8888

Aloft Harlem
2296 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
212-749-4000

Hotel Belleclaire
250 West 77th Street
(212) 362.7700

Hotel Lucerne
201 West 79th Street (at Amsterdam Avenue)
(212) 875.1000

Hotel Beacon
2130 Broadway (at 75th Street)
(212) 787.1100

Hotel Newton
2528 Broadway (at 94th Street)
(212) 678.6500

Days Inn on Broadway
215 West 94th Street
(212) 866.6400

Riverside Tower Hotel
80 Riverside Drive
(212) 877.5200

Hostelling International New York
891 Amsterdam Ave (at 103rd Street)
(212) 932.2300

Parking Services

Spot Hero app - book parking garages in NYC

Park NYC app - pay for NYC parking meters

Here are a couple of ways to join us on campus this summer!

Three international airports connect with convenient bus and taxi New York City. From John F. Kennedy Airport and LaGuardia Airport, economical bus service to Grand Central Terminal and various Manhattan hotels is available. Also from LaGuardia Airport, there is a more direct bus service (M60) to West 116th Street and Broadway.

From Newark Airport, there is New Jersey Transit bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Although New York City cabs operate on mileage meters, cab fares can vary with traffic conditions. The average one-way fare from John F. Kennedy Airport is approximately $45.00, one way from LaGuardia Airport is about $25.00. Designated airport passenger pick-up areas usually have cab dispatchers available to assist you.

Online Resource(s)
Click here to access the New York City Airport Guide
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.ny.com/transportation/airports)

By Bus
Bus transportation into New York City from neighboring states and communities usually terminates at Port Authority Bus Terminal, at West 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue.

Within New York City, four bus routes include a stop at West 120th Street and Broadway (Teachers College): M4 (available from both Grand Central Station and Penn Station), M5, M11, and the M104 (available from the Port Authority Bus Terminal). The fare required is exact change in coins, Metropolitan Transit Authority token or Metrocard.

Online Resource(s)
Click here to visit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's website - Information about New York CityTransit, Long Island Rail Road, Long Island Bus, Metro-North Railroad as well as metropolitan bridges and tunnels
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.mta.info)

By Car
The Henry Hudson Parkway (West Side Highway) in New York City runs parallel to the Hudson River and offers convenient access to Teachers College. The highway can be reached from most of the main routes entering New York City. The nearest major highway link to it is Interstate Highway 95 (I-95).

Whether driving north or south on the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway, exit at 95th Street. At the first traffic light, turn north (left) onto Riverside Drive; at 120th Street turn east (right) and go two blocks east to the College. The main entrance is located midway between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, on the north side of West 120th Street.

Parking
While West 120th Street offers metered parking on both sides of the street, parking on New York City streets in the Columbia University area is limited.
Nearby off-street parking facilities include:
(Please call garages directly for current prices and reservations)

• Morningside Garage, 3100 Broadway (at 123rd Street), (212) 864-9877
• E & B Operating Corp., 137 West 108th Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues), (212) 865-8315
• Park Yorkshire Garage, 151 West 108th Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues), (212) 865-2314
• Upper Westside Parking Garage, 234 West 108th Street (between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway), (212)222-8800
• Riverside Church Garage, 120th Street (between Riverside Drive and Claremont Avenue), (212) 870-6736
• Evening parking is available at Riverside Church (call (212) 866-1000

By Subway
The subway station serving Teachers College is the 116th Street stop of the IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue local. The No. 1 subway train (red line) are local trains serving this station. Be sure that you are on (or transfer to) the local line at the 96th Street Station. The express line (No. 2 or No. 3 trains) does not serve Columbia University.

There are subway entrances at Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. From Grand Central Station, the Shuttle (S) goes to "Times Square" 42nd Street, offering access to the No. 1 IRT Broadway Local trains going uptown.

Online Resource(s)
Click here to visit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's website - Information about New York CityTransit, Long Island Rail Road, Long Island Bus, Metro-North Railroad as well as metropolitan bridges and tunnels
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.mta.info)

Click here to visit the New York City Subway Resources website - Information on current and historical operations
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.nycsubway.org)

Click here to visit the New York Subway Finder website - Access subway directions to any Manhattan address
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.krusch.com/nysf.html)

By Train
Grand Central Terminal, which is located at East 42nd Street and Park Avenue, is the New York City terminus for two commuter trains, MetroNorth and Conrail, as well as some Amtrak trains from Canada and Upstate New York.

Penn Station, at West 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, is the New York City terminus for all other Amtrak service and the Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, and the New Jersey PATH train commuter lines.

Online Resource(s)
Click here to visit Amtrak's website
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.amtrak.com)

Click here to visit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's website - Information about New York CityTransit, Long Island Rail Road, Long Island Bus, Metro-North Railroad as well as metropolitan bridges and tunnels
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.mta.info)

Click here to visit the Long Island Railroad website
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.mta.info/lirr)

Click here to visit the New Jersey Transit website
(or copy and paste the following link into a new browser: http://www.njtransit.com/)