Rural Innovative Leaders Institute
Join a community of other rural education leaders
The inaugural Rural Innovative Leaders Institute is offered to rural school leaders in partnership with the Appalachian STEM Collaborative, and leaders from East Central Ohio, Ohio Valley ESC, and Muskingum Valley ESC.Â
School leaders in this program will explore the core topics of the Innovative Leaders Institute through the lens of rural education, taking into consideration the opportunities and challenges unique to rural schools. Â
Priority application areas for the Rural Innovative Leaders Institute
This cohort is for school leaders in rural Ohio schools. Special consideration for this program is given to applicants representing schools in Appalachian counties.
Per the Appalachian Regional Commission, these counties are: Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, and Washington.​
Applicants from other counties will be accepted as space allows.
Core topics
- Transformational leadership
- STEM school identity and culture
- Role of school leaders in establishing robust STEM practices schoolwide
- Elements of high-quality STEM education
- Leading for effective implementation of STEM instructional practices
- Creating and leveraging community and business partnerships
Program details
Eligibility
- School leaders from rural Ohio schools (Priority consideration is given to school leaders from Appalachian Ohio)
- Team of two school leaders (principal/assistant principal and another school leader, instructional coach, curriculum specialist, teacher leaders, etc.)
- Applicants must work in an Ohio school interested in implementing and/or advancing its STEM education
- Neither member of the team has participated in the Innovative Leaders Institute in the past three years
Expectations
Thanks to Ohio’s generous support of the Ohio STEM Learning Network, the $2,750.00 program fee (per school team) for the 2023-2024 Innovative Leaders Institute is waived.
The program expectations include:
- Attending program meetings (virtual and in-person)
- In person meeting on June 5 and 6, 2023 in Cambridge, Ohio
- Virtual booster call on August 8, 2023
- In person meeting on October 12, 2023
- Virtual meeting on January 11, 2024
- In person meeting on April 11, 2024
- Booster call on May 14, 2024
- Completing program tasks and activities
The two-day kick-off event (June 5 and 6, 2023) will take place in Cambridge, Ohio. The remaining in-person sessions will take place in rural STEM or STEAM schools.
Deadline
Applications close May 1, 2023. The selected cohort participants will be notified by May 10, 2023.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all participants during the in-person workshops.
The 2023-2024 cohort of the Rural Innovative Leaders Institute is limited to 15 schools (30 participants).
Institute participants will have an opportunity to earn college credit.
Who is this program for?
The Innovative Leaders Institute may be right for you if your school is:
- Looking to expand STEM instructional practices inside multiple classrooms
- Interested in designation as an Ohio STEM/STEAM school
- Already a designated STEM/STEAM school and looking to continue to innovate
Find your partner in change
Leading for transformational change is hard. A partner is key.
After nearly a decade of helping leaders create change, we have learned a strong partner is key. That is why the institute accepts applications from a school team.Â
Teams should include:
- Principal/assistant principal (or equivalent school or district level position)
- Another leader in the same building (administrator, instructional coach, teacher-leaders, curriculum specialist, etc.)
