Leadership Initiative Events

Join us for reflection and conversation with other leaders of programs who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces.  

Join us as we delve into the memoir of Kerry Washington, a mother, artist, advocate, and trailblazer, in this book group for members of the NYC Leadership Initiative who work in one of the five boroughs. While reading Kerry’s journey, we’ll reflect on authentic leadership, our roles as agents of change, and opportunities to build resilience. 

Join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Network meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. Members who are supporting or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom.

Join us for reflection and conversation with other leaders of programs who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces.  

Join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Network meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. Members who are supporting or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom.

Join us for reflection and conversation with other leaders of programs who are also supporting and leading family and group family child-care spaces.  

We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives. All are welcome in this space, particularly leaders and providers of family childcare programs.

The Leadership Initiative is pleased to bring you a valuable opportunity to develop your core business practices. Join Erica Chase-Gregory​, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale, as she leads a 3-part professional learning community where you will:  

• Build a strong business foundation
• Evaluate how legal structures and tax rules impact your business
• Calculate the true cost of care for each child in your program 
• Analyze market rate and what it means for your business
• Create a record keeping and budgeting system
• Identify community resources to support next steps in making informed business decisions 

Please note this event has a limited number of seats and is exclusive for family child care and group family child care Leadership Initiative members. 

Join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Network meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. Members who are supporting or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom.

Join the Council for Professional Recognition for a virtual information session to learn more about becoming a Child Development Associate (CDA) Professional Development Specialist. 

If you enjoy mentoring, meeting new people, and observing educational environments, becoming a PD Specialist may be for you! PD Specialists use their expertise in early childhood education to assess CDA candidates' competencies and facilitate reflective conversations with candidates. PD Specialists receive an honorarium from the Council for each Verification Visit they conduct.

Join us to learn more! 

Join us for reflection and conversation with other leaders of programs who are also supporting and leading family and group family child-care spaces.  

We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives. All are welcome in this space, particularly leaders and providers of family childcare programs.

Join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Network meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. Members who are supporting or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. 

Early childhood leaders are called to support all children in their setting, even though at times we may not feel certain how to reach every child in our care. Join us for an evening of conversation with a panel of leaders who will share their experiences, strategies and reflections in supporting the diverse learning needs of all children. During this panel, we'll discuss:  

• The challenges of leading inclusive spaces for children of many different learning styles.
• Approaches that have been successful in supporting children and families. 
• Strategies to supporting staff teams of varying levels of confidence and expertise. 
• Our "whys" - why we chose this work and what keeps us motivated.

Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on a new idea to try out in their practice and be inspired by the stories of our panelists. We hope you can join us for this evening of reflection and insightful perspectives.

Join us for reflection and conversation with other leaders of programs who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces.  

We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives. All are welcome in this space, particularly leaders and providers of family childcare programs.

Join us as we explore this text in a small group with the Leadership Initiative! The authors unpack the CRABAR framework - culturally responsive, anti-bias, anti-racist. This educator-friendly text connects history and current events to demonstrate classroom practices that deliver on the promise of high-quality education for all children. 

Registered participants will receive a copy of the text by mail. 

Join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Network meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. Members who are supporting or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. 

Join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Network meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. Members who are supporting or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. 

We are proud to welcome you to a follow up event with Imani Missouri on biases in early childhood. This event is intended as an opportunity to continue our conversation from our October event and deepen connections with others in the community.

At our October event, Imani led us in deepening our understanding of what unconscious bias is (and isn’t!) with an interactive session. We spoke in breakout rooms and as a large group about our experiences and ways to both identify and interrupt biases when we notice them happening. This space may have also included moments of discomfort and stretching ourselves with new ideas.

Our follow up event is by invitation only to members who attended our October Speaker Series event. We welcome you to join us to continue our conversations from October and reflect on what has come up since then. This time together will include experiences in small groups with participants from across NYS. Since we’ll have interactions in break out rooms, we encourage you to register if you are interested and able to attend the full event with your camera/microphone. We hope to see you there!

Join us for reflection and conversation with other leaders of programs who are also supporting and leading family and group family child-care spaces.  

We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives. All are welcome in this space, particularly leaders and providers of family childcare programs.

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child-care spaces.  If you’re available, we hope you can come! 

We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives. All are welcome in this space, particularly leaders and providers of family childcare programs.

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

Network Meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Members who are support or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Leaders and those aspiring to leadership roles in early childhood are welcome to join us! We're proud to offer a space where family child cares, child care specialists, community-based programs, and supporting organizations can all share space together. We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives.

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

The Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is proud to present the Playmaker Project, facilitated by Ant Toombs Sr. The Playmaker Project provides “play-based, trauma-informed training and support for early childhood professionals.” Playmakers offer a framework that enhances existing priorities and increases social and emotional wellness among kids and staff.

The Leadership Initiative encourages leaders to join with an open heart and mind, learning techniques to bring optimism, joy, and healing to themselves, to staff, and to children.

Optimism matters. An optimistic disposition enables us through everyday and extraordinary struggles  to look for the goodness in ourselves, in others, and in the world around us. For professionals working with young survivors of trauma, optimism isn’t just a critical tool; it’s the pathway to healing for kids in need. This inspiring, interactive presentation helps individuals discover the power of optimism to create safe, joyful, engaging environments where kids can grow, heal, and learn. Using research, humor, and personal stories from 30+ years in the field, Playmaker Project Guides share how optimistic individuals can bring out the best in their students, colleagues, and leaders.

This illuminating and powerful text will take us on a journey through hundreds of interviews across the U.S. to better understand the impact of public policy and infrastructure. Through this text, we’ll have the opportunity to consider the history behind systematic inequities in our communities and how they show up in our society today. This may be a new lens for readers to view the constructs of the communities we live and work in every day as leaders in early childhood. This book follows a hopeful narrative for ending a “zero sum” mentality and embracing abundance and equity for all.

 

Come join us! In this virtual discussion hosted by the Long Island, Mid-Hudson, and New York City Leadership Initiatives, hear from our expert panelists about promising practices and strength-based perspectives on staff retention in early childhood. Audience members will have the opportunity to: 

• Gain a deeper understanding of what keeps professionals in the field of early childhood. 
• Consider staff retention strategies outside of salary and bonuses. 
• Explore the value in fostering shared ownership around staff retention. 
• Redefine measures of success with staff retention.

 

Network Meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Members who are support or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Leaders and those aspiring to leadership roles in early childhood are welcome to join us! We're proud to offer a space where family child cares, child care specialists, community-based programs, and supporting organizations can all share space together. We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives.

 

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

 

We are proud to welcome you to our next Speaker Series event featuring Imani Missouri. She brings to us an opportunity to deepen our understanding of what unconscious bias is (and isn’t!) in an interactive session. Unconscious Bias is used often in our field, and together with Imani, we’ll talk about the differences between biases and racism. We’ll pause to reflect on our experience with the content and consider ways to attend to ourselves in these moments. This space may have moments where we sit bravely with productive, but transformative, discomfort.

 

All are welcome in this space. This time together will include experiences in small groups to learn with participants from across NYS. We aim for each participant to leave with the framework for a personal goal to increase their awareness of biases in their life and leadership role. Since this event includes interactions in small group break out rooms, we encourage you to register if you are interested and able to attend the full event. We hope to see you there!

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child-care spaces.  If you’re available, we hope you can come! 

We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives. All are welcome in this space, particularly leaders and providers of family childcare programs.

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

Network Meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Members who are support or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Leaders and those aspiring to leadership roles in early childhood are welcome to join us! We're proud to offer a space where family child cares, child care specialists, community-based programs, and supporting organizations can all share space together. We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives.

 

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

The Southern Tier and the WNY Leadership Initiative have collaborated to present the upcoming Leadership Panel Discussion “Trauma Informed Supervision”.  Our expert panelist will share information to empower early childhood leaders in creating environments that support their staff and their needs. Our panelists will share their career pathway to their current work, along with understanding the effects of trauma and strategies for leaders to build resilience practices within.

As early childhood leaders and educators, you’ve probably noticed the “generation gap,” or how people born in different generations may think and behave differently — and you may have even experienced generational differences among your colleagues or early childhood educators at work. We invite you to join the Early Childhood Leadership Initiative for an illuminating conversation with Dr. Megan Gerhardt, an expert in intergenerational workplaces and the author of “Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce.” Dr. Gerhardt will discuss how to reflect on your own age-based biases, look beyond stereotypes associated with different generations and develop an understanding of why people who grew up in different times may behave in unique — and valuable! — ways. 

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child-care spaces.  If you’re available, we hope you can come! 

