25th Anniversary

Celebrating 25 Years of Impact: 2001-2026

In 2026, the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) will 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 Giveaway

As CELL prepares to mark 25 years of advancing learning and supporting educators in 2026, we want to celebrate the schools and students that make our work meaningful. To honor this milestone, we are excited to give back to Indiana schools through CELL’s 25th Anniversary Celebrate Your School Giveaway. 

These gifts 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!

Applications are now closed. Stay tuned as we announce the winning schools from the nearly 100 outstanding submissions. Together, we look forward to celebrating the impact of educators, students, and school communities across Indiana.

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.