September 9, 2026 (Washington, DC) –

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is proud to announce the 2026 National cohort of Fellows for its Fall Education Policy Fellowship Program ^TM (EPFP): Community Schools, designed to build the capacity of Community Schools leaders to drive change in their local context through policy and advocacy.  

“We’re proud to build on the EPFP legacy and provide this professional development opportunity for these leaders who are invested in the futures of their districts, schools, and larger communities and eager to bring home a new set of skills to support the Community School strategy where they work and live,” said Interim IEL President Kwesi Rollins.   

The program’s curriculum focuses on grassroots advocacy planning and outreach, root-cause and policy analyses, policy strategy, how to build and expand cohorts, and how to make an impactful ask during policymaker meetings. It also includes skill-building around national partner collaborations and federal education policy outlook and landscape.  

“With each new EPFP cohort, IEL is honored to support the advocacy and development of a new group of leaders working at the cross-sections of policy and education. We look forward to the next few weeks of building policy capacity to shape advocacy and policy in their local contexts and drive transformational systems change,” said Dr. Helen Janc Malone, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and a former National EPFP Director. 

Launched in August, this seven-week program utilizes online instruction, collaborative policy strategy meetings and peer work, culminating in a Washington Policy Seminar^TM (a long-running capstone event for EPFP Fellows) and D.C. Hill Day during Community Schools Coordinators Appreciation Week!   

“This is one of my favorite parts of my job,” said IEL Director of Policy Dr. Michelle Lessly Blackburn. “Getting to know and support a diverse group of leaders from the field, each cohort gives us a front row seat to the impact that Fellows have across America while they are supporting greater opportunity for all children, youth, and families. These Fellows will come away with a toolbox of critical skills, a network of peers, and hands-on experience around advocating for and advancing the policies that matter to their communities.” 

EPFP is IEL’s longest-running program, founded in 1964 as an opportunity to build education policy and leadership capacity for strategic leaders. Over its 62-year history, EPFP has graduated over 12,000 alumni across the country, and this summer has welcomed a cohort focused on Community Schools.   

We are pleased to share the Fellows of our 2026 EPFP CS cohort below: