The Aspiring Leaders Program (ALP) is offered by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in partnership with the Educational Leadership Consortium of Nova Scotia (ELCNS) and regional centres/boards. The goal of the Program is to provide leadership training and skill development to aspiring school administrators. The ALP extends over 14 months and leads to a certificate. The certificate is granted by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, in partnership with the ELCNS and the regional centres/boards.

The Nova Scotia Aspiring Leaders Program is designed for teachers, mentors, and board/regional centre consultants who are interested in becoming school principals and/or vice principals.

Submit an online application through your regional centre/board website by the April deadline. Applicants must provide three professional, work-related references that include their current supervisor. Each regional centre/board will review applications and make selections based on identified criteria. All applicants will be notified following the selection process. Short-listed, screened-in applicants will be interviewed by a panel of regional centre/board personnel. The interview panel will make the final selection of successful candidates. Debriefing opportunities for unsuccessful applicants are available upon request.

Summer Institute I August 16-17, 2023

ALP orientation and Insights Discovery workshop

ELCNS Summer Leadership Conference

Friday/Saturday Seminars September 2023-May 2024

1.   School Culture and Building Relationships - September

2.   Communication Skills - October

3.   School Management* - November

4.   Instructional Leadership* - January

5.   Leading Change* - February

6.   Diversity and Social Justice - April

7.   Leading Professional Learning - May

*On-line

Summer Institute II August 2024

Student Services (two days)

Residency Program: Eight Days

The Residency Program matches ALP participants with experienced principals, usually within the same region/board. It takes place from September to September, and incorporates the learning and skills from each of the seven Seminars and Summer Institute #2.

Culminating Assessment

A Culminating Assessment, providing the protégés an opportunity to demonstrate what they know and what they have learned, will be conducted in Fall 2024 and must be successfully completed.

The August 2023 institute will take place at the Delta Hotel, Dartmouth. Seminars will take place in various locations around the province, with as much consideration as is possible to equitably accommodate participants’ travel time. Three seminars will be offered on-line. The venue for the summer institute 2024 is to be determined.

The tuition for the program is 2615+ HST per participant. This cost covers two summer institutes, including the ELCNS Summer Leadership Conference, and the seven seminars. This does not cover travel, meals, or accommodation.

Please check with your ALP Regional Centre/Board contact for this information.

There is an ALP contact person in each region/board.  Please contact your HR department to determine who your region contact is.

You may also contact ELCNS’s ALP Coordinator, Wanda Fougere, wfougere@elcns.ca.