Fall 2025 Thursday Bootcamp 1.0 CIP Learning Professional Learning for Educators

Project Owner: Rob Collins

Email: drcollinsky@gmail.com 

Website: https://www.commonwealthinnovationpartners.com/

Rob Collins is lifelong educator, former teacher and teacher leader, and public education advocate, deeply invested in participatory democracy and education policy as drivers of systemic change. Located in South Shore, Kentucky, Rob currently works as an education consultant for the State Department of Education in Kentucky.  He founded CIP Learning (Commonwealth Innovation Partners) to offer personalized, competency-based teacher fellowships. These fellowships allow educators to experience the kind of learning we want to create for students—engaging in documentation, collaboration, reflection, and publishing as they implement meaningful classroom projects. Rather than one-size-fits-all professional development, my work empowers teachers to lead, innovate, and share their practice in ways that build collective knowledge.

Currently, this team is CLOSED, but open to networking at this time.

Rob holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development, with research focused on participatory action and future-creating methodologies—ensuring that the voices of educators, students, and communities are not just studied, but centered in the design of better systems.

Bootcamp Project Overview

CIP Learning is an education consulting and professional learning venture helping schools and districts create vibrant learning experiences for students while supporting teacher growth, retention, and leadership. We provide competency-based professional development that is practical, engaging, and directly aligned to educators’ needs—without requiring substitute teachers or extended time away from the classroom. Our workshops, fellowships, and coaching experiences follow a “learn-by-doing” model, ensuring educators leave with classroom-ready products, assessment tools, and strategies. Our approach blends high-impact teaching strategies, community-embedded learning, and competency-based frameworks to prepare students for the demands of a changing world.

Problem

Teacher retention is a nationwide challenge. Many leave due to burnout, irrelevant professional development, and limited leadership opportunities. Students often graduate without the competencies—such as critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving—needed for college, career, and civic life. Traditional professional learning is often one-size-fits-all, seat-time driven, and disconnected from classroom realities. Educators need personalized, job-embedded, and competency-based learning, where mastery is measured by skill application rather than attendance. They also need a streamlined way to track and showcase growth—something most PD systems fail to provide.

Solution

CIP Learning delivers customized, competency-based professional learning alongside the development of an app-based portfolio and documentation platform.

This platform will:

• Allow educators to document professional learning in real time.
• Track progress toward micro-credentials and competencies.
• Generate shareable portfolios for evaluations, career advancement, and leadership opportunities.
• Provide districts with a clear, evidence-based view of professional growth and impact.

Our services include:

• Interactive Workshops & Series – Project-Based Learning, Performance Assessment, Community Partnerships, and Exhibitions & Defenses of Learning.
• SPARK Fellowships – Cohort-based teacher leadership programs with public exhibitions and ongoing coaching.
• Competency Tracking & Micro-Credentials – Powered by our forthcoming platform, allowing for transparent, personalized growth.

Market & Impact

Our market includes school districts, education nonprofits, and regional collaboratives across the U.S., particularly small- to mid-size systems eager to innovate. We also serve professional associations and state education networks. CIP Learning’s competitive advantage is our blended expertise: deep implementation experience from statewide policy leadership combined with national connections to education networks and best practices. Our platform creates a scalable, tech-enabled solution to a problem educators and administrators have struggled to solve for years—making professional learning visible, trackable, and meaningful.

Business Model

Revenue will come from:

1. School & District Contracts – PD packages, fellowships, and platform licensing.
2. Open-Enrollment PD – Virtual after-school sessions for individual educators.
3. Speaking & Keynote Engagements – State and national conferences.

First-year goals include securing three district or organizational partnerships, launching a paid fellowship cohort, piloting the portfolio/micro-credential platform, and hosting quarterly open-enrollment PD sessions.

Vision

Our vision is to transform professional learning so every educator is equipped, inspired, and connected—and every student experiences learning that is challenging, relevant, and joyful.