About

Grounded in a commitment to racial equity and justice, UIC’s Center for Urban Education Leadership strengthened and expanded its portfolio of work to include leadership development in spaces beyond PreK-12 settings, including higher education, non-profits, and community organizations.

The Center for Urban Education Leadership engages equity and racial justice-oriented scholars and practitioners in research and evaluation, professional development and academic program development, learning design, and policy advocacy to support leadership practices that expand educational opportunities and life outcomes of urban PreK-12 and higher education students.

Dr. Steve Tozer, a Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies founded the Center for Urban Education Leadership in the College of Education in 2011. The Illinois Board of Higher Education granted the center permanent center status in 2018. The founding purpose of the Center for Urban Education Leadership was to increase UIC’s capacity to provide leadership in a state and national movement to improve the preparation and development of school leaders, with an emphasis on school principals.