When Kentucky Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher talks about what good leadership looks like, he points to the leaders coming out of the Next Generation Leadership Academy.
"What UK Next Gen is trying to do is make sure we have leaders that have the knowledge, the capacity, and the courage to step out and say, this is what's best for our teachers, and more importantly this is what's best for our kids," shared Fletcher.
NxGLA is a year-long, cohort-based leadership development experience for Kentucky school and district teams. For over a decade, teams have worked alongside UK Next Gen coaches to design real solutions for the students in their communities.
Are you ready to make a change and connect with leaders across the state?
Sign up for Cohort 16 today: https://forms.gle/apBtXN3KEvgR8CK76
Kentucky Department of Education
UK Center for Next Generation Leadership
We partner with schools and districts to redesign learning and sustain innovation.
The UK Center for Next Generation Leadership is a network of students, teachers, leaders, and communities committed to re-imagine the learner experience of every student.
06/09/2026
You did it ChangeMakers C5!
One year ago, these educators walked in ready to grow. Today, they stood up in front of a room and proved their growth.
ChangeMakers is UK Next Gen's deeper learning rank change pathway for Kentucky educators. It's not a workshop or a checklist. It's a year of doing the hard work and seeing results.
The Defense of Learning is how it ends: each participant presents their evidence to a panel of peers and program reviewers. What they tried. What they found. What they're carrying forward.
Cohort 5 showed up for that moment today and we are so proud of them!
"It has been like gasoline on a fire."
That's principal Anthony Thompson of Greenup Schools described what dual credit has done for their students and community. At this week's Scholars Defenses of Learning, partner schools gathered to celebrate what they've learned and share what's changed as they rethink high school from the ground up.
These aren't just course offerings. Schools are painting a bigger picture of what's possible after graduation and building the pathway while students are still in the building. It was fantastic to hear so many success stories!
Learn More: https://dualcredit.uky.edu/
STEAM Academy, Fayette Co., Lexington, KY
Fayette County Public Schools
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
ChangeMakers Testimonials: Dr. Tre'Von Watts Dr. Tre'Von Watts was a few years into his teaching career when a c...
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
Changemakers Cohort 5 Testimonials Oldham County Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.
“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
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