The National Rural Education Association and SchoolSims are pleased to announce a new partnership focused on strengthening professional learning and leadership development in rural schools.
Rural educators operate within unique and often complex contexts—balancing close-knit community relationships, limited staffing, geographic distance, and evolving instructional and leadership demands. While these conditions create strong local connections, they can also limit access to consistent, high-quality opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.
This partnership is grounded in a shared belief that meaningful professional learning is rooted in experience. Together, NREA and SchoolSims will explore how scenario-based, simulation-driven learning can expand access to those experiences—allowing teachers and leaders to engage realistic challenges, consider multiple perspectives, and reflect on decisions in a structured and supportive environment.
Through this work, the partnership aims to reinforce the great work that NREA already does and:
- Support the development of teachers through practice-based learning
- Strengthen leadership pipelines by engaging aspiring leaders in real-world decision-making
- Provide flexible, job-embedded professional learning opportunities
- Reduce professional isolation by creating shared experiences for discussion and reflection
- Ensure that rural contexts and challenges are authentically represented in learning experiences
This effort will also focus on capturing and reflecting the realities of rural schools within simulation scenarios, helping to ensure that professional learning is relevant, accessible, and grounded in the lived experiences of rural educators.
At its core, this partnership is about expanding access – to experience, to collaboration, and to professional growth – so that educators in rural communities can continue to lead and teach with clarity, confidence, and connection.
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The National Rural Education Association (NREA) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It is the oldest established national organization in the United States. As the trusted voice for rural education, the NREA advocates for every rural learner, educator, and community. The NREA envisions strong rural schools and communities where education is the catalyst for resilience, opportunity and success.
