PBL Leadership Academy

High Tech High & California Department of Education PBL Leadership Academy

The PBL Leadership Academy is a free year-long, online teacher professional development program for diverse teams of California public educators committed to growing project-based learning within their schools, especially as a means to improve educational experiences for traditionally marginalized students.

PBL for Today

Across the state, educators are grappling with how to address equity gaps in learning, how to engage each and every learner in authentic work, and how to do both safely and effectively. The PBL Leadership Academy supports educators in thoughtfully designing solutions to their communities’ most pressing needs through dynamic learning experiences that are grounded in their authentic contexts and are safe, equitable, and engaging.

The 2021-2022 Academy

The 2021–2022 PBL Leadership Academy runs from September 2021 to May 2022. This year, all events are online and participation is free.

PBL Leadership Academy teams create personalized leadership projects that address authentic needs within their own school communities.

In the PBL Leadership Academy, you will...

…learn together in three Leadership Institutes, held online, after school hours:

Fall Institute: October 26–28, 2021
Winter Institute: January 26 & 27, 2022
Spring Institute: April 26–28, 2022

Additionally you will...

…meet monthly with a current HTH educator, who serves as your Team Mentor.
Access additional professional learning focused on
- PBL curriculum,
- Perkins Special Populations,
- & resources for ongoing learning and leadership.
As well as Earn CEUs through the HTH GSE.

Who Can Apply to the PBL Leadership Academy?

California public educators who serve learners in middle school, high school, or community colleges are encouraged to form teams and apply.

Who should be on our team?

The ideal team is highly collaborative and is composed of four to six educators focused on equity in education through authentic PBL.

Each team should include at least one classroom teacher-leader and at least one school site or district administrator. And, each team should represent a diverse set of talents and interests, including English, Math, Special Populations, and Career Technical Education.

The 2021–2022 PBL Leadership Academy runs from September 2021 to May 2022. This year, all events are online and participation is free. Participating teams commit to joining the seasonal Leadership Institutes and coaching sessions with their HTH Educator-Mentor.

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.

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