In the Louis Riel School Division (LRSD), leadership means learning—together. 
Strategic Plan (MYSP).”
This balance between autonomy and alignment meant that 
individual efforts were not isolated. They were connected to a 
larger, division-wide commitment.
As leaders worked, many began to see their projects through 
a new lens: not just as school-based initiatives, but as part 
of a collective journey toward improvement. Like climbing a 
mountain, each step forward contributed to a shared goal.

Learning in Action
Throughout the year, leadership meetings were reimagined 
as active learning spaces. Leaders engaged in structured 
collaboration, explored new frameworks, and tested ideas in real 
time, mirroring the type of learning environments they strive to 
create for students and staff.
“What we modelled for leadership, leadership could then model 
for their own staff,” said Mager. “Every activity, we gave the 
template and material so leaders could then take that back to 
their own teams.”
This intentional modeling ensured that PBLL extended beyond 
individual projects, influencing teaching and learning across 
schools.

Relationships at the Centre
At its heart, the work was relational.
“It was also an opportunity to collaborate in ways that we 
wouldn't normally get,” reflected Wilson, noting the value of 
networking and collective problem-solving.
Through shared learning, dialogue, and structured collaboration, 
leaders developed a deeper understanding of one another’s 
This year, Project-Based Leadership Learning (PBLL) brought 
leaders across the division into a shared experience of inquiry, 
reflection, and action. By applying the principles of project-based 
learning to their own leadership practice, leaders engaged in 
meaningful, self-directed projects rooted in the needs of their 
schools and communities. 
The work reflects a powerful idea.  Improvement demands 
more than a single initiative or quick solution. It is a journey. 
As described through the “Climbing the Mountain” framework, 
meaningful change happens step by step, through persistence, 
collaboration, and a shared goal, even when the path is 
challenging.

Learning as Leaders
For Marnie Wilson, data strategy officer, the power of PBLL is 
grounded in what it represents. “I think it's a good example of 
leadership learning and lifelong learning,” she said. “Itʼs also a 
good example of leaders modelling self-directed learning... it was 
a way to model that kind of good learning in practice.”
The idea of leaders as learners remained at the heart of the work. 
Instead of simply guiding others, leaders were actively engaged in 
their own learning journeys.

Learning with Purpose
While each leader pursued a unique project, the work was 
grounded in a common purpose.
“People had the autonomy to choose what was relevant for 
their own learning in the context of the communities that they 
serve,” explained Nicole Mager, divisional principal. “Even 
though everyone had that opportunity, there were lots of themes 
throughout, and all of those themes reflect the Multi-Year 
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CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN
AS A DIVISION

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