# UK ChangeMakers opens enrollment for teacher rank advancement program  
**Published:** 2026-04-30T14:16:48.000Z  
**Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-changemakers-helps-educators-pursue-rank-change-career-growth)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-changemakers-opens-enrollment-for-teacher-rank-advancement-program

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The [University of Kentucky College of Education](https://education.uky.edu/) is accepting applications for its ChangeMakers program, a one-year professional learning initiative designed to help educators advance their certifications while remaining in the classroom. The program is [enrolling participants](https://nextgen.uky.edu/changemakers) for its next cohort across Kentucky.

ChangeMakers offers teachers a flexible alternative pathway to pursue rank advancement without pursuing a traditional master's degree. [Developed by the college's Center for Next Generation Leadership](https://nextgen.uky.edu/), the program allows educators to complete projects directly tied to their classroom instruction, enabling them to apply new strategies with their own students in real time.

In Kentucky's tiered certification system, teachers can advance from Rank III to Rank II or from Rank II to Rank I through the program. Since its launch in 2021, ChangeMakers has supported nearly 200 Kentucky educators in achieving certification advancement, reflecting growing demand for job-embedded professional development options.

"Teachers are incredibly busy, and professional learning needs to reflect that reality," said Karen Perry, director of the UK Center for Next Generation Leadership and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies. "This program is one way we're supporting educators with an option that fits alongside their work."

Unlike traditional degree programs, ChangeMakers structures learning around classroom implementation. Participants work in small groups with support from program leaders and develop a portfolio of evidence demonstrating competency through their teaching practice. The program concludes with a capstone project and public defense of learning.

"A program like ChangeMakers provides a way for teachers to build on their experience in a more immediate, job-embedded way," said program director Lora Shields.

Teachers interested in joining can complete an [interest form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQgYb9E2TSNgMYvyYcjK4gkF75TqcP3GQu98EF0xAsdu84wA/viewform) to learn about virtual information sessions, application timelines and program requirements. For additional details, educators can email [Lora.Shields@uky.edu](mailto:Lora.Shields@uky.edu).

## Sources

- [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-changemakers-helps-educators-pursue-rank-change-career-growth)
- [UK College of Education and Center for Next Generation Leadership official website and program information](https://education.uky.edu/)
- [ChangeMakers program enrollment and details](https://nextgen.uky.edu/changemakers)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/uk-changemakers-helps-educators-pursue-rank-change-career-growth.