Leadership Preparation
The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship is a non-traditional leadership preparation program provided by the University of Arkansas and funded by the Walton Family Foundation. The fellowship’s purpose is to prepare future leaders in low-income schools throughout Arkansas. Fellows receive a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership upon completion of this 18 month program. IMPACT graduates have achieved a 100% pass rate on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment. Those accepted into the fellowship receive a scholarship which pays for 80% of all tuition and fees.
Nearly 150 IMPACT fellows across 8 cohorts represent 122 schools in 81 districts and eight charter systems, impacting thousands of teachers and students in rural, high-poverty Arkansas schools. Here are some of their stories.
Individualized Online Courses
Throughout the fellowship, candidates take individualized online courses delivered by professors in the U of A’s Education Leadership program while also participating in relevant professional learning experiences. Fellows are supported and coached throughout the process by IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship staff while applying learned content to school-based initiatives aimed at improving collaboration and instruction.
Program Requirements
The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship was designed to benefit low income schools throughout Arkansas by preparing future leaders. Applicants must have at least three years teaching experience and work for a school in which at least 70% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch. Upon acceptance into the program, IMPACT Arkansas Fellows commit to staying at their school for two years post-graduation.
