Apryl Kidd, who holds a Master of Science in education and educational leadership and administration, always knew she wanted a career working closely with people. Influenced from a young age by her great-grandmother and aunt, both of whom worked in education, she has found success as an educational professional for more than a decade. Ms. Kidd is the COSMOS director of initiatives with the Shoals, Mitchell, and Orleans Community Schools. COSMOS, which stands for the Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell, and Orleans Community Schools, is a cooperative effort between three rural school districts to provide more opportunities for their students. The initiative aims to offer more classes, programs, and resources to prepare their students for success. Before the program launched, Ms. Kidd worked at Mitchell Community Schools as an elementary school teacher from 2014 to 2018. She began her educational career in 2013 as a special education teacher for the Medora Community School Corporation, where she remained for one year.
Ms. Kidd attributes her success in education to her experience growing up in the community she now serves. She can empathize with her students as she lived through circumstances similar to what her students face. With a passion for STEAM/STEM education and a love for the classroom environment, she believes in the power of hands-on learning. Ms. Kidd is proud to create more equitable opportunities for students and jumped at the chance to transition into her current role as COSMOS director of initiatives when the position became available. Among her professional achievements, she is proudest of having 11 courses shared across three districts, effectively tripling the reach of the class and granting access to students who were previously excluded. Ms. Kidd is a lifelong contributor to her community, and from 2020 to 2022, she served as a board member for the United Way of South Central Indiana.
Certified as a K-12 Building Administrator through the Indiana Department of Education in 2021, Ms. Kidd is eminently qualified in her field. She earned a Bachelor of Science in special education and teaching from Indiana University Bloomington in 2013 and later matriculated at Western Governors University. In 2021, she graduated with a Master of Science in education in educational leadership and administration. Alongside her formal degrees, Ms. Kidd is a certified special education teacher and K-6 teacher through the Indiana Department of Education. For her professional accomplishments, she was recognized with the Career Development Professional of the Year Award and a 40 Under 40 Award in 2023.
Ms. Kidd advises aspiring educational professionals to push through adversity and never be afraid to ask questions. She believes in the importance of advocating for students and never being afraid to take the first step and pursue new ideas, as growth occurs when people step outside their comfort zone and take risks. Driven by her experience as a school administrator and educator, she is interested in researching the role schools play in economic development and community prosperity. Ms. Kidd hopes to explore further education opportunities in the coming decade and learn more about how to uplift the families of students and have a positive effect on socioeconomic mobility in her districts. Through her strengths in leveraging and coalescing resources to achieve shared goals, she is proud to be working toward creating better outcomes for her community. She believes that the cooperative model of COSMOS can be scaled and deployed elsewhere in the country to provide more opportunities to rural students. Ms. Kidd is grateful for the support of her community, her family, and her husband, who pushed her and supported her in her pursuit of a better future for herself and those around her.
