February 12, 2026 (Washington, DC) – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is proud to announce the Fellows of its spring 2026 Education Policy Fellowship ProgramTM (EPFP) , designed to build the capacity of education and community leaders to drive change in their local context through policy and advocacy.
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.
“The 86 Fellows selected for this EPFP cohort hail from states in every corner of the country, and represent school districts and individual schools, local education associations, and community organizations,” said IEL President Eddie Koen. “We’re so honored to provide this opportunity for more leaders who are eager to bring home a new set of skills and are dedicated to making education policy work for students, families, communities, and educators where they work and live.”
The Fellows in this cohort hail from 30 different states and Washington, D.C..
The program’s curriculum will focus on grassroots advocacy planning and outreach, root-cause and policy analyses, policy strategy, including politics and asset mapping, how to build and expand cohorts, and how to make an impactful ask during policymaker meetings. It will also include skill-building and awareness around national partner collaborations, the federal branches’ intersectionality, the federal education policy outlook, and assessing the federal landscape.
“We are excited to expand our EPFP network once again, to build policy capacity of community leaders to shape advocacy and policy in their local contexts and drive transformational change,” said Dr. Helen Janc Malone, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and a former National EPFP Director.
This seven-week program will support education advocates working at the local, state, and federal levels. Utilizing both on-demand and synchronous instruction, followed by collaborative policy strategy meetings and peer work, the program culminates in a Washington Policy Seminar TM (WPS – the long-running capstone event for EPFP Fellows) and D.C. Hill Day in March!
WPS is Fellows’ opportunity to go deeper on federal policy, understand the federal role in education, and build capacity around how to effectively communicate with policymakers. For those who attend in person, the Hill Day is a chance to meet with Fellows’ representatives and directly advocate for policy initiatives that matter to their community.
“We can’t wait to meet this cohort of passionate leaders,” said IEL Director of Policy Dr. Michelle Lessly Blackburn. “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.”
We are pleased to share the Fellows of this cohort below:
