UK Center for Next Generation Leadership

05/28/2026

Meet Ariel Richards.

Ariel is a fifth grader at Harrison Elementary who stood in front of a panel this week and made the case for who she is as a learner.

Before she heads to middle school next year, she left everyone in that room with this:

"If anyone watches this video, remember you can do anything you set your mind to."

Harrison Elementary's Defenses of Learning centered on what it means to be a creative and innovative contributor. A real demonstration of growth, in their own words, in their own school. UK Next Gen was proud to serve as panelists and partner with Harrison in developing a fifth promise for students, a commitment to what every learner will demonstrate before leaving.

Harrison set a high bar. These students cleared it. We cannot wait to see what they do next!

Fayette County Public Schools
The VAPA Academy at Harrison Elementary

05/27/2026

These Harrison Elementary students are headed to middle school next year. But before they go, they did something that will stay with them for years to come: they stood before a panel of visitors and made the case for who they are as learners.

Harrison Elementary 5th graders showed what it means to be creative, reflective, and innovative contributors during Tuesday’s Defenses of Learning.

Not a worksheet. Not a standardized measure. A real demonstration of growth, shared in their own words and within their own school community.

Members of UK Next Gen were proud to serve as panelists and hear firsthand from these remarkable students. Harrison set a high bar, and these students rose to meet it.

We cannot wait to see what they do next. Well done to all who participated!

Fayette County Public Schools

05/25/2026

Dr. Tre'Von Watts was a few years into his teaching career when a colleague said: let's go do this program.

He wasn't a veteran. He didn't have decades behind him. He had just finished his master's and was ready to grow.

What he found in ChangeMakers was hands-on, practical work he could put into practice immediately. Dr. Watts says the program set him up for the role he holds today as an academic specialist, and laid the foundation for what came next: a doctorate degree.

Three years after walking out of ChangeMakers, he walked across the stage as Dr. Tre'Von Watts.

We couldn't be more proud of him!

If you are a Kentucky educator who is ready to grow, whether you are just a few years in or have decades under your belt, there is a seat for you in Cohort 6. There are just five days left to apply!

Sign Up Here:
https://forms.gle/2tuUHAohpbcehKer8

Jefferson County Public Schools

Dr. Tre'Von Watts was a few years into his teaching career when a c...

05/20/2026

When Clark County educators asked their students what they wanted from school, students said more hands-on learning. So the team reflected, revised, and rebuilt, starting with something as familiar as a parent night. Instead of teachers presenting to parents, students now lead the room, sharing what they've learned and why it matters.

That shift didn't happen in a planning meeting. It grew out of the work this team did together inside the Next Gen Leadership Academy, stepping away from the day-to-day, thinking alongside colleagues from other districts, building the kind of trust that makes honest reflection possible.

Cohort 15 wrapped up in April. Cohort 16 starts this summer, and spots are filling! If you're a district or building leader ready to think more carefully about the systems you're building, not just the tasks on your list, don't wait on this one.

Registration is open now. Join us today!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tCPcMkWiYAaCNZ1XfMptsqM3fzs45UWlZFOlFpSt23o/edit?usp=drive_link

05/14/2026

Carla Wilson and Rachel Shaney are educators in Oldham County. They are also two of the educators currently completing ChangeMakers, a one-year rank change pathway through UK Next Gen.

In this video, they share what the experience has actually looked like inside their classrooms and schools, and what they are carrying forward into their work.

Cohort 6 starts this summer. There are just over 2 weeks left to apply!

If you are a Kentucky educator who has been curious about ChangeMakers, fill out the interest form below and someone will be in touch.

https://forms.gle/11ubEfWPJhaBkt856

Oldham County Schools South Oldham Middle School Crestwood Elementary

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05/12/2026

“Just do it. You won’t regret it.”

What if your district team had a full year to dig into a real challenge, with coaches, peers, and a process designed to actually move things forward?

That’s the Next Generation Leadership Academy. For over a decade, Kentucky school and district teams have brought their toughest questions to NxGLA and left with lasting networks, team-built prototypes, and the confidence that comes from learning alongside other educators doing the work too.

This year, the GRREC team was one of many to cross the finish line on a performance continuum rooted in their own professional growth. We congratulate them on a great year. Join today!

Your district doesn’t need another program. It needs a team, a process, and real partners who’ve seen it done.

The next cohort is forming now. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIXqC6bQJLToKLo479x6hxDWZpMgjZ2ylHsuYvTvx-DMPrNQ/viewform



Green River Regional Educational Cooperative - GRREC

05/12/2026

At GRREC, leadership realized something: If we're asking districts to invest in educator growth, we have to model it ourselves.

So they redesigned their own professional growth system. Staff set goals aligned to shared competencies through their Profile of a GRREC Team Member. They collect evidence of their work. They receive peer feedback. They defend their growth just like they coach districts to do.

A coach reflected: "I've learned so much through co-coaching with my colleague. This program has been a great reminder about focusing on specific areas and challenging myself to implement all expectations."

That's sustainable change: when leaders model the learning culture they're asking schools to build.

When educators experience themselves as growing, collaborating, and leading, they bring that practice back to their own teams.

How are you investing in your team as learners and leaders?

Apply for Cohort 16 to design this kind of culture: https://nextgen.uky.edu/nxgla



Green River Regional Educational Cooperative - GRREC

05/11/2026

Last week, UK Next Gen was grateful to serve our annual water bar to STEAM Academy and celebrate the educators who show up every single day for Kentucky’s students.

Teachers, we see the care, energy, and leadership you bring to your work, and we are deeply thankful for all you do. 💙

We’re proud to celebrate educators across Kentucky during Teacher Appreciation Week and throughout the year.

05/07/2026

This week, we had the privilege of being in the room at the Fayette Local Laboratories of Learning Academy Exhibitions!

We told you it was a great day with Fayette County Public Schools. Now hear it from the people who were actually at the front of the room!

These are local leaders who stepped up, defended their work, and left with something to build on.

Rise STEM Academy for Girls Breckinridge Elementary

05/07/2026

At Lawrence County High School, students were leaving. Anxiety, caregiving responsibilities, and work obligations. These were real barriers that made traditional school feel impossible. Rather than wait for them to fall further behind, leaders asked: How do we bring them back?

Their answer: Flexible pathways where CTE courses become the anchor. Students could work part-time, manage health needs, and stay connected through hands-on learning that felt relevant and achievable.
Not reactive crisis intervention, but rather: proactive system redesign.

Journal entry from a student in the program: "This week I got to rebuild and install an oil pump. I'm starting to feel more confident in my abilities, which makes work more enjoyable."

That's responsive support. Structures designed in real time so barriers don't become permanent disconnection.

Your students need flexible, responsive pathways.

Leaders across Kentucky are designing them.

Join Cohort 16, June 2026: https://nextgen.uky.edu/nxgla

05/06/2026

Yesterday, UK Next Gen had the privilege of hearing from leaders across Fayette County Public Schools during their Local Laboratories of Learning Academy Exhibitions!

School leaders took the floor to defend their proposals, sharing vision, inviting scrutiny, and engaging in the kind of honest, constructive dialogue that real systems change requires.

What we witnessed wasn't a presentation of finished work. It was something more valuable: leaders thinking out loud together, challenging each other, and committing to improvement in public. Fayette County showed up fully, and it was a great day to be a part of it.