Leadership Preparation
The IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellows Program is an innovative educational leadership preparation program offered by the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions. Designed for educators with the vision and drive to transform schools, the program empowers them to lead change and become impactful leaders in their buildings and districts. Each Fellow receives a Master of Education in Educational Leadership upon completion of this 18-month program. Those accepted into the fellowship receive a scholarship which pays for 90 percent of all tuition and fees.
Individualized Online Courses
Throughout the fellowship, candidates take individualized online courses delivered by professors in the U of A’s Education Leadership program while also participating in relevant professional learning experiences. Fellows are supported and coached throughout the process by IMPACT Arkansas staff while applying learned content to school-based initiatives aimed at improving collaboration and instruction.
Program Requirements
IMPACT Arkansas was designed to benefit low-income schools throughout Arkansas by preparing future leaders. Applicants must have at least three years teaching experience and work for a school in which at least 70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Upon acceptance into the program, IMPACT Arkansas Fellows commit to staying at their school for two years post-graduation.
The application period runs from Sept. 1 to mid-January each year.
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Since 2014, IMPACT has recruited 197 aspiring leaders across 10 cohorts, who have served 167 schools in 106 Arkansas districts and 8 charter schools. IMPACT’s success has been made possible by generous support from the Walton Family Foundation, joined by the Windgate Foundation and other partners.
University of Arkansas News featured the program in the Nov. 27, 2023, article “Rural Eastern Arkansas Educators Gain Leadership Skills Through IMPACT Principal Fellows Program.”
Celebrating a Decade of IMPACT: Program Marks Milestone With Plans for Growth and Expansion
The innovative “grow your own” IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellows Program in the College of Education and Health Professions can now prepare more leaders for high-poverty Arkansas schools, thanks to more than $3.4 million in grant funding from the Walton Family and Windgate foundations. Since 2014, IMPACT Arkansas has been a pipeline for school leaders in rural or…Continue Reading Celebrating a Decade of IMPACT: Program Marks Milestone With Plans for Growth and Expansion
IMPACT’s Vision: A Decade of Growth and Strength, Continuing to Shape the Future
John Pijanowski, a University of Arkansas professor of educational leadership and founder of the IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellows Program, believes that schools can play a part in addressing just about any kind of problem a community is facing – from the economy and workforce to education and public health. School leadership, therefore, can often spark…Continue Reading IMPACT’s Vision: A Decade of Growth and Strength, Continuing to Shape the Future
New Cohort Welcomed This Summer
The IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellows Program footprint now includes 60 percent of high-poverty school districts across Arkansas. As of this summer, the innovative program in the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions has been preparing future leaders for the state’s highest-needs schools for 10 years. Educators who show leadership potential and aspire to become leaders…Continue Reading New Cohort Welcomed This Summer
U of A COEHP IMPACT Fellow Is Beating the Odds for Student Outcomes in Little Rock, Arkansas
Stacie Breshears (’17) was a successful fifth-grade teacher at Wakefield Elementary School in Southwest Little Rock when her principal, Leslie Taylor, approached her about applying for the first cohort of the U of A IMPACT program. Breshears knew she had Taylor’s support as a mentor, so she was confident in preparing to join the leadership…Continue Reading U of A COEHP IMPACT Fellow Is Beating the Odds for Student Outcomes in Little Rock, Arkansas