University of Maine at Augusta faculty member Leigh Reagan Alley has been named a finalist in the 2026 Women Changing the World Awards, recognized in the categories of Education and Rural Impact.
The global awards honor women whose leadership creates lasting positive change in their communities and beyond. Alley’s recognition places her among an international group of educators and advocates working to expand opportunity and strengthen communities through education.
The honor follows two recent recognitions for Alley: being named a 2026 Global Top 50 Trailblazing Educator and receiving the Maine Children’s Alliance Champions for Children Award earlier this year.
Alley serves as coordinator of teacher education at UMA, where she prepares future educators and leads work centered on whole-child education. She created the world’s first Master of Arts in Teaching Whole Child Education, a graduate program designed to help teachers support students’ academic, social and emotional growth.
She is also co-founder of xSELeratED, an initiative promoting social-emotional learning (SEL) practices for students and teachers alike. In addition to her work with educators, Alley is an author and public scholar who writes for outlets including The Educator’s Room and The Worthy Educator, contributing to national conversations about teaching and learning.
Winners of the 2026 Women Changing the World Awards will be announced April 22 at the program’s global summit in Paris.