Pride Empowerment Academy: Set to kick off 2026 with a New Cohort of Community Leaders

By Joslyn Hatfield

As a new year begins, San Diego Pride is proud to welcome a new cohort of the Pride Empowerment Academy (PEA) — a seven-month, cohort-based community organizing institute designed to cultivate LGBTQIA+ and allied leadership rooted in justice, connection, and collective power.

The Pride Empowerment Academy brings together community members from across San Diego County who are committed to strengthening advocacy, organizing skills, and relationship-building in service of a more just and inclusive future. At a time when LGBTQIA+ communities continue to face complex and evolving challenges, PEA reflects San Diego Pride’s belief that sustained, community-led leadership is essential to lasting change.

Building Power Through Education and Practice

The Pride Empowerment Academy (PEA) integrates organizing theory, vision-building, and hands-on learning through an intersectional LGBTQIA+ lens. Over the course of seven months, cohort members engage in facilitated discussions, learn directly from partner community organizations, and participate in practical exercises that translate values into action.

More than a training program, PEA is a space for deep connection where participants build trust, share lived experiences, and develop the skills needed to organize thoughtfully and effectively within their own communities.

Each Academy session is grounded in San Diego Pride’s seven Pillars of Justice, which serve as guideposts for collective learning and action. Every in-person cohort day focuses on one pillar, exploring how systems of oppression intersect and how liberation is built through sustained community effort.

By connecting theory to real-world practice, participants gain a deeper understanding of how justice movements are interconnected and how organizing rooted in care and accountability creates meaningful impact.

PEA is intentionally designed as a cohort experience, emphasizing shared learning and long-term relationship-building. Each full-day session includes time for education, dialogue with community partners, collaborative practice, and reflection — ensuring participants leave not only informed but supported and energized.

The cohort will begin with a virtual orientation in early January, followed by monthly in-person sessions through June. Participants will be formally celebrated during the San Diego Pride Parade in July 2026, marking the culmination of their journey and the beginning of their continued leadership in the community.

Investing in the Future of LGBTQIA+ Leadership

The Pride Empowerment Academy reflects San Diego Pride’s ongoing commitment to year-round advocacy and community care. By investing in leadership development rooted in justice and lived experience, PEA helps ensure that the future of LGBTQIA+ organizing in San Diego County is resilient, inclusive, and community-led.

As this new cohort embarks on their journey, San Diego Pride looks forward to the ideas, energy, and leadership that will emerge — strengthening not only our organization, but the broader movement for equity, dignity, and liberation. Stay tuned to meet the 2026 Cohort!