Enrollment for the 2023 Summer Collective Ends in:

Igniting the next generation of kind & courageous leaders

Make Caregiver Burnout A Thing Of The Past

Feelin' a little crispy? Focus your time and energy to warm others without setting yourself on fire.

Already a member? Log in.

Are you modeling healthy care work for your kids
- or saviorism, martyrdom & toxic hustle?

Spread thin?

Doing too much, for everybody - but don't know how to stop?

Over-committed?

Juggling a super-human amount of tasks and responsibilities?

Burned out?

Desperately need a break - but have nobody to pick up the slack?

This summer could change everything

How will your kids remember
this year with you?

In a few short years, your kids will be advocating for a better world while raising families of their own.

How do you change the world while also giving your kids the attention they deserve?

Show them it's possible to make a global impact and still enjoy your time together - before it's too late.

If you are ready to reclaim your agency…

This summer, discover the wild opportunities your existence creates for this world.

Tuck your kids in at night feeling playful, focused, and accomplished

Join the Summer Caregiver Collective

A 6-week virtual collective where we gather with like-minded caregivers who won't judge us for missing out on the latest protest - or the goldfish crumbs in our hair.

Our excuse to shut off social media, take a break from constant calls to action, and assess our bandwidth - while identifying the most impactful, joyful ways we can contribute to society.

GET HONEST

DISCOVER YOUR SKILLS & CAPACITY

GET INSPIRED

FIND ACTION THAT LIGHTS YOU UP

RAISE A RUCKUS

Create space
for joy & play

vibrantly painted t-shirt craft
Building A Brave Space Together

The Summer Collective

Unlike single-issue workshops and parenting groups, we work together in small, intimate cohorts to set aside our judgement and stop taking on too much.

Through guided reflections, deep conversation, creative puttering, and lots of goofing around - we identify our skills and capacity and develop unique action plans to change the world without burning out.

Join us this summer if you're ready to stop spinning out and create the world your kids deserve.

ABOUT US

Our Community

"The people who belong here aren't exactly sure where they fit in - and what their next step should be. We care about showing up in the world in the way that creates most benefit and the least harm - rather than appearing perfect."

Tricia L, Community Organizer, Music Therapist & Parent of 5

AAPI parent activist self-advocate

Self-Advocates

You're ready to ramp up advocacy for your own community - and want to make space for intersectional, collaborative work without becoming a doormat.

community organizer parent activist

Community Organizers

You want to make space for others to shine, and are ready to set boundaries and start delegating so not everything falls on your shoulders alone.

parent kissing child's forehead on sofa

Accomplices

Supporting everyone else has left you feeling exhausted and burnt out. You're ready to weaponize your privilege - while acknowledging your limits.

YOU'RE NOT IN THIS ALONE

Let's tackle this together

OUR STRATEGY

What To Expect

WEEK 1

Get Radically Honest

Release the assumptions keeping you from transforming intent into action.

WEEK 2

find your people

Find the conspirators you work best with & clarify sustainable ways to show up for each other.

WEEK 3

chart a course

Develop recovery strategies for when shit hits the fan (‘cause it always does!)

WEEK 4

reclaim agency

Unlock the unique skills and interests only you can weaponize to make a deep impact.

 

WEEK 5

assess your capacity

Determine what reciprocity looks like for you. Learn to ask for help and create strong boundaries.

 

WEEK 6

raise a ruckus

Tailor your own action plan to stay focused and inspired all year long.

 

6 WEEK EXPERIENCE

7/10/23 through 8/18/23

Step-by-step guidance & check-ins every weekday.

24/7 Access to the member portal & video chat group

Friday Drop-In Hangouts: (optional)
1-3 pm Eastern
2-4 pm Central
3-5 pm Pacific

Limited spots available

ACCESS SPECIAL RATES THROUGH THE FREE WAITLIST

Sliding Scale Membership

One-time registration fee includes lifetime access to our annual 6-week Summer Caregiver Collective, including the member portal, and resource library. All members get the same support and access, regardless of ability to financially support the program.

Full
No hardship
$1600Lifetime Access
Medium
Moderate Hardship
$800Lifetime Access
Lowest
Severe hardship
$400Lifetime Access

Learn more about qualifying for the sliding scale. Membership is not transferable between the Summer & Winter Collectives. 

SUMMER 2023

Bonus Resources

Get free access to a extra perks throughout our collective. Once they're yours, access them any time - at your own pace.

Guided Activities

Video Trainings

Discussion Series

Family Reading Guides

Ashia Ray

About Raising Luminaries

I'm Ashia Ray (they or she), Head Custodian of Raising Luminaries, Founder of Books for Littles & Co-Founder of the Student Ignition Society and a bunch of other little projects. This here is my face.

In the Raising Luminaries community, we hold space for parents struggling to find a place where we can show up as our full selves.

Particularly those of us who don't fit into binary identities: multiracial, class migrants, nonbinary, 'but-you-don't-look-disabled'-disabled parents. And all the folks who have grown tired of moderate activism spaces but don't quite feel ready to lead a decolonizing salt march.

ALISON L.

