Leading Beyond the Classroom Institute
Graduate & Professional
The Leading Beyond the Classroom Institute is designed to inspire and equip educators with tools and strategies to extend their impact beyond their classroom walls. This professional learning experience emphasizes the diverse roles teachers can play in shaping the broader educational landscape—through advocacy, policy, community engagement or school leadership.
Program Overview
Online and hybrid | Two tracks for you to choose from!
What will I learn?
Participants will explore how their expertise in instruction, curriculum design, and student-centered approaches can be leveraged to lead initiatives that foster systemic change, support equitable learning environments, and strengthen school communities. The institute encourages teachers to view themselves as agents of change, empowering them to make lasting contributions to education locally and globally.
Courses
Policy Fluency: Current Issues in Education
Foundation and comprehensive tracks
This course can be taken as a stand-alone course.
In this learning experience, teacher-leaders will deepen their understanding of how to share, spread and scale their practices and convictions to impact the teaching profession beyond their classroom walls. Participants will engage in simulated project pitches, reflexive writing, drafting and revisioning a blog pots and conversations with guest speakers working to shape policy and practice across the country. This course is intended for teacher-leaders in both public and independent school contexts.
Spring 2025
Outreach and Advocacy for Educational Change
Foundation and comprehensive tracks
This course can be taken as a stand-alone course.
This course integrates Teacher Leader Model Standards for Domains VI and VII: assessing community needs and values, engaging families and colleagues in partnerships and advocating for students and for the teaching profession. Participants will explore culturally responsive teaching approaches and strategies for collaborating with families to support meaningful and relevant student learning and development. Participants will also learn how to use research, policies and persuasive communications to help build appropriate programs, interventions and advocacy efforts that promote positive outcomes for both students and teachers.
Summer 2025
Mentored Project
Comprehensive track only
Participants can apply what they have learned about teacher leadership to a concrete project related to their professional interests and convictions. This project could be in the planning or implementation stages. Participants will work with a mentor to help them plan all aspects of the project: impact, assessment, budget and funding, sustainability, networking and how to tell the story of the project as it comes to fruition. At its heart, teacher leadership is about having an impact beyond the classroom. This mentored project offers the opportunity to impact students, families and/or colleagues under the guidance and thought partnership of an experienced teacher-leader.
September—December 2025
Entrepreneurship in Education
Comprehensive track only
Today's challenges in education require creative, out-of-the-box ideas and entrepreneurial teachers are often best positioned to design and implement these solutions. In this course we will explore different models of entrepreneurship in education, including how it functions within the contexts of working in classrooms and schools, in nonprofits, as authors and consultants, and in commercial endeavors. Through case studies and guest lectures students investigate entrepreneurial approaches to address existing problems, challenges and opportunities in education. Participants will develop ideas around new programming, services, advocacy and/or ways to increase access to education.
Spring 2026
Which track is right for me?
| Foundation track | Comprehensive track | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 8 months | 15 months |
| Courses | 2 courses | 4 courses |
| Policy Fluency Spring 2025 | X | X |
| Outreach and Advocacy Summer 2025 | X | X |
| Mentored Project Fall 2025 | X | |
| Entrepreneurship in Education Spring 2026 | X | |
| Noncredit cost* | $3,000 | $4,000 |
*These courses can be taken for graduate credit. Contact graduate admissions to learn more.
Where and how will I learn?
Courses will include cohort-based, online and evening classes, individualized coaching and access to workshops to support you in your work.
You will learn and apply skills in the courses and then implement them at your school. Your learning will continue with ongoing support from experts who will help you adapt to the unique challenges and opportunities of your setting. Through this model, you will refine your skills and enhance your impact on teaching and learning in your school.
