Are you interested in K-20 Education Policy? Do you work to grow and/or sustain public education at the school, district, community, county, postsecondary, state, or national level? Do you work for a school district, a nonprofit, intermediary, university, government, or philanthropy? Then, our Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) opportunity is for you!
We are excited that you are interested in the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP), IEL’s 60+ year-old program designed to build policy, advocacy, and coalition-building capacities to drive educational change.
About EPFP:
This 7-week online program will equip you with the skills necessary to:
- create systemic change in your community
- engage in root cause analysis to determine policy solutions, and
- understand how to develop a dynamic advocacy plan.
The program consists of:
- 8 asynchronous modules
- 3 synchronous sessions
- 1 Washington Policy Seminar during the Community Schools Coordinators Appreciation Week
- 1 policy strategy project
Schedule
The EPFP: 2026 Spring Cohort will take place from February 9, 2026 to March 31, 2026, with the hybrid WPS and Hill Day taking place on March 24-25.
- February 9 to February 22 (weeks 1 and 2): On-Demand Sessions: Everyone: An Advocate Modules with Online Discussions
- February 24 from 7-8:00 pm EDT (week 3): Virtual Synchronous Session: Identifying Policy Goals and Developing Strategies
- March 3 from 7-8:00 pm EDT (week 4): Virtual Synchronous Session: Developing the 4 Ps of Policy Advocacy
- March 9 to March 22 (weeks 5 and 6): Virtual Peer-Learning Sessions: Vetting and Refining Your Policy Strategy
- March 24: Hybrid Washington Policy Seminar
- March 25: Hill Day (virtual option available for those unable to travel to D.C.)
- March 31 from 7-8:00 pm (week 7): Virtual Synchronous Session: Putting it All Together: Everyone: An Advocate Reflections
Admissions to the EPFP Spring 2026 Cohort are made on a rolling basis from September 18 until November 30 2025, and applicants will be evaluated on their ability to articulate their goals for participating in the modules, how they can contribute to the peer learning to take place in the cohort, and how they hope to support, sustain, and advance their policy goals in their home state.
The deadline to apply for the EPFP Spring 2026 Cohort is November 30, 2025.You will be notified of your acceptance into the cohort no later than December 14, 2025. To obtain a certificate of completion, all participants will be expected to complete all on-demand modules, participate in the online discussions, attend all synchronous learning modules, complete any and all reading or assignments related to the module content, participate in the Washington Policy Seminar, and honor IEL's Gracious Space Learning Norms (more details will be provided during the first module). Additionally, all the EPFP modules and content are owned by IEL and may not be shared with those who have not been accepted for the EPFP Spring 2026 Cohort.
CostThe cost for the EPFP 2026 Cohort is $699. Payment will be made via Stripe once applicants are notified of their acceptance into their program. Payments are due before the start of the first session, and may be made in one full payment or two payments by January 30, 2026. All participants must be paid in full to be able to participate in the program. Travel and accommodations for the hybrid WPS and Hill Day are not included in the tuition price.