Program Overview

Our innovative, two-year fellowship program is designed to connect experienced North Texas principals with multi-district peers, re-ignite their passion for the profession, and provide them with the tools and resources to inspire and lead their teams toward a campus vision.

​Principals participate in monthly workshops that provide high-quality leadership development, coupled with an immersive experience in an equity-driven design thinking process that supports them as they incubate and execute a 'big idea' action project designed to drive campus improvement.

"We have had an amazing partnership with the Principal Impact Collaborative and have seen the positive impact the program has had on principals that have participated in the program. The Principal Impact Collaborative provides an opportunity for our Dallas ISD principals to network, build their leadership skills, identify a unique challenge within the district, and engage in discussions to provide innovative solutions to these challenges. PIC provides a holistic approach to principals that incorporate self-care, leadership responsibility, and helps leaders develop the skills and tools to increase student achievement and lead successful schools."
                                                                                                       -Mark Ramirez, Associate Superintendent, Dallas Independent School District

Program Focus & Experience

Human centered design or design thinking

Design Thinking

PIC principals' idea development is rooted in the Design Thinking Process, a methodology for solving complex problems by drawing on empathy to develop a desirable solution with and for the persons directly impacted by the problem.  Through the design thinking training, PIC principals learn to use logic, imagination, intuition and systemic reasoning to explore more inclusive and innovative outcomes for their schools. 

Principals develop "prototypes" - experimental models of the solution - to test and then implement on their campus. Project exemplars include: 

• Personalized Learning for Teachers
• Building Engagement Through Relationships & Restorative Circles
• Engage & Related: Building Relationships and Aligning Student Engagement Strategies to Student Needs
• Small Group Blended Learning in Core Classes 
• Leading Through Adversity: Creating Systems that Foster a Sense of Belonging
• Celebrating Student Success Through Academic Goal Setting
• Reimagining Human Resources PD Through Virtual Engagement

well-being

Well-Being

Participants in the Principal Fellowship program participate in guided learning and receive ongoing support and encouragement in strengthening their personal well-being. 
 
PIC utilizes the Be Well Lead Well Pulse curriculum which empowers leaders to prioritize their well-being in order to build their capacity to lead with inner balance, clarity, and wholeness. 
 
Principals learn, assess, practice & monitor their growth within the six dimensions of Thriving, Flow, Wonder, Wisdom & Thriving Amplified, which support psychological wellbeing and stress resilience.  They also learn how to energize and maximize their leadership capabilities, and cultivate a campus culture that supports and empowers teams to do the same. 

TRANSFORMATIVE leadership

Transformative Leadership ​

PIC principals receive innovative leadership development training designed to deepen their learning, sharpen their leadership skills and empower them to be transformative leaders on their campus.

The professional learning curriculum is tailored to the life cycle of their action projects and includes topics such as:  

• Organizational change management
• Innovation and creative problem solving
• Embracing ambiguity and having a bias towards action
• Intersectional Identity and Leading Equitable Schools
• Resilience coaching for challenging conversations & managing up
• Effective research methods & impact measurement
• Personal leadership mindfulness  
• Self-compassion and leading with empathy

peer collaboration & networking

​​Peer Networking & Collaboration

PIC provides principals with the unique opportunity to connect with a diverse pool of leaders and develop a support network of peers from various districts across North Texas. Through PIC, principals are able to leverage the knowledge of others as they work collaboratively and effectively in high-functioning, multi-stakeholder teams motivated by a common goal of school improvement.

A key goal for PIC is to identify and test innovative and scalable strategies for other campuses to replicate.  As leaders in their communities, PIC principals have the opportunity to share their ‘big idea’ and outcomes with the broader North Texas educational community, and serve as a mentor for other principals and school leaders interested in replicating a similar idea.

"Dallas ISD’s partnership with the Principal Impact Collaborative has had a profound impact on the growth and development of our school district's leaders. Through PIC's innovative fellowship program, our principals have embarked on a transformative journey of personal and professional growth. Embracing human-centered design, and executing ambitious campus-based action projects, our principals are advancing their leadership skills and capacity. As alumni of PIC, they have become influential leaders who not only navigate adaptive challenges but also support and inspire other school leaders within our district, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. The partnership with PIC has been instrumental in cultivating a thriving community of school leaders."
                                                                                                              -Ali Saiyed, Executive Director of LEAD, Dallas Independent School District