PBL Leadership Academy
High Tech High & California Department of Education PBL Leadership Academy
Welcome to the PBL Leadership Academy.
The PBL Leadership Academy is a year-long, online professional learning program for teams of California public educators who are committed to growing project-based learning within their schools, especially as a means to improve educational experiences for traditionally marginalized students.
PBL Leadership Academy teams create, critique, implement, and share personalized leadership projects that address authentic needs within their own school communities. The program consists of Fall and Spring Leadership Institutes, monthly small group coaching with an HTH Teacher-Mentor, and access to additional ongoing professional learning.
Since 2015, the PBL Leadership Academy has focused on specific initiatives to advance and improve project-based learning throughout California. We have published two books, released dozens of video resources, and worked in conjunction with the Career Pathways Trust. Every year, our work focuses on closing equity gaps for special populations of traditionally underrepresented students in California public schools through the use of literacy- and math-rich PBL.
PBL for Today
The global coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally disrupted the ways in which we work, live, teach, and learn. Simultaneously, the emergent civil rights protests and the ongoing movement for racial justice have galvanized students, families, educators, and civic leaders. The PBL Academy aims to meet this moment by offering a space where educators can thoughtfully design solutions to their communities’ most pressing needs; solutions that can be applied to multiple educational contexts that facilitate teaching and learning in ways that are safe, equitable, and engaging.
The 2020-2021 Academy
The 2020–2021 PBL Leadership Academy runs from October 2020 to May 2021—this year, all events are online and participation is free. Participating teams commit to joining the following:
- October 19–23, 2020: Fall Institute, online
- April 19–23, 2021: Spring Institute, online
- Monthly: collaborative coaching calls with HTH Teacher Mentors
- Ongoing: access to professional development events between the Fall and Spring Institutes.
Who Can Apply to the PBL Leadership Academy?
The 2020–2021 PBL Leadership Academy runs from October 2020 to May 2021—this year, all events are online and participation is free. Participating teams commit to joining the following:
- October 19–23, 2020: Fall Institute, online (Synchronous workshops are planned for afternoons after school hours)
- April 19–23, 2021: Spring Institute, online (Synchronous workshops are planned for afternoons after school hours)
- Monthly: collaborative coaching calls with HTH Teacher Mentors
- Ongoing: access to professional development events between the Fall and Spring Institutes.
How Do I Apply to the PBL Leadership Academy?
Build a school, district, or county-based team of four to six educators who will lead this work. Then, complete the application.
Who should be on our team?
The ideal team is highly collaborative and is composed of four educators focused on equity in education through authentic PBL. Each team should have at least one classroom teacher- leader and at least one school site or district leader. The ideal team is diverse and includes team members with personal passions for the success of special populations of students in Career Technical Education, Literacy, and Math.
How much does the PBL Leadership Academy cost?
Participation is free for California public school educators.
How do I learn more?
Email Randy Scherer, PBL Leadership Academy Director today.
