Engaging, Empowering and Enabling Student Board Members
The Edvance Cohort is a national professional development opportunity for students serving on boards of education, offered in collaboration by NSBMA, Diligent, and the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA).
Selected students will participate in online training sessions throughout the 2026-27 school year focused on governance, policy, budgeting, and effective student representation.
This is the Cohort Application page. To be considered for the 2026-27 cohort, BOTH forms below must be submitted:
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District Contact Form: completed by an adult district or school board representative
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Student Board Member Application: completed by the student board member
The application is not complete until both forms have been submitted.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
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The district or school board must support the student's participation in required cohort sessions
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The student must serve on a board of education
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The student must be at least 16 years old
Need more background before applying? You can view Diligent's Edvance information page here. Please note: submitting Diligent's interest form does not complete the application. To apply, both of the forms on this page must be submitted.