CREATEd is proud to offer professional learning for those who seek to strengthen relationships between practice and research.

In a 2021 convening of education knowledge brokers, participants identified several challenges for strengthening and leveraging knowledge brokers’ work linking research and practice to promote more educational improvement and equity, including a need for professional learning and training to support knowledge and skill development. For the last two years, CREATEd has responded to this call through a year-long fellowship program. Starting in 2025, we are excited to begin offering programming more broadly through Foundations of Knowledge Brokering.

New!!!!! Foundations of Knowledge Brokering

This six-month program prepares individuals for knowledge brokering  – work that promotes strong, equitable relationships among the research and practice communities.

Our program is now full for the 2024-2025 year. If you would like to join the waitlist, please complete the registration form linked below.

Join the Program Waitlist

Who is This Program For?

Few people actually use the term “knowledge broker” to describe themselves, but many people engage in this work. In fact, knowledge brokers can serve in a wide range of job positions and work at different levels of influence. A knowledge broker is someone who:

  • cultivates and sustains relationships between research and practice,
  • makes knowledge accessible and usable,
  • supports just, research-informed change,
  • centers equity in educational processes, goals and outcomes, and 
  • democratizes evidence use to improve the lives of children.

Knowledge brokers work in many kinds of organizations – in intermediary organizations like curriculum developers, technical assistance providers, as well as in state education agencies, schools, districts, and research organizations. If you are interested in developing knowledge and skills related to building capacity for research use and production of relevant and useful research, working with diverse education stakeholders to address issues of equity and social justice, transforming research to support education policy and practice…this professional learning program is for you!

Program Details and Cost

Program modules and bi-monthly workshops offer learning activities designed to support participants’ development of program-designed Knowledge Broker Competencies

  • Six-month program which runs annually from December – June
  • Asynchronous learning modules 
  • Two interactive, synchronous workshops each month designed to offer opportunities for networking and engaging in a collegial learning community with other professionals working in the U.S. education system
  • $495 fee to participate

Program Content

Knowledge Brokering– This module focuses on knowledge brokers – what are they? who are they? what do they do? In order to anchor the learning, the module begins by framing the need for knowledge brokers in the proverbial “gap” between research and practice. Participants will consider specific roles and activities, as well as how identities and positionality influence their work.

Equity– Module 2 applies an equity lens to the different aspects of knowledge brokering work – a lens which is applied throughout the rest of the program. This module specifically focuses on developing a common understanding about equity, inequity, and its presence in society, followed by exploring these issues in three aspects of knowledge broker work: addressing equity in policy and practice, promoting equity in research production and use, and supporting equity in collaborative work.

Educational Ecosystem– This module builds essential knowledge of the educational ecosystem with particular attention to the research, practice, policy communities, and those who act in positions of educational intermediaries. The contexts of each community are explored, as well as the roles of those who work within these systems. The module concludes by exploring the connections within the educational ecosystem and identifying priorities, issues, and trends within the system.

Evidence-Informed Change – Module 4 attends to knowledge brokers in action – that is, how do knowledge brokers support evidence-informed change. Three aspects of knowledge brokering work are explored: evaluating and making sense of evidence, understanding evidence use and misuse, and understanding knowledge brokers’ role in educational change.

Design & Communication– This module attends to critical issues and practices that knowledge brokers should be aware of in their design and communications work. Communication goals and frameworks are addressed, as well as essential elements of communication such as audience, message, products, and channels. These focus attention on the practical elements of planning and executing communication and design, while also attending to centering equity at each phase.

Facilitation– Module 6 offers participants skills and practices to facilitate the joint work between policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. The module explores issues related to working across and improving relationships among research, policy, and practice. Additionally, the module offers resources for facilitating a range of activities such as meetings, teams, and partnerships.

Program Schedule

The schedule for the 2024-2025 Foundations of Knowledge Brokering program is listed below. All workshops are held from 2:00-4:00 pm EST.

Program Kickoff: December 12, 2024 (Program Kickoff)
Module 1: Knowledge Brokering January 9, 2025 & January 16, 2025
Module 2: Equity February 6, 2025 & February 13, 2025
Module 3: The Educational Ecosystem March 6, 2025 & March 13, 2025
Module 4: Evidence-Informed Change April 3, 2025 & April 10, 2025
Module 5: Design and Communication May 1, 2025 & May 8, 2025
Module 6: Facilitation Strategies June 5, 2025 & June 12, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the program expectations? 

  1. Attend the program kick off (December)
  2. Complete asynchronous activities prior to each bi-monthly workshop (January – June)
  3. Attend bi-monthly synchronous virtual workshops (January- June)

What is the expected time commitment for participants? 

From January – June, participants can expect to spend between 10-12 hours each month engaged in completing asynchronous activities (6-8 hours of reading, watching videos, exploring resources, etc.) and attending the two workshops (2 hours each). 

How many other people might be in the program?

We aim for between 10-15 participants in the program. We keep the number small to allow meaningful interaction and participation.

Is the program open to those who live outside the United States? 

This program will focus on the relationships between research and education practitioners and policymakers involved in the education system of the United States.

Are there any ways I can obtain financial support to participate?

CREATEd is working with the Education Knowledge Broker Network to offer a limited number of scholarships available to support your participation in this program.

I have more questions, who can I contact for help?

Contact Carolyn Hammerschmidt at cfhammer@udel.edu (Foundations of Knowledge Brokering Program Lead) with any program related questions.

Have questions? Contact us at crue-info@udel.edu.

I’m very intrigued by the work, just knowledge broker. And I look into it, I think it’s a good PD opportunity for me, and with my current position, there’s a little bit of flexibility in terms of what I want my professional development to be, and sounds like a good fit.

–Knowledge Broker and CREATEd Fellow, Cohort 2

Brokers often report learning how to work as a boundary spanner and knowledge mobilizer on the job or informally. This can make it difficult to be effective and may be a barrier to finding people
to take on broker roles.

-From the Strategic Agenda of the Research Brokers Network Meeting, Priority 2: Priority 2: Establish opportunities for skill development for brokers and potential brokers across the system (e.g.
intermediaries, researchers, practitioners)

It feels really empowering to have someone whose knowledge is based in the research around certain topics to reaffirm the work that you’re trying to do in a school district system, and say, “Hey, not only, like, you know you’re on the right track, but let me give you other things to think about…”

-Knowledge Broker and CREATEd Fellow, Cohort 2