We start with a question for group reflection and then share topics that participants would like to discuss as a group for additional questions, experiences, and perspectives. All are welcome in this space, particularly leaders and providers of family childcare programs.

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

We are pleased to welcome our colleagues from NY Works for Children for another informative event to support leaders with the Aspire Registry workforce registry system. This event is a follow up to our July meeting. Several participants from our July meeting shared their interest in a second event with a focus on the professional development section of the Aspire Registry. Our August meeting will focus on this including information on how to create professional developments on the Aspire Registry, how to document professional development, and how to feature trainings on the Aspire Registry website. This is meeting is a statewide opportunity through the Leadership Initiative.

We offer special thanks to members who were able to participate in our July event and surveys. If you were not able to join the July meeting, you are still welcome to join our August session. Please email us if you'd like to see a copy of the recording. We hope to see you there! 

Network Meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Members who are support or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Our summer schedule includes one meeting in July and one meeting in August. Leaders and those aspiring to leadership roles in early childhood are welcome to join us! We're proud to offer a space where family child cares, community based programs, and supporting organizations can all share space together. 

 

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

Network Meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Members who are support or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Our summer schedule includes one meeting in July and one meeting in August. Leaders and those aspiring to leadership roles in early childhood are welcome to join us! We're proud to offer a space where family child cares, community based programs, and supporting organizations can all share space together. 

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

Each of our roles play a meaningful support in the field of Early Childhood. Join us for an upcoming Leadership Panel to hear leaders of different careers describe their journey and their passion for this work. We’ll explore the types of roles needed in our field and reflect on how these different roles weave together to impact the lives of young children. This conversation is ideal for someone who is considering ways to enhance their career path and is interested in learning about all the roles that support early childhood.

This summer, members are welcomed to join us to read and discuss the book “Solito” by Javier Zamora. We’ll follow Javier as he recounts his journey as a 9-year-old child migrating from El Salvador to the United States to reunite with his parents. We’ve chosen this book as an opportunity to reflect about the experiences of children migrating from other countries into the US. Many of the communities we support have brave stories of individuals that chose to seek out a new life in the US. We can use the author’s story as a space for processing our learning and reflecting on where else stories like Javier’s are represented in our work.

 

We are glad to offer this opportunity in English and Spanish. Please register for the language of your choice if you're able to commit to joining us for both online sessions. 

Meeting Dates for cohort reading and meeting in English:

Wednesday, July 12th at 6pm

Wednesday, July 26th at 6pm

 

If you’re able to attend the discussion dates and would like to register, please email us to join the interest list (leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org). We’ll confirm registration after everyone has had an opportunity to indicate their interest. Registration includes a copy of the book at no cost to you and participation in our book group discussions.

leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org 

Este verano, los miembros son bienvenidos a unirse a nosotros para leer y discutir el libro “Solito” de Javier Zamora. Seguiremos a Javier mientras relata su viaje como un niño de 9 años que migra de El Salvador a los Estados Unidos para reunirse con sus padres. Hemos elegido este libro como una oportunidad para reflexionar sobre las experiencias de los niños que migran de otros países a los Estados Unidos. Muchas de las comunidades que apoyamos tienen historias valientes de personas que eligieron buscar una nueva vida en los EE. UU. Podemos usar la historia del autor como un espacio para procesar nuestro aprendizaje y reflexionar sobre dónde más historias como la de Javier están representadas en nuestro trabajo.

 

Nos complace ofrecer esta oportunidad en inglés y español.

En español:

Lunes, Julio 10, 6pm - 7:30pm

Miercoles, Julio 26, 6pm - 7:30pm

 

Si puede asistir a las reuniones y desea registrarse, envia un correo electrónico para unirse a la lista de interesados (leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org). Confirmaremos el registro después de que todos hayan tenido la oportunidad de indicar su interés. La inscripción incluye una copia del libro sin costo para usted y la participación en nuestras discusiones grupales de libros.

leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org 

We are pleased to welcome our colleagues from NY Works for Children this July for an informational event to support leaders with the Aspire workforce registration system. This will be an opportunity to learn more about why this system is a valuable tool for our field and how you can use it to support your work. We've designed the content for this session after hearing from Leadership Initiative members about their needs and curiosities. We hope you can join us! 

