NGA Center for Best Practices
NGA Center for Best Practices teams develop innovative solutions to today’s most pressing public policy challenges. The NGA Center is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation’s Governors.
Latest
Reimagining and Strengthening the Role of the School Principal
Megan Bennett and Chelsea Mary Chang of the Aspen Institute's Education and Society Program join NGA to discuss bold new ideas for enhancing the role of the school principal—as well ...
Governors Advancing Youth Apprenticeship Through Legislative and Executive Action in 2026
Youth apprenticeships represent a powerful tool for governors to provide opportunities for young people to gain skills and certifications for in-demand careers through industry-led program models. By advancing youth apprenticeship ...
State Snapshots For Strengthening The Educator Workforce
A series of conversations with nationally recognized experts in the education field on strategies and promising practices for strengthening educator recruitment and retention, including for advancing school leadership policies and ...
Reigniting the American Dream
Every American should have the opportunity to build a life of purpose, to strengthen their community, and to help shape a nation defined not only by prosperity, but by potential realized. Yet across our very diverse states, too many people have lost faith in this opportunity. They’ve faced too many obstacles, encountered too many closed doors, and given up the hope of a brighter future. We can do better.
Reigniting the American Dream is more than an initiative. It’s an invitation for every U.S. governor to take action.
Program Areas
Center for Best Practices Library
Reimagining and Strengthening the Role of the School Principal
Megan Bennett and Chelsea Mary Chang of the Aspen Institute's Education and Society Program join NGA to discuss bold new ...
Governors Advancing Youth Apprenticeship Through Legislative and Executive Action in 2026
Youth apprenticeships represent a powerful tool for governors to provide opportunities for young people to gain skills and certifications for ...
State Snapshots For Strengthening The Educator Workforce
A series of conversations with nationally recognized experts in the education field on strategies and promising practices for strengthening educator ...
Attainment Through Apprenticeship
Degree apprenticeships are emerging as a powerful strategy for states and territories seeking to align education and workforce systems, address ...
2026 Health Policy Leadership Forum
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) convened state and territory governors’ health policy advisors in Charlotte, ...
AI and the Future of Work
As the labor market rapidly evolves with advances in artificial intelligence (AI), governors stand at the forefront of innovative, bipartisan ...
High-Quality Youth Development and Out-of-School-Time (OST) Opportunities
In this webinar, Jodi Grant from the Afterschool Alliance and Dr. Deborah Moroney from American Institutes for Research discuss how ...
Building the Infrastructure America Needs
Infrastructure works best when no one notices it. Clean water flows from the tap, goods move efficiently across highways and ...
A Look at the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System
In a webinar for state education leaders, Dr. Anna Shepherd-Jones presented the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System (APLDS), explaining its ...
Oregon Policy Academy Retreat on Energy Transmission
On May 20-21, the Oregon Department of Energy, in partnership with the National Governors Association (NGA) and the office of ...
Opportunity Zones 2.0: What States Need to Know Now
The National Governors Association (NGA) and AmericaFWD recently convened state economic development officials, researchers and investment experts to take stock ...
Putting State Dollars to Work: How Governors’ Signature Investments Drive Workforce Transformation
As Governors seek to grow their state economies, expand access to quality jobs, and build workforce ecosystems aligned with labor ...
PAST NGA CHAIRS INITIATIVES
- 2024-2025
Gov. Jared Polis’s Initiative
Let’s Get Ready! - 2023-2024
Gov. Spencer Cox’s Initiative
Disagree Better - 2022-2023
Gov. Phil Murphy’s Initiative
Strengthening Youth Mental Health - View all…