The Clarke County School District has been named the winner of the Georgia Charter System Foundation’s 2025 Leadership Development Award for its work in building greater leadership capacity among its students.

The award — announced and presented during the foundation’s annual Fall Conference and Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, Nov. 5, in Athens — recognizes a charter system that demonstrates outstanding leadership through instructional innovations and initiatives that impact their academic and community environments. CCSD was recognized for its implementation of the “Leader in Me” instructional model and the TED-Ed Student Talks initiative, both of which are geared toward modeling, practicing, and celebrating leadership skills among students and support the district’s mission of creating educational journeys that empower all students to fulfill their potential.

“This recognition affirms our shared belief that leadership is not limited to titles or positions; it’s a quality we nurture in every student,” said CCSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott. “This award is a celebration of our students, our staff, and our community, who together remind us that leadership is not a destination, but a continuous journey of growth, purpose, and excellence.”

Leader in Me is an evidence-based educational framework used in grades PK-12 around the country and designed to prepare students with college-, career-, and life-readiness skills. The program, based on the principles of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, was first introduced in CCSD at Barnett Shoals Elementary School during the 2020-21 school year, and a full expansion across the district began this year. As part of the implementation, school leaders and teachers undergo training centered around the “7 Habits” and then implement them with their students.

TED-Ed Student Talks are part of the North American nonprofit TED’s youth and education initiative and are designed to provide students with an authentic learning experience by developing their public speaking skills and sharing their knowledge and ideas with their peers and their communities. CCSD schools implement customized lesson plans to help students identify and research their ideas, as well as coach them on and refine their presentation skills.

“As a district, we are committed to raising the bar in the pursuit of excellence,” said Dr. Scott. “This award reflects just that. Through programs like TED-Ed and Leader in Me, our students are not just learning to speak up; they’re learning to stand tall. They are discovering their voices, setting goals, and leading with purpose and integrity.”

CCSD is one of 48 public charter school systems in Georgia. This governance model provides districts with flexibility from most state laws and regulations — which allows them to use new and innovative strategies to better meet the needs of their students — in exchange for increased student achievement goals and accountability.

Charter systems must also maximize school-level governance through local school governance teams (LSGTs), which CCSD has in place at each of its 14 elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools. The LSGTs include representation from school administration, teachers, parents and guardians, and community members, as well as student representation at the middle and high school levels.

CCSD’s charter system activities are led and supported by the Department of Innovation, Strategy, and Governance within the district’s Academic and Student Support Division.