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 change by guiding a community’s educational institutions – and, by extension, the community itself – in a positive direction.
Want to know more? The full article, “An Impact for Arkansas,” was first published on Determined and Dedicated to Arkansas, a U of A online publication.
Rural schools in Arkansas are particularly important in shaping their surrounding communities, and IMPACT at the University of Arkansas is ensuring that the leaders in these schools are fully equipped with the networks, education and skills they need for successful futures.
IMPACT is a “grow your own” program in the College of Education and Health Professions that recruits and trains a cohort of 20 participants annually — specifically those who will become principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and serve in other leadership positions. These participants come from high-poverty Arkansas schools and many that are rural or geographically isolated — both factors that often make it more difficult to attract talented school leaders.
In its first 10 years, IMPACT recruited 168 aspiring school leaders across nine cohorts, serving 145 high-poverty schools in 97 school districts and eight public charter schools.
IMPACT is a scholarship-based program.
Laura Starr-Phillips, a 2024 graduate of IMPACT, spent many years in the Helena-West Helena School District as a teacher and behavior interventionist before pursuing the IMPACT program.
She’s now the assistant principal at J.F. Wahl Elementary in Helena.
“I decided to pursue this program because it was an incredible opportunity to fulfill my dream of becoming a principal,” Starr-Phillips says.
“Being an educator has always been my life’s dream, and I was confident that this dream would come true.”
Starr-Phillips says her coach was a “constant source of encouragement and motivation throughout my journey.”
She plans to stay involved with the program by mentoring and encouraging other educators because she believes it provides invaluable training for aspiring leaders.
The above are two sections of the full article, “An Impact for Arkansas,” first published on Determined and Dedicated to Arkansas, a U of A online publication.