"This Summer gave me the building blocks and social support that I needed..."

"I figured out which things I was pouring myself into - such as a DEI committee that drained my bandwidth for abysmally low impact - and how to redirect that energy into a high-impact task force that reformed gatekeeping in publishing for two major social psychology journals.

The summer accelerator gave me the building blocks and social support that I needed to identify and successfully accomplish something that I really wanted to do.

I figured out: what I really want to do, what I have the actual skill-set to do, and how to engage and get people to work together."

Questions & Concerns

FAQs & What-Ifs

We do things differently here

“I’m doing a lot of spinning and thinking ‘I need these credentials and these qualifications in order to do the work that I want to do to make an impact.’ But I don’t. Because I’ve already been doing the work, and making the impact. And that’s a place that I need to focus more energy.” – Maura Kate M.

Caregivers who raise children to fight for social justice – but are unwilling to leave our generation’s mess for our kids to clean up later – you’re welcome here.

Members should have a basic understanding that social privilege and power hierarchies exist, and are our responsibility to dismantle together.

If you’re not sure whether you’d be a good fit for our community – ASK. Let me know your hesitations so we can determine if our space is right for you.

“I was nervous that I wouldn’t have time to do everything. And I didn’t! But it turned out that it was fine for me to miss activities and to come to the live discussions when there were videos I hadn’t watched yet, because the collective explicitly says that there’s no such thing as being behind. There isn’t pressure to finish or perfect everything right now, this week, or this summer.

Instead, there’s the expectation that we will all circle back around with new insight in the future, so there are many chances to notice something you need to think about, plan, or do and to set that observation aside so you can pick it up again later.”
– Jillian W.


The 2023 Summer Collective starts July 10th and lasts six weeks through August 18th. Enrollment opens in May.


Summers are busy! We assume each member will miss a week or two traveling, and that’s totally okay!


If you’ll be totally swamped for more than half of the session – sign up for the wait list and to learn about future collectives as they open up. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Before I joined, I was worried: Do I actually have time for this?

In reality: I didn’t have time NOT to do it. I was operating at a completely unsustainable pace and this accelerator has freed up so much mental energy and time.”


– Alison L. Member since 2022

Expect to spend anywhere between 2-10 hours each week reflecting and discussing the activities with the members of your cohort.

How much time you invest is really up to you. There’s no ‘falling behind’ since you’re here to work at your own pace.

Example schedule:
> Review our daily 10-minute kickoff videos every weekday or binge-watch whenever you like.
> Drop into our live Friday hangouts for five minutes, or for the full 1.5 hour session.
> Gain lifetime access a new guided reflection activity book every Monday and take it at your own pace.
> Check in with the Marco Polo group daily, weekly, or whenever to ask questions, in solidarity, or seek accountability support for your commitments.
Our resources and reflection process are designed to be revisited each summer, or as needed to come back to and build upon what you’ve learned. You’ll have lifetime access to the resources, so there is no ‘falling behind.’

“When I signed up I was nervous about the time commitment. Valid, as a single parent! But I know I can continue to refer to the content any time I need it.” – Bellamy S.

We’re gathering together because we can’t keep up with the demands on our time – and that’s not gonna change until we create strategies to catch up.

With lifetime access to our resources, invitations to each summer’s collective, optional drop-in hangouts, and our asychronous chat group, there is just no way to fall behind.

If life really throws you for a loop – you’ll have lifetime access to the resources and summer portal if you need to take a break and come back to hang out next summer.

Our live Friday virtual drop-in hangouts are a blast – but mostly we’ll engage in a free asynchronous video chat app called Marco Polo.

Even if you have questions or ideas to share at 2am on Saturday mornings, we’re here for your weird schedule.

As long as you can respond and share feedback once a week in the discussion comments (typed) or video chat group (video/audio) – we’re interested in hearing what matters to you in whatever way you find accessible to connect with us.

You’ll have online access to the summer portal all year-round, for as long as it exists – that means access to the videos, downloads, and reflection activities so you can enjoy them at your own pace.

Our discussions are deeply interactive and not designed for passive consumption. Our intimate cohorts hold between 2-8 individuals to build strong, interdependent relationships between members.

We tailor engagement to be accessible for every member’s individual needs and goals. So you’ll answer a quick questionnaire and be invited to attend a get-to-know-us event before the session starts to be sure we’re creating an inclusive brave space together.

Before I freak you out with TOO MANY THINGS, all of the material below is available to play with – but not mandatory. Because our members have such diverse learning & engagement styles, we have so many different ways to mix & match how you move through this summer and beyond.

Collective members get access to:

> Short daily video messages each weekday to inspire ideas and invite discussion for folks who enjoy a little pep in each day.

> Six printable PDF guidebooks with reflection activities, brainstorm guides, check-lists and letter templates to organize your scattered thoughts, for folks who prefer mind-mapping and journaling.

> Access to a private group chat app to discuss your challenges, bounce ideas, and ask questions via voice, video, or text, for our friends who like to think-out-loud.

> Weekly live drop-in hangouts to reflect, process, and acknowledge our progress each week – we don’t have to process this alone.

