The Umoja XXII Annual Conference is Coming to Ontario, CA!
Voices of the Future III
Where Vision Becomes Legacy
Call for Proposals
Present at Umoja XXII
Share your practice with the Umoja community. Submission categories, session formats, review criteria, and deadlines are listed on the Whova submission portal.
Opens: July 19, 2026 • Closes: September 7, 2026 • Notifications: TBA
Amplifying the Voices of the Future
November 18–21, 2026 | Ontario Convention Center | Ontario, California
The Umoja Community Education Foundation is excited to announce that the Umoja XXII Annual Conference will take place November 18–21, 2026, at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California.
Following the tremendous success of last year's record-breaking conference, this year's conference will celebrate the brilliance, leadership, and transformative power of Umoja students while reaffirming our collective commitment to culturally grounded, student-centered education. As Umoja continues to expand its impact across California and beyond, the conference will serve as a dynamic gathering place for students, educators, administrators, researchers, wealth generators, and community partners and advocates dedicated to advancing Black student success in higher education.
The Umoja XXII Annual Conference will bring together attendees for four days of learning, inspiration, collaboration, and celebration!
New this year: students and community members who are not enrolled in an Umoja program can join us with a Community Invitation Ticket.
Four Days, One Movement
- Inspiring keynote speakers and thought leaders
- Interactive workshops and professional learning sessions
- Student leadership and engagement opportunities
- Networking and community-building experiences
- The return of UmojaCon — celebrating creativity, innovation, culture, and the future of Black excellence. New this year: the 1-Day Creators Pass
- African Marketplace — where eccentric finds from the continent and beyond are found
Join us in Ontario as we amplify the Voices of the Future and continue building a movement grounded in excellence, liberation, and belonging!
We saved a seat for you
Community Invitation Ticket. No Umoja affiliation required.
We are opening the doors wider. For the first time, students and community members who are not enrolled in an Umoja program are invited to the Umoja XXII Annual Conference, all four days, to share, learn, educate, and fellowship with us in Ontario.
There is a place for you if you are- A student exploring your future
- An educator, counselor, or administrator
- A parent, professional, or entrepreneur
- A community advocate
- Anyone who believes in the power of Black and other students and communities
Every Community Ticket covers all four days of conference programming, including keynotes, workshops, UmojaCon, and the African Marketplace. Rates subject to change.
Your ticket gives back. Every Community Ticket purchase goes back into the Umoja Community Education Foundation and the work of serving Umoja scholars across California's community colleges. When you take your seat, you help hold one open for our students too.
Scroll sideways for the full invitation.
UmojaCon 1-Day Creators Pass
Drawn from the Diaspora. Designed for the Culture.
$250 One badge. One day. Real access.
Only 100 passes. Purchase by October 15, 2026.
For the first time ever, you can step into UmojaCon without registering for the full four-day conference. Choose Thursday, November 19 or Friday, November 20 at checkout and spend the whole day inside the creative heart of Umoja XXII.
- Every UmojaCon session in rooms 105 and 106 on the first floor
- General Sessions in Exhibit Hall A
- Every vendor in Exhibit Hall B
- Creator's Kit: UmojaCon drawstring bag, T-shirt, notebook, stickers, and collectible giveaways
- Breakfast and lunch from Ontario Convention Center Catering
- That evening's Edutainment program
This pass is built for UmojaCon. It covers UmojaCon sessions and the General Sessions in Exhibit Hall A only, and does not include the conference's other breakout tracks.
Your pass gives back. Every Creators Pass purchase goes back into the Umoja Community Education Foundation and the work of serving Umoja scholars across California's community colleges. You get the day. Our scholars get the investment.
Scroll sideways for the full lineup.
Register First. Reserve Second.
Umoja Family, our conference hotel blocks are secured at seven properties near the Ontario Convention Center.
Hotel booking links are provided with your conference registration confirmation. Register first, and your access to the negotiated conference rates follows.
DoubleTree by Hilton Ontario Airport
$189 per night
Prioritize booking here. Rooms are first come, first served, and the property is a five minute walk from the Ontario Convention Center.
Other participating hotels
Nightly conference rates, held through the Umoja XXII block until October 20, 2026.
Two steps to get there
- Register for Umoja XXII.
- Use the booking links in your confirmation to reserve by October 20, 2026.
The success of our scholars is Everybody's Business, and that starts with getting the village in the room.
Questions about hotels and travel? Email events@umojacommunity.org
Four Days, Hour by Hour
This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Session titles, speakers, and room assignments will be posted in the Whova conference app as they are confirmed.
Wednesday, November 18 Pre-conference
Thursday, November 19
Ceremony, welcomes, and CEO opening charge
- Voices of the Future Track
- UmojaCon
- Umoja Practitioners Track
- High School Track
- Faculty Institute Track
Voices of the Future panel and Umoja Awards
Friday, November 20
Conference photo, Umoja Awards, and keynote speaker
- Umoja Practitioners Track
- High School Track
- Faculty Institute Track
Presidents panel and Umoja Awards
Saturday, November 21
Student panel, Village Exchange, keynote speaker, and closing ceremony
Ontario Convention Center • 2000 E Convention Center Way, Ontario, CA 91764
Conference App
The Whova conference app is open to registered attendees and holds the full agenda, speaker list, session details, and attendee networking. Register first, then sign in to the app with the same email you used to register.