Welcome to
Afrikan-Centered
Education & Healing
Healing alienation to promote scholarship and social excellence!
Youth, Adults, Families & Organizations
Live, Online & Distance Learning
"The Talk 2.0,"
Town Hall
When "be polite" and "keep your hands on the wheel" are no longer enough, it's time to update to "The Talk 2.0."
Join us Monday, Aug. 3rd @ 8PM Eastern
for this national and local Black community conversation about teaching our children to survive racism in 2026
Who are we?
AYA EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE was formed by the touch and aspirations of our ancestor- educators like Septima Clarke, John Henrik Clarke, Amos N. Wilson, and Asa Hilliard (Nana Baffour Amantwatia II ) - on the right. We are seasoned, so purpose is central and flows through every course, event, speech, coaching, or student-demonstration. Those ancestors (Jegnas) were the epitome of academic and social excellence - in service to our people - Afrikan people the world over. That's who we are, and sometimes are striving to be.
Our classes require studying, real study. Two promises:
1. We'll help you learn or accelerate your learning;
2. We'll make the journey worthwhile.
To help us keep our eyes on the prize, Nana Baffour issued our educational marching orders: "Freedom is being shackled to identity, purpose, directions, and being in constant pursuit."
Innovated for Us by Us
How we can serve you:
Ngolo Zandiakina Community
We come together every 1st Monday's
Self Healing Power and Therapy
The Black Keys: Flipping the Anti-Black & Anti-Afrikan Surge
Ngolo Gardens - Growing Food and Medicine
Boosting Immunity
Building Strength w/ Age
Minding Our Health
Focus Five
Parental Support & Empowerment. Five powerful modules for parents of children in African-Centered educational programs - schools, afterschool, weekend schools, homeschools, etc.
Individual & Family
Warriors, Healers, and Builders
Counseling
Oppression has warped our communication with ourselves and each other. We use our culture as a based for family, couples and individual counseling sessions.
Personal and Leadership Development:
Warriors, Healers, and Builders
This is our premier communication, conflict resolution tool. It's the foundation of our teacher training and key for organizational development.
Leadership & Organizational Development
The Cooperative Mode -Umuntu, Ngamuntu, Ngabantu
Creating Relationships That Heal
Building Through Conflict
Gaining Emotional Expertise
Upcoming Events
EOTT - The Talk 2.0 Town Hall (August 3rd)
When “be polite” and “keep your hands on the wheel” are not enough, "The Talk" has got to change. To that end AYA/EOTT is promoting The Talk 2.0 local and national town hall meetings. They are Black community conversations changing how we teach our children about surviving racism in 2026.
We don't seek consensus; we want discussion to increase awareness, options, resources, and collaboration.
Black Family Storyology Night (August 13)
As improbable as it seems, the story precedes the revolution!
At the center of the new Talk 2.0 will be the new stories and storytellin' - from the inside-out (SIO). In July, we featured Black Family Science Night. The question was, "What is Melanin?" This month, the Black Family Night focuses on "Storyology." Too often we relegate stories to children's books, fables, or other what we consider light entertainment. Think again.
Few know that the most powerful technology ever created to educate, heal, motivate, manipulate, inspire, shape identity and possibilities is the story.
No matter the technology of delivery (social media, ai, movies, etc.), our neurobiology demands a story, and if not given one, will make one up. Owing to oppression and injected oppression, our stories are often "broken stories" about ourselves, our past and our future. These broken stories encourage behaviors based on delusion, depression, apathy, misplaced anger, or what Nana Amons N. Wison calls "pathological anxiety." None of these will serve us well, and most alien remedies encourage us to become "well-adjusted individuals" in this increasingly oppressive system.
Given the current anti-Afrikan attack our children face, we must once again become the premier storyologist in their lives - selecting and telling stories in ways that inspire and empower them to be the best warriors, healers, and builders they can be based on their age, development, and according to the circumstances that surround us and them.
Black Family Storyology Night teaches us - adults, parents, grandparents, teachers - to study (ology) stories, heal broken stories, and narrate stories of oppression in ways that lift us instead of bringing us down. You already know how to dramatize victory stories. Great, tell them loudly and with passion. Unfortunately, that will not be enough. Our youth can see and feel. Afrikans in the US are taking losses, and it will take a minute for us to regroup.
Can you also tell those stories - the losses stories, so that even they become authentically empowering us to fight, heal, and build?
Student: "But, Baba Wekesa, how do I tell a story about our losses in Tulsa in ways that are inspiring to me and my peers?"
I responded: "That's exactly why your parents sent you to AYA Educational Institute. Let's go."
They did, and it transformed their lives.
Black Family Storylogy Night
will transform ours just when we need it the most.
EOTT - Weekend Freedom Schools
Every Wednesday we host an Indaba for you to learn all about this movement to rescue our youth, reshape ourselves, and remold education from inclusion to power. Using a combination of high-tech and high-touch circles, these EOTT freedom schools redefine education and create an independent educational delivery process - that we control. These schools aren't tutorials for excelling in others' curricula.
Our curricula is healing, challenging, and affirming. The goal is not to help them fit in, but to create a new way.
Why Choose Us?
Customized Learning Paths
With over 27 years of experience, we offer customized learning paths that allow you to choose the courses that best fit your or your child's needs and educational goals.
Family Oriented
AYA Education is family Education. The Family-Lore project is but one example where we seek to heal alienation because as Dr. Amos N. Wilson says, "We're alienated to serve aliens." We have to heal that!
Accessibilty
We believe that everyone should have access to quality education, which is why we offer our courses at an affordable price.
Brush Your Lashes Regularly
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Passion
AYA Educational Institute educates to heal alienation. For many of us, we're not just alienated from our culture, but from subjects like Math & Science, too. For the last few years, AYA has used Melanin to heal our alienation from Science, and we're on a mission!
Kind Words About Our Work
"I found Ubuntu modelled by the experiences and workings of the co-founders Mama Afiya and Baba Wekesa Madzimoyo, surely they understood that ‘Umntu ngumntu ngabantu’, I was home."
Nomvuyo Qubeka
Los Angeles, 6 months ago
"This course truly helped us all to move deeper into development of powerful practical stories that help facilitate healing"
Omayinka Akinsegun
New York, 3 months ago
"Baba Wekesa and Mama Afiya allowed me to use stories to heal wounds that have been limiting my ability to fully serve myself, the creator, and Afrikan people"
Sydney Duran
Chicago, 1 year ago
Important links
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