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Amber Hawk is among the 50 school leaders from across Texas selected as the 2023 cohort of educators to attend summer institutes at the principals center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The effort is sponsored by nonprofit Charles Butt Foundation, which is pursuing a more equitable and prosperous future for Texans through education and community partnerships.

Hawk works locally as the Little Cypress Elementary principal.

Attendees, including individual principals as well as campus teams, participate in one of two weeklong workshops on leadership development, coaching, or school turnaround led by Harvard faculty and other national and international experts.

Each program is designed to inspire, challenge, and empower school leaders to bring lasting impact to their campuses and communities, the entire state of Texas, and beyond.

“Great teachers, along with strong school and district leaders, represent the most significant influencers of academic achievement and supportive culture,” said Tim Miller, Director of Leadership Development at the Charles Butt Foundation.

“Our alumni often report that their Harvard experience is the best professional development they have ever experienced and that they return to their campuses energized, inspired, and empowered to make meaningful change that benefits all students.”

For this summer’s institutes, preference was given to school leaders from districts that were considered rural or had a student enrollment of less than 5,000.

“As demographics shift in Texas, we recognize that the needs of schools in rural and smaller districts are unique,” Miller said. “Creating a space for school leaders in rural and smaller districts to find commonalities, problem solve, and build a network of support is an important component of this year’s Raising School Leaders program.”