LEAP Innovations Pilot Network Expands to Support Student Engagement and AI Integration at 20 Chicago Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2025
LEAP Innovations Pilot Network Expands to Support Student Engagement and AI Integration at 20 Chicago Schools
Program doubles capacity for 2025-2026, bringing teams of educators together to design, test, and refine cutting-edge practices for personalized learning
CHICAGO, IL – LEAP Innovations today announced the launch of Pilot Network Cohorts 9 and 10, uniting schools across Chicago to design, pilot, and scale innovative approaches to personalized learning. This year’s cohorts bring together both returning schools and new partners committed to advancing student engagement and the responsible integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in classrooms.
More than a dozen schools across Chicago are participating in Cohorts 9 and 10, representing both returning Pilot Network schools and new partners. Schools include neighborhood, magnet, and charter models, demonstrating the broad reach of innovation across the city. Participating schools in 2025 include:
A. Phillip Randolph Elementary School
Audubon Elementary School
Avalon Park Fine & Performing Arts School
CICS Bucktown
CICS West Belden
Gillespie Technology Magnet Cluster School
James Madison Fine Arts Elementary School
Perkins Bass Elementary School
Plamondon STEM Elementary School
R.H. Lee Elementary School
Rachel Carson Elementary School
Warren Elementary School
Whittier Dual Language Magnet School
Additional participating schools will be announced this Fall.
Founded in 2014, the LEAP Pilot Network has become a nationally recognized model for helping schools design, test, and scale strategies for student-centered learning. To date, more than 140 Chicago schools have participated, reaching thousands of students across the city. Independent research has found that Pilot Network schools report significant gains in student engagement, deeper learning outcomes, and stronger teacher capacity to lead innovation. Based on this evidence, LEAP is expanding the Pilot Network to double its program capacity in 2025-2026, ensuring more schools and students can benefit from innovative, personalized approaches.
"When I was a principal in Chicago, participating in the LEAP Pilot Network was one of the most impactful professional experiences of my career. It gave our team the chance to collaborate deeply, design for student needs, and lead meaningful change grounded in personalized learning. Now, I’m thrilled to help lead this work and support new cohorts of schools in creating the same kind of transformative impact for their students and communities." - Colleen Padgett, Director of the LEAP Pilot Network & Former Principal
If you’re interested in learning more about pilot programs for school innovation, scholarships are available for a limited number of schools ready to join the Pilot Network and take on the challenge of redesigning learning for today’s students. Learn more at www.leapinnovations.org or email colleen@leapinnovations.org.
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About LEAP Innovations
LEAP Innovations is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that transforms education by connecting research, innovation, and practice to reimagine learning for every student. LEAP’s mission is to transform education nationwide into a uniquely personal experience, designed to prepare, empower and inspire all learners to ignite their unlimited potential. As a national nonprofit, LEAP partners with schools, districts, and educators across the country to design personalized, student-centered systems that expand opportunity and unleash learner potential. LEAP developed the LEAP Learning Framework and LEAP Learner Engagement Survey, the first of their kind in the country to define and measure implementation of personalized learning in classrooms, which have been scaled across 24 states since 2014.
Press Contact:
Meredith Oldham
Marketing & Partnerships Specialist
meredith@leapinnovations.org
