Alumni Refresh
An opportunity for Relay leadership program alumni to revisit their program’s core content and refine their instructional practices.
Program Participants
Relay alumni have expressed the desire to “do Relay again”, both to refresh their skills and to engage with our new and updated content. The Alumni Refresh is for Relay Leadership Programs’ alumni who completed the National Principal Supervisors Academy (NPSA), National Principal Academy Fellowship (NPAF), or Instructional Leadership Professional Development (ILPD).
To maximize alignment and impact, schools and organizations are encouraged to send new leaders to our Instructional Leadership Academies (NPSA, NPAF, and ILPD), and returning participants to the Alumni Refresh in the same year.
Program Focus
See below for an overview of the updates we have made to our instructional content in recent years:
- Weekly Planning Meetings: In summer 2021, Relay introduced Weekly Planning Meetings sessions differentiated by English Language Arts and Math content. This reflects some of our most rigorous content, focusing on instructional lesson planning to ensure students tackle the most productive struggle, engage in meaningful discourse, and master core content.
- Equity-Centered Culture: During School Year 2020-2021, we made significant revisions to our culture strand to center equity and be more responsive to students’ needs. Culture sessions now include: understanding behavior through an equity lens; student-centered, school-wide supports; and staff culture.
- Strategic Planning: Relay launched its current version of Strategic Planning and Playbooks in school year 2017-2018. These sessions have been revised and strengthened every year while maintaining the core philosophy of using our student-centered goals to drive daily work.
- Coaching Adults: Observation and Feedback is a foundational content session that has stayed true to its original roots; however, it now includes building relationships with teachers as a key element in coaching through differentiating coaching and coaching on coaching.
- Weekly Data Meetings: The core of Weekly Data Meetings remains the same with an increased focus on content specific knowledge. This remains some of Relay’s strongest content with strong alignment to K-12 student achievement.
Program Experience
Alumni Refresh participants will attend the Virtual Sessions which kick off Summer Intensive. After that, they are welcome to attend any sessions that are helpful to their current work, during the rest of Summer Intensive or Intersessions. Alumni Refresh participants may participate in coaching groups, but do not participate in office hours.
Alumni may only attend sessions in the program they have completed; for example, NPAF alumni can only attend NPAF sessions.
About Partnership
Ready to get started? Check out The Partnership Process for next steps and the FAQs page for answers to common questions.
Program Schedule
The table below shows the Alumni Refresh program schedule for School Year 2024-2025.
- NPAF or NPSA alumni must attend Virtual Sessions, and may attend the June or July Summer Intensive and subsequent Intersessions at their discretion.
- ILPD alumni must attend Virtual Sessions, and may attend the June or July Summer Intensive at their discretion.
Summer Intensive
Option 1: June Cohort | New Orleans, LA
June 17, 18, and 20, 2025
Virtual Sessions [Mandatory]
Participants will attend two, half-day sessions in this date range
June 23 - 27, 2025
In-Person Sessions [Optional]
Option 2: July Cohort | College Park, MD
July 9 - 11, 2025
Virtual Sessions [Mandatory]
Participants will attend two, half-day sessions in this date range
July 14 - 18, 2025
In-Person Sessions [Optional]
Intersessions [All optional, and only available for NPAF and NPSA participants]
Oct. 15 - 16, 2025
Intersession 1 | College Park, MD
Jan. 26 - Feb. 5, 2026
Intersession 2 | Virtual
Participants will attend four, half-day sessions in this date range
May 7 - 8, 2026
Intersession 3 | New Orleans, LA
Program Cost
NPAF and NPSA Alumni: $2,500 per participant
ILPD Alumni: $1500 per participant
The program fee covers:
- High-quality instructional professional development from experienced leaders
- All course materials, licensing fees, and online access to electronic versions of resources
- Breakfast, lunch and snacks during in-person sessions
Alumni Refresh participants are responsible for the cost of hotel accommodations for in-person sessions.
Deadlines
Partner organizations should request seats for leaders by the following deadlines. Please note that the Alumni Refresh Program will be capped and seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We expect that the program may fill up quickly.
Seat Request Form Opens: January 8, 2025
June Cohort Seat Request Deadline: May 23, 2025
July Cohort Seat Request Deadline: June 13, 2025
For more information about how to request seats, see The Partnership Process page.
For general questions about Leadership Programs, see our FAQs.
Participating in Relay's Leadership Programs turned pedagogy into meaningful outcomes for our kids, which, in my opinion, ranks it among the best professional development opportunities for educators across the globe.
- Eddie Rangel
Eddie Rangel's Story
"[When] I was accepted into Relay's NPAF Leadership Program and [I] found myself in an inspiring community of practitioners who believe in the extraordinary capabilities of every child and school. Over the course of a year, our school not only succeeded but grew into one of the top-performing schools in our county and state. Participating in Relay's Leadership Programs turned pedagogy into meaningful outcomes for our kids, which, in my opinion, ranks it among the best professional development opportunities for educators across the globe."
Eddie Rangel, Executive Director, Adelante Schools
National Principal Academy Fellowship, 2019
Leverage Leadership Institute, 2020
Start the Conversation
Are you new to Relay? Or have partnered with Relay in the past, but have questions? We would love to discuss your team's needs and identify which programs would be a good fit. Submit the interest form below to schedule a conversation or pose a question.
Request Seats for Alumni Refresh
Relay will open the Seat Request Form for our School Year 2025-2026 programs on Jan. 8th, 2025. Check back then!