Leadership Academy – National Child Welfare Workforce Institute

NCWWI Leadership Academy

Introduction

The NCWWI Leadership Academy is designed to build and support leadership skills critical for the success of child welfare supervisors, managers, and directors. It was funded by the Children’s Bureau and offered in multiple training formats from 2008-2023.

Implementation

If the Leadership Academy is implemented as designed, learners will become nimble leaders, able to identify and tackle technical and adaptive challenges, address systemic barriers, and institute sustainable, equitable solutions that pave the way for positive organizational change.

The Leadership Academy takes approximately 18-20 months to move through planning and implementation, and is a significant organizational investment. Extensively evaluated from 2009-2024, the Academy consistently yielded positive outcomes: high participant satisfaction, significant knowledge gains, robust learning transfer support, and significant increases in leadership behaviors. This data assures the effectiveness of implementing the Academy to fortify your organization’s leadership pipeline, ensuring your workforce is equipped to champion a brighter future for the children and families we serve. While optimal utilization of the entire Academy is recommended, we recognize budgetary constraints may require a piecemeal approach. Incorporating individual components of the Academy can have valuable benefits. The following resources are available to help guide your thinking and implementation of the Academy.

Leadership Academy Implementation Guide: Online version; PDF version
Leadership Academy Coaching Guide
Leadership Academy Evaluation Guide

For assistance in understanding and implementing the Academy, please email Robin Leake who will connect you with the relevant personnel.

Curriculum

Academy participants complete asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities accompanied by leadership development coaching. The modularized curriculum provides explanations and opportunities to apply concepts that reinforce the leadership fundamentals, along with the four quadrants of the NCWWI Leadership Competency Framework (Change, Context, Results, and People). Academy materials consist of five online modules and corresponding in-person or virtual participant materials. These materials can be customized; just be sure to cite the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute.