25th Anniversary

Celebrating 25 Years of Impact: 2001-2026

In 2026, the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) proudly celebrate 25 years of transforming lives through learning across Indiana and beyond. From the beginning, CELL has worked to empower educators to transform schools and create pathways that prepare every student for success in college, career, and life.

Keep reading to explore CELL’s history and how we’re giving back to schools in celebration of our anniversary.

Celebrate Your School Awards

As CELL marks 25 years of advancing learning and supporting educators, we're celebrating the schools and students that make our work meaningful through our 25th Anniversary Celebrate Your School Awards.

These awards are designed to support school communities—helping educators continue the important work of inspiring student success. From funding innovative projects to providing tools that enhance teaching and learning, this celebration is our way of saying thank you to the schools that make a difference every day!

We received nearly 100 outstanding submissions. Follow along with us as we announce award recipients throughout the year and visit several awardees throughout the state. Together, we look forward to celebrating the impact of educators, students, and school communities across Indiana.

Top 10 Impact

• Nathan Hale Elementary in Whiting, Indiana, was selected for its sustained, schoolwide commitment to improving early literacy through evidence-based instruction, collaborative practice, and strong family engagement. What began as a small pilot of the UFLI approach in first grade grew into a unified, K–5 effort supported by ongoing professional learning and participation in the Indiana Literacy Cadre. Staff embraced new strategies, strengthened data practices, and worked collectively to meet individual student needs, resulting in significant gains in reading achievement. Read the blog.
• Hobart High School is being recognized its intentional, schoolwide effort to expand postsecondary access and redesign what student success looks like through its Early College and career pathway programs. By moving beyond “random acts of dual credit” to a cohesive, K–12 system, the school has created structured opportunities for students to earn college credits, industry credentials, and even associate degrees before graduation. Read the blog.

Top 25 Impact

• Cedar Crest Intermediate in the Southeast Dubois County School Corporation is being celebrated for transforming how it supports Multilingual Learners — strengthening the entire school community in the process. When leaders realized their growing population of students learning English needed more support, they stepped back and reimagined the program from the ground up. Partnering with regional experts, the school examined staffing, services, and classroom strategies to create a clear plan designed to help students not just keep up, but truly thrive.
• Eastern Greene High School is expanding opportunities in a small rural setting — proving that size doesn’t limit ambition. Over the past year, the school strengthened counseling services by adding a Student Support Specialist, launched a Principal’s Advisory Committee to amplify student voice, and introduced new pathways that connect students directly to college and high-demand careers. A dual-credit engineering track with Ivy Tech, a P-CAP grant through CELL, and a partnership with the Indiana Uplands Microelectronics Academy are opening doors that didn’t exist before.
• Greensburg Community High School is being recognized for building capacity, convening collaborators, and driving change through innovative senior celebrations that honor every post–high school pathway. Through its May 1 Signing Day—also known as May Day—GCHS celebrates enrollment, enlistment, and employment equally, bringing together colleges, military representatives, and local business and industry partners to formally recognize students’ next steps. 

History

CELL was founded in 2001 by the University of Indianapolis to serve as a bridge from educational research and policy to classroom practice. Our purpose has always been to ensure that practices are grounded in what works for schools and that educators have access to research‑based strategies that improve student learning.

In its early years, CELL focused on supporting K–12 schools and incubating higher education programs focused on leadership support and innovative instructional practices. Over time, CELL expanded its reach by addressing critical state education priorities—such as literacy, counseling, career pathways, and teacher pipeline challenges.

Key Milestones

Over the past 25 years, CELL has achieved significant milestones, including:

• 2000s – Launching the Early College High School movement in Indiana and leading expansion of the New Tech High School network
  
• 2010s – Expanding partnerships with state agencies and private organizations to implement initiatives like the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement, project-based learning, comprehensive school counseling work, and initiatives to address STEM teacher training and recruitment
  
• 2020s – Leading statewide efforts such as the Rural Early College Network, Indiana Pathways to Careers and Postsecondary (P-CAP), the Indiana Literacy Cadre, and addressing teacher pipeline challenges through initiatives like the I-TELL, I-SEAL, Teach Dual Credit Indiana, and STEM Teach
  
• 2026 – Celebrating 25 years of impact with hundreds of thousands of students directly benefiting from CELL initiatives and thousands of educators supported through training and collaboration.

CELL Today

Today, CELL’s work is guided by a clear commitment to student success: to connect research to practice in ways that best fit schools’ needs and to create sustainable change that improves outcomes for all learners. CELL partners with schools, districts, higher education institutions, industry partners, nonprofits, state and federal agencies, and communities to:

• Foster innovation that supports student learning and achievement.
• Share research-based strategies that can be adapted to local contexts.
• Empower educators and leaders through professional development and collaboration.

This approach ensures that every initiative remains centered on CELL’s ultimate goal: expanding opportunities and improving student success for all Indiana students.

Looking Ahead

As CELL celebrates 25 years of impact, we remain guided by our primary focus: transforming lives through learning. CELL is uniquely positioned to meet the challenges and needs of educators and schools, today and in the future. In the coming years, CELL will continue to partner across the educational ecosystem to ensure that every Indiana student has the opportunity to thrive.