The NYC Leadership Initiative and QUALITYstarsNY are proud to partner to offer this series. We welcome leaders to join us for this special learning community to study "Coaching with Powerful Interactions". This text is the work of Judy Jablon, Amy Laura Dombro, and Shaun Johnsen. It is the next step after "Powerful Interactions" for professionals who are supporting staff that lead early childhood instruction in all different learning spaces. If you're looking to join a community and take the next step in applying Powerful Interactions to your practice as a leader, this learning community is for you. We'll consider our stance as leaders, the way we would like to support relationships with our teams, and how the Three Steps of a Powerful Interaction can become deeply rooted in our practice. 

We'll meet for 4 sessions on Zoom to study this material and practice it together in small groups. This learning community is the continuation of our Winter 2023 series "Leading with Powerful Interactions". This opportunity is available to leaders who completed the prior series.

For inquiries and registration, please email: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Join us! We're excited to introduce our Spring Book Club for May 2023. In these sessions, we'll read "The Waymakers" by Tara Jaye Frank together in a small group. We'll meet on Zoom to discuss our experiences reading the text and unpack themes from the book, each participant will receive a free copy of the book. We anticipate this will be a thoughtful and provoking read.

Tara Jaye uses case studies and storytelling to demonstrate our role as leaders in making equity a meaningful part of our workplace. Tara Jaye gives practical examples of how to facilitate changes for equity beyond written policies in a staff handbook. Join us if you're ready to reflect on diversity, inclusion, and the opportunities you hold as a change maker and leader in your learning space.

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Network Meetings are a virtual space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders in our field for reflection and conversation. Members who are support or directly leading early childhood learning spaces are all welcome. These conversations are held via Zoom. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

May Meeting Dates: 

May 3, 2023 at 1pm 

May 17, 2023 at 5:30pm 

If you have any questions or would like support in registration, please email us at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

We welcome early childhood leaders to join us for a time of reflection and self-exploration in this 3-part learning community. In this space, we'll watch "Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in Action: The Early Years" and in small groups discuss the themes from the film. This work features vignettes of anti-bias strategies for early childhood classrooms and educators throughout reflecting on their practice. We'll have prompts to support our reflections as leaders in this work. Anti-bias education has many entry points for learners of all ages, the authors have created four anti-bias goals to guide us for these sessions. 

Registration for this online series is available to all NYC Leadership Initiative members. Please sign up if you're able to join us for all three sessions. If you're not a member, click here to join! For any questions about this series, we can be reached via email at: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org 

 

The Leadership Initiative is pleased to bring you this opportunity to develop your core business practices. Join Erica Chase-Gregory, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale, as she leads a 3-part professional learning community for family and group family providers.

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

We welcome members of the Leadership Initiative to join us for this special Meet & Greet with instructional leadership team members of the Department of Early Childhood Education. We’ll learn more about trends they are seeing in our field and where the work is headed. We’ll also have an opportunity to see the ways each of their roles intertwine to support a cohesive system of quality early care and education in NYC

QUALITYstarsNY & the NYC region of the Leadership Initiative are excited to partner and offer this 4-part Learning Community. This opportunity is available to programs enrolled in QUALITYstarsNY. Participants will have the option to be part of a communal learning experience, strengthening the understanding and use of Powerful Interactions as part of an impactful leadership stance. Each participant will receive a free copy of the second edition of Powerful Interactions. We'll use this text as a guide for our conversations, taking a deep dive into each step of a Powerful Interaction. Sessions will be guided by Leadership Initiative Coaches and Quality Improvement Specialists from QUALITYstarsNY. 

We look forward to welcoming you! You can register by reaching out to your Quality Improvement Specialist or email the Leadership Initiative: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org 

 

QUALITYstarsNY & the NYC region of the Leadership Initiative are excited to partner and offer this 4-part Learning Community. This opportunity is available to programs enrolled in QUALITYstarsNY. Participants will have the option to be part of a communal learning experience, strengthening the understanding and use of Powerful Interactions as part of an impactful leadership stance. Each participant will receive a free copy of the second edition of Powerful Interactions. We'll use this text as a guide for our conversations, taking a deep dive into each step of a Powerful Interaction. Sessions will be guided by Leadership Initiative Coaches and Quality Improvement Specialists from QUALITYstarsNY. 

We look forward to welcoming you! You can register by reaching out to your Quality Improvement Specialist or email the Leadership Initiative: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org 

As a member of the NYC Leadership Initiative you are invited to join our biweekly networking meetings. Come network with your peers. Meeting topics are driven by your questions and needs.

