The Urban Schools Human Capital Academy (USHCA), an institute for developing school district staff with human resources/human capital responsibilities, launched its first official Academy April 23-26 at the Chauncey Conference Center on the grounds of Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. Ten urban school districts invited to the event sent teams of four representatives who engaged in a series of workshops, discussions, and collaborative exchanges designed to help them shift their work of their Human Resources/Human Capital division to a more highly strategic, fully integrated, and functional component of their school system. Academy Chief Executive Officer Dr. Elizabeth Arons and Academy Chief Academic Officer Darlene Merry were the main facilitators at the event; they presented a series of challenging scenarios for Human Capital leaders to respond to and supported highly intense discussions among the 40 participants. The Academy is the first of a three-year program supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.