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EXCEL/PROVE/MOBILIZE

The District Leadership Institute for Systemic Change is NCCEP’s premier leadership development program, designed to help GEAR UP districts and schools drive lasting change and improve student outcomes. Created in partnership with Inflexion, the program supports district- and state-level leaders and college access professionals as they:

  • Learn in a trusted community of practice focused on systemic school change to improve student outcomes.

  • Explore the Inflexion Approach to strengthen school identity, coherent systems, effective learning practices, and a shared vision of readiness for all students.

  • Apply the Four Keys to College and Career Readiness to raise expectations, build positive school culture, and enhance programming.

  • Assess, collaborate, and refine strategies to drive systemic change and deepen the school–GEAR UP partnership for continuous, measurable improvement.

Participants receive three days of in-person training, optional coaching calls, and virtual check-ins over six months. Each session blends case studies, current research, and real-world leadership tools in a collaborative learning environment.

 
 

Tuition

The tuition for the program is $5,000 per participant. Given the issues to be addressed in the Institute, districts are encouraged to bring leadership teams of three representatives.

Please note that for in-person meetings, tuition fees do not include travel to the convenings, hotel accommodations, and other travel related cost. Participants are expected to commit to attending each of the in-person sessions when applying and should be ready to reserve the in-person meeting dates. The first in-person meeting will take place during Monday and Tuesday of the NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference (July 13-16, 2025 in San Francisco, CA) and the second in-person meeting will take place in October 2025 (October 20-21, Washington, DC).

NCCEP members will receive a $1,260 in-kind match per participant, which includes one-day complimentary registration to the 2025 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference and full complimentary registration to the 2026 National GEAR UP Academy.

Participants will be accepted to the program on a first-come, first-served basis and class sizes are limited to facilitate group learning. Please note that:

  1. Full payment must be processed prior to the first convening in July.

  2. Tuition is not refundable.

  3. Substitutions are allowed only in coordination with NCCEP before the first convening.

 
 
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