UK ChangeMakers helps educators pursue rank change, career growth
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 1, 2026) — The University of Kentucky College of Education is now enrolling teachers across the Commonwealth in the next cohort of ChangeMakers, a one-year professional learning program designed to help educators advance their careers while continuing to teach.
The program, developed by the college’s Center for Next Generation Leadership, offers an additional pathway for teachers seeking to move to the next level of certification, complementing the college’s range of graduate degree options.
ChangeMakers is designed for educators who want a flexible, classroom-connected experience. Participants complete projects tied directly to their day-to-day teaching, allowing them to apply new strategies with their own students in real time.
“Teachers are incredibly busy, and professional learning needs to reflect that reality,” said Karen Perry, UK Center for Next Generation Leadership director and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies. “This program is one way we’re supporting educators with an option that fits alongside their work.”
Since launching in 2021, ChangeMakers has supported nearly 200 Kentucky educators in advancing their certification, reflecting a growing interest in flexible professional learning opportunities.
“A program like ChangeMakers provides a way for teachers to build on their experience in a more immediate, job-embedded way,” said ChangeMakers Director Lora Shields.
Teachers interested in joining the upcoming cohort can complete an interest form to receive information about virtual information sessions, application timelines and program details. For more information, email Lora.Shields@uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.