The L+D Fellowship

Written By Tara Curry-Jahn

Estimated Reading Time: 3-5 min

The Leadership+Design Fellowship invites 17-20 dynamic school leaders to partner with us for a transformative year-long journey. Together, we’ll explore how human-centered design, creative problem-solving, and futurist thinking can empower you to lead with confidence in a time of rapid change and disruption. Do you see yourself as a leader, but the world doesn't know it yet? Are you entering a new role? Are you a sitting leader looking for your people? Are you an experienced leaderwho needs a shot of new learning? We don't define leader for you. We ask the question, "What is a leader, and how might we expand our definition to match the complexity of how schools operate?" 

As an L+D Fellow, you’ll build the habits, mindsets, and skill sets to become:

  • A Reflective Change Maker: Navigating challenges with clarity and purpose.

  • A Human-Centered Design Thinker: Designing innovative solutions that prioritize people and relationships.

  • An Optimistic Futurist: Leading with vision and adaptability in uncertain times.

Throughout the year, you’ll engage in in-person retreats, virtual gatherings, and hands-on projects to apply these skills in real-time at your school. This fellowship is your chance to grow as a leader while helping shape the future of teaching and learning. Applications are open now for the 2026-2027 Fellowship class. Every cohort helps us build, iterate and learn, and next year we welcome our 10th annual cohort. We will affectionately call them Fellows 10.0, and they will join more than 150 other Fellowship alumni. If you are interested in learning more and potentially applying, please click below and we look forward to hearing from you. 

Click Here to Find Out More or Apply

L+D Fellow Highlight - Ryan Welch 

"Now in my second year as a division head, I’m not sure how I’d do this work without having come through the Leadership + Design Fellowship. The frameworks and habits I return to (waterline, above/below the line, balcony/dance floor, signature presence) have become a steady, practical toolkit in the day-to-day. Just as importantly, L+Doers Unite keeps me connected to a community that makes leadership feel less isolating and more like a shared lab. Bottom line: L+D gave me the tools and the connections to lead change reflectively, design human-centered responses, and stay future-facing with optimism."

~Ryan Welch, Head of Middle School at The New School in Fayettville, AR - L+D Fellow 7.0 

Tara Curry-Jahn

Tara Curry-Jahn is an Associate with Leadership+Design. She is an experienced human-centered design facilitator and coach, strategic partner, and experience designer. She holds a Master's degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Colorado and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont. She has been formally trained in design thinking at the Stanford's d.school (School Retool), The Design Gym, and the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME- creator of Action Collab). Tara partners with schools, districts, and organizations to think creatively and systematically to become more user-centered and strategic in teacher and leadership development, resource allocation (time, money, people), and the student experience. She lives in Arvada, CO with her wife and son.

https://www.leadershipanddesign.org
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