> A 1-on-1 live wrap-up collaboration session with me (Ashia) via Zoom to simplify your commitments and motivate you to action for the rest of the year.

> Access to our habit-stacking accountability challenge group.

> A certificate of badassery after following through on the commitments you create for yourself.

> Three months free access to the Luminary Brain Trust.

> Year-round access to all the Summer Accelerator resources in our online portal for as long as the portal exists.

> A growing library of bonus resources that we compile at the end of each summer.

In the unlikely event that we’re WAY TOO POPULAR and all the spots in our first cohort fills up, I’ll split us up into multiple smaller group.

If necessary, we can arrange for you to audit the collective without joining a cohort to lock in this year’s rates before next year’s fee increase. This gives you access to the resources, but delays your participation if you’re not ready to engage with the group yet.

But don’t wait – this summer collective is designed to help you reclaim your time, enforce strong boundaries, and take agency over the way you care for others.

The longer you put this internal work off, the harder it’ll be to reclaim your agency when you finally do join us.

If by our sixth and final week, you have engaged with the resources and reflections to the best of your ability, you’ve shown up to the live hangouts and engaged in the chat group – and it’s still not working for you, send me all of your completed discovery activities before the end of the collective, and I’ll send you a full refund.

Since there is such limited space in the collective, I can’t offer refunds if you just don’t review or engage with the work. For more info, check out the full return policy.

The resources I provide for each member are designed to be accessed by a single person only.

If you’d like to join the collective with a friend or a group, create separate memberships for each individual. If you can’t afford the cost of enrollment, that’s why I offer a sliding scale. Sharing locked content is a violation of the terms & conditions (and it’s stealing).

Enrollment opens to the public in May. If you’d like early access, join the wait list to get first dibs on our limited spaces.

Before the summer session starts, I send out a quick questionnaire about your accessibility needs and collaboration style, in addition to hosting a get-to-know-us live virtual hangout.

I have in the past – and continue to – kindly alert members who aren’t ready for the Summer Collective to do specific scaffolding work before bulldozing into our more vulnerable spaces.

By the nature of the work we do (inclusion is HARD!), once cohorts are set, our groups are final – although I take my job seriously as a facilitator to address conflict, revise group agreements, and protect each member from threats and attack.

That said – I’m always open to hearing how we can show up for each other better, even when we’re uncomfortable or feel unsafe. If you truly feel that another cohort member is holding you back, we will engage in a transformative conflict process to improve the ways we show up together and strive to helo each member feel able to show up as their full self.

Our Friday drop-in hangouts over Zoom will not be recorded.

In the Marco Polo group, we’re basically sending video or audio recordings to the group. You can leave your recordings up for the whole duration of the summer, or delete your messages any time you feel necessary.

 

In previous collectives, we’ve had members who had too much going on to engage in the group, but wanted access to the resources (and to lock in prices before next year’s increase.)

 

In which case – go for it! Feel free to lock in this year’s rates and start reviewing the resources at your own pace.

 

Since returning members have free lifetime access to later Summer Collectives, you can engage with us next year when things settle down.

 

“Between some big life changes and the pandemic, I’ve been stuck in a pattern of crisis triage followed by exhausted inertia for a while. I went into the accelerator hoping to clarify my vision for the future and formulate a plan of sustainable action.

After the collective – I’m 1000% clearer. Looking at opportunities through the lenses we discussed in the collective has helped me say no to tasks that someone else can do better.

I’m excited to free up bandwidth and time I would otherwise give away to the first person who asked – so I can spend it on objectives that matter to me.”
– Tricia L.

If you’re worried you’re not ready – We have a no-risk refund guarantee, so try it out for a few weeks and see whether you enjoy hanging out with us. Alternatively – reach out to me with hesitations and concerns and I’d be happy to tweak the program to your concerns or recommend an alternative resource so you’ll be ready to join us next year.

Still curious?

By the end of this summer, you will

(probably not)

Reconcile with your long lost lover - Find the hat you lost in 1998 (the one with the flaps) - Significantly change the shape of your body or the number of limbs attached to it - Get rid of that rash - Get your kids to stop leaving wet towels on the floor - Convince your housemate to unball their socks before throwing them in the hamper - Solve the energy crisis - Defund Moms for America - Abolish compliance therapy - Determine how to stealthily remove a wedgie in public - Finish those twelve books on your nightstand - Replace that irritating buzzing light in the kitchen - Become quadrilingual in 30 days or less - Convince your dad to stop sneezing so loud he scares the cat - exercise 'enough' - Convince jerks on the internet that they are wrong -

But you CAN light a path to leadership for your kids

ENROLLMENT CLOSES IN:

Enrollment closes on July 7, 2023, or when we hit capacity – whichever happens first

Still not sure? Check out the full refund policy.

Let's collaborate

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AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

Ashia Ray & Raising Luminaries are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We’re also also an affiliate of Little Feminist Book Club and Bookshop, and you’ll find affiliate links for them on this site, too!

©2023 Ashia Ray of Raising Luminaries™. All rights reserved.

Raising Luminaries
Igniting the next generation of kind & courageous leaders
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