The Institute is proud to share a new movement, #KidsAreEssential, a group of organizations committed to the success of children that calls on our leaders to invest in children and their families as early as possible, and address the economic, racial, and health disparities that were made worse by the pandemic. As the nation attempts…
A Reflection on the Value of Long-Term Coaching Relationships
For three years, it has been my great pleasure to work in the Early Childhood Education field as a Leadership Coach. At the NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, I serve as a coach with the Leadership Initiative and am able to support leaders across New York City. Specifically, what makes this work even more…
NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council Spotlights
The Institute is pleased to share a resource from our partners at the NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC). The ECAC released a new set of Local, State and National Spotlight Interviews that highlight innovative early childhood initiatives. The Institute’s Diana Diaz, Director of the Aspire Registry, is featured in her role as President of…
The Moms. We are Slowly Breaking.
Early childhood educators are mostly women and many of us are mothers or caregivers for elderly relatives, or both. After a December jobs report in which all of the jobs lost were women’s jobs, with women losing 156,000 jobs and men gaining 16,000, there has been more discussion of the experience of working mothers during…
Your Weekend Watchlist from Our Gender, Sexuality and the Family Team
If your pandemic winter is dragging on, and there’s nothing new on Netflix, consider using some viewing time to learn about the experiences and perspectives of LQBTQIA+ children and teens. Catalina Schliebener, an artist and trainer on the Institute’s Gender, Sexuality and the Family in Early Childhood team, put together this watchlist for you. Note…
The Institute’s Jenna Pettinicchi and Cristina Medellin to Serve on the NYAEYC Governing Board
We are pleased to share that two of our staff members will serve on the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC) Governing Board. NYAEYC is an affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Its mission is to promote excellence in early care and education for New York…
Virtual Potential, Powerful Connections, and Resilient Spirits
On March 16th my world made a sudden shift, one I certainly never anticipated. Those first weeks I felt stunned, lost and isolated. Overnight our ECE & SACC programs closed down. We were expected to reimagine preschool through virtual classrooms. My work as a Leadership Coach and Professional Development provider was upended. Everything seemed to…
Lesley Koplow Publishes a Book for Children in the Time of COVID
This month Lesley Koplow published a new book for young children living through the pandemic. Lilah in the Land of the Littles: A Story for Children in the Time of COVID tells the story of a pre-school age child as she navigates the isolation of quarantine. Lilah misses playing with her neighbor. Her mother is…
Welcome to the Core Body of Knowledge Training and My Coaching Journey
After many tribulations, I was finally able to complete the six-day Core Body of Knowledge training. As we unpacked coaching, I had several “AHA moments.” One being, “No one knows everything” – there is room for many perspectives and the more I listen, the more I learn, or as Deb Fitzgerald states “The more I…
A Celebration of Susan Feingold: A Purposeful Life
Susan Feingold, founding Executive Director of the Bloomingdale Family Program, and her community—a world of relationships in partnership with families—are a model for local and international visitors. These are a few memories of Susan, recalled by friends, early childhood educators, who will never forget her. The community she helped to create welcomes, serves, and connects…