Relay Advantage
Our mission is to teach educators and leaders to help all students develop the academic skills and strength of character to succeed in college and life. Learn more about our unique and practical approach.
At Relay, we believe that becoming a great teacher or leader is much like becoming a great musician or doctor. It takes continuous practice, feedback, and dedication.
Learn. Practice. Perform. Transform.
We give graduate students unparalleled opportunities not only to learn the techniques that will make them more effective, but also multiple opportunities to practice them with faculty and peers. The feedback they receive helps them refine their practice until they’re ready to perform with confidence in the classroom. Our students then emerge with the skills needed to embark on a career as a transformational educator and prepared to impact thousands of children.
Curriculum That Integrates Theory and Application
Our approach to preparing teachers and leaders is unique to most institutions of higher education. It begins with a curriculum rooted in pedagogical theory and grounded in evidence of what works best in schools. Our programs emphasize the specific teaching and instructional leadership skills and mindsets that have the greatest impact on student learning and character development.
Our Mission in Action
In order to achieve our mission of improving opportunities and outcomes for children, Relay's approach focuses on the proven practices that enable teachers and; leaders to become highly effective educators.
In this video, Relay professors and graduate students describe their experiences honing their craft as part of a community of dedicated professionals.
A Focus on Academic and Character Growth
Academics are important, but they represent only one dimension of a child’s development. For that reason, we encourage teachers and leaders to adopt a strong focus on personal character strengths and social and emotional learning skills that will help their students grow up to be happy, responsible citizens who show love, integrity, and respect for others. Our programs are designed to help graduate students support and reflect upon both academic and social-emotional measures of student growth.
A Braintrust of Outstanding Educators
To develop and lead our programs, we've turned to the teachers and school leaders who've enabled thousands of students to achieve exceptional academic and character growth. These passionate educators are driven by a desire to transform the lives of children. They share a deep commitment to bringing out the best in their fellow teachers and leaders. They are always working closely with PK-12 schools, and they’re our faculty members at Relay.
World-Class Faculty
Our faculty members are 100% focused on our students’ success. They observe, coach, and mentor our graduate students. They visit them in schools, where they watch them teach children and lead teachers. And when they're not right there in the classroom, they're side-by-side with graduate students, watching and analyzing videos of them practicing the world's greatest profession.
An Institution Committed to Continuous Improvement
Just as we expect Relay graduate students to continuously refine their practice, we also commit to evolving our curriculum and instruction. We keep a constant pulse on developing trends in education to ensure that our programs effectively prepare educators for the current realities of schools. We analyze our student and PK-12 student outcomes, and we collect feedback from program participants and employers. We then use these data to enhance the quality of instruction and maximize Relay’s opportunity for impact.
