Indiana & Great Lakes
Our Indiana & Great Lakes Hub is anchored by the Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis.
Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning
An established source of educational innovation and professional development in Indiana, the Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis commits itself to addressing the unique needs of rural areas through their Rural Early College Network and the Indiana Collaborative for Rural Education. Janet Boyle serves as the Director of Rural Early College Network (RECN) at CELL and RSC Hub contact.
Originally founded through a generous donation from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. in 2001, CELL quickly grew and has sustained efforts to improve STEM curricula, create school-to-community career pathways, and host professional development seminars for schools and educators across Indiana. In 2022, CELL launched a Rural Teacher Corp, with assistance from RSC’s Catalyst Grant Initiative.
Former Director of Rural Education at CELL and previous RSC Hub contact, Dr. Jeremy Eltz, attributes the Center’s continued longevity to its ability to “forecast down the road” and to “convene people while also being good thought partners.” A determination to support the state’s numerous rural districts has also been central to the program’s efforts. Eltz explains how CELL’s previous director “realized rural schools have needs we aren’t addressing and started looking at different rural organizations to see what more we could do.”
Through the Rural Early College Network (RECN), CELL is expanding early college programs at schools to help students reach post-secondary institutions and complete degrees. More than sponsoring dual credit classes, Eltz explains that RECN encompasses “a whole ecosystem” of partners and actions focused on a diverse array of rural students:
“Concurrent enrollment is just one piece. To be a part of the early college program, you have to have leadership teams in place made up of school administrators, counselors, and teachers; student advising; and college field trips as well as parent advisory groups, the involvement of local partners, and a clear connection between college and the workforce.”
That connection to the community, for Eltz, is critical. The success of these efforts arises “through the partnerships that would be formed, the community networking and buy-in from parents and local employers. That’s the approach we take; we try to get as large a stakeholder group as we can into the model to sustain the effort. That’s been the approach CELL has always taken.”
Looking Back on 20 Years of Educational Transformation
Current and past staff at CELL reflect on the history and impact of the organization for its 20th anniversary.
Spotlight

Amanda Bedell - Charlevoix County, MI
A Michigan island serves as a classroom where the school is the community.
On Beaver Island, Michigan, where the school is the heart of the community, Amanda Bedell has found a home for her passion for rural education. Teaching third and fourth graders in a multi-age classroom, she embraces the island as her classroom—leading history projects that become library books, taking walking field trips, and fostering deep connections with her students and their families. Though island teaching comes with challenges—like unpredictable travel and isolation—Amanda’s commitment to her students and the flexibility of rural education make it all worthwhile. Read her inspiring story to see how small-town teaching creates big opportunities.
Read MoreMore news and stories from our Indiana & Great Lakes Regional Hub:

One-Year Update on 2023-24 Catalyst Initiative Grant
One year since receiving their planning grants, what have RSC’s partners done to create and enhance efforts to prepare rural teachers?

Amanda Bedell - Charlevoix County, MI
A Michigan island serves as a classroom where the school is the community.

Announcing the 2023-2024 Catalyst Initiative Grant Recipients!
Congratulations to our five newest Rural Teacher Corps partners.

Real World, Real Experiences, Real Connections: PBE in Rural Indiana
Jeremy Eltz reflections on year-one of CELL's rural teacher Place-Based Education projects in Indiana