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Este invierno, los miembros son bienvenidos a unirse a nosotros para leer y discutir el libro "Mi amado mundo" de Sonia Sotomayor, la primera jueza latina en la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos. Las discusiones se centrarán en el mensaje de esperanza, crecimiento y determinación de Sonia en la búsqueda del éxito. En su historia, aborda los desafíos de la vulnerabilidad, la pobreza y la inequidad sistemática. A pesar de todo, canaliza sus esfuerzos hacia su pasión por aprender y ayudar a los demás. Los miembros de la Iniciativa de Liderazgo son bienvenidos, este grupo de libros se llevará a cabo principalmente en español.

Los reuniones para este groupo son: 

Jueves, Diciembre 8  - 6pm - 7:30pm 

Martes, Diciembre 20 - 6pm - 7:30pm 

This winter members are welcomed to join us to read and discuss the book "My Beloved World" by Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina justice on the United States Supreme Court. Discussions will focus on Sonia's message of hope, growth, and determination in pursuit of success. In her story, she tackles challenges of vulnerability, poverty, and systematic inequity. Through it all, she channels her efforts towards her passion of learning and helping others. Members of the Leadership Initiative are welcome, this book group will be primarily held in Spanish. 

 

 

Network Meetings are a space for us all to connect, to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences in a community setting. This is intended as an opportunity to welcome you to join other leaders of programs in reflection and conversation who are also supporting and leading family and group family child care spaces. If you’re available, we hope you can join us!

Join us as we explore this book and challenge our unconscious bias. We enter into this space knowing we each have biases. Together, we'll join in a safe space to reflect and identify how they show up. From the authors - "How can we dismantle inequities and provide nurturing, responsive care and education to all children?" This book will lead us in conversation exploring equity, bias, and creating culturally responsive learning environments. 

Join us! We are honored to host Rhian Evans Allvin for this special state-wide edition of the Leadership Initiative Speaker Series. Come to learn about Rhian's exciting journey as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She served the NAEYC community for over a decade, supporting an increase in membership and bringing strong leadership to the policy advocacy arm of NAEYC's work. During Rhian's tenure, NAEYC released three position statements on equity in early childhood education and convened the Power to the Profession initiative. We'll have the opportunity to learn more about Rhian's leadership philosophy, lessons learned, and her insight on our field at this event. We hope to see you there!  

We welcome members of our community to join us for a discussion and reflection on the strengths built over the last two years that have equipped us for Fall 2022. We’ll consider both what has changed and what has remained the same in our field from a leadership lens. We’ll reflect on how our disposition as leaders has strengthened and how that impacts our learning environments. Panelists include guests from multiple roles of leadership of different types of learning settings in NYC. This event will be held virtually. 

• Michelle Boyd, Assistant Director, Easter Seals
• Shana Hewitt, General Manager of Schools, Vivvi
• Mabel Perlera, Director of Preschool Programs, FirstStep
• Moderator: Jasmin Corniel, Founding Director, Little Scholars

Join us! We are reading the memoir of Elaine Welteroth, a barrier-breaking leader of multiple levels. We'll take a deeper dive into her childhood stories as she navigates a biracial household and her ongoing exploration of self identity that follows her into adulthood. She faces societal barriers head on and openly shares the joys and pains of her experience. Elaine finds her voice as a leader and quiets her self-doubt while venturing into new roles.

The Leadership Initiative is happy to welcome our colleagues from QUALITYstarsNY for this exclusive info session for members of the Leadership Initiative. Come to learn more about this program and have your questions answered by QUALITYstarsNY team members from the NYC area. QUALITYstarsNY is coordinated by the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute within the City University of New York (CUNY), which is also home to the Leadership Initiative! This is a great way to take advantage of all we have to offer.

The Leadership Initiative is pleased to bring you this opportunity to develop your core business practices. Join Erica Chase-Gregory, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale, as she leads a 3-part professional learning community where you will: 

·       Build a strong business foundation
·       Evaluate how legal structures and tax rules impact your business
·       Calculate the true cost of care for each child in your program 
·       Analyze market rate and what it means for your business
·       Create a record keeping and budgeting system
·       Identify community resources to support next steps in making informed business decisions 

The NYC Department of Education's Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Education, Dr. Kara Ahmed will share her perspective on leadership and how her career has developed. She'll also share with us her vision for early childhood in NYC.

Dr. Ahmed is known for leading with grace and a dedication to excellence for every child and each family. We are excited to welcome her for the spring Speaker Series.

The event will take place in downtown Manhattan. All guests will need to show photo ID and proof of vaccination.

This workshop will cover a broad range of legal issues that small business owners typically confront, including entity selection and formation, human resources, and intellectual property. Participants will have an opportunity to join Volunteers of Legal Service after the meeting to apply for ongoing services. This workshop is ideal for anyone looking for guidance on the laws and regulations of their business or for leaders who want to form a relationship with a strategic partner. 

We welcome Terrance Lee to join us and speak to his work on core leadership principles that can enhance our stance as leaders. He will share thoughtful insights on being identified as an "introvert" and the misconception that this attribute prevents one from becoming an "ideal" leader. Participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their stance as a leader, hear about principles that can enhance their daily practice in a leadership role, and learn about the inner power introverts bring to every team.

We welcome members of our community to join us in a discussion about creating and engaging in a meaningful mentor relationship. In this session, participants will hear about creating and benefiting from a mentor/mentee partnership and thinking about what this commitment will look like. Panelists include guests from multiple disciplines who are both mentors and mentees in formal and informal relationships. If you've considered mentorship or are looking to return to it from a new lens, this is a great place to start your journey!

We invite you to our next virtual Book Group discussion featuring "Emotionally Responsive Practice: A Path for Schools That Heal" by Lesley Koplow.

Emotionally Responsive Practice: A Path for Schools That Heal explores the Emotional Responsive Practice approach designed to support children and teachers' well-being. Join our book discussion group with other early childhood leaders to consider the ways educational philosophy and school climate impact emotional, social and cognitive outcomes for young children.

Join our two-session book group. We will be providing those who register with a copy of the book. Upon registration we will contact you to obtain your mailing address to send you the book. Registration will be capped at 15, and a waitlist will be made available. Due to a limited number of books available please only register if you can commit to attending and participating fully in both dates (1/13 and 1/27). Must be working in NYC (five boroughs) to participate.

A professional learning community of NYC early childhood leaders interested in reflecting on and learning about cultivating resilience in themselves and others. This learning community features the book Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar.

The learning community will meet monthly for one year. A copy of the book will be provided. This learning community is for early childhood program leaders working in NYC only. 

November 2021-November 2022

This virtual panel, “Cultivating Staff Wellness: A Conversation with Early Childhood Leaders”, will offer diverse perspectives, experiences, strategies and resources on cultivating a program climate and culture that supports the wellness of staff. We know that as leaders of early childhood programs you want your staff to feel fulfilled both personally and professionally and yet it can be so hard to figure out a path forward. This panel conversation will discuss considerations for leaders of early childhood programs on fostering a positive climate for staff in the context of all the complexities we are facing today. Attendees will engage in a thoughtful conversation with the panelists. 

Join us on Zoom. 
5:30pm-7:00pm

We invite you to our next virtual Book Group discussion featuring "Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself" by Nedra Glover Tawwab.

Set Boundaries, Find Peace presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life. Join our book discussion group with other early childhood leaders to identify strategies to use for a more productive and balanced school year with healthy communication and established expectations. 

Join our two-session book group. We will be providing those who register with a copy of the book. Upon registration we will contact you to obtain your mailing address to send you the book. Registration will be capped at 15, and a waitlist will be made available. Due to a limited number of books available please only register if you can commit to attending and participating fully in both dates (9/30 and 10/21).

The Institute is hosting a professional development offering: Introduction to the Revised New York State Early Learning Guidelines: A Child Development Resource for Educators of Children Ages Birth Through Eight. These sessions are designed specifically for Directors and other leaders of early childhood programs. This professional development session will provide an overview of the shifts within this new and improved version of the New York State Early Learning Guidelines. A specific focus will be provided on utilizing this resource as a leader in your program and supporting its use among your staff. 

Choose one of the session dates and times that works for you. 

Join us for this special two-part Leadership Speaker Series event, featuring Abby Thorman.

"Making Impact: Strengthen Your Voice, Your Message, and Your Story-telling"

As professionals and leaders we have responsibility to use our experience and knowledge to inform and influence others about appropriate practices and the needs of the early childhood field (Core Body of Knowledge 6.6).
Abby will explore and help attendees understand the skills and components of effective storytelling for early childhood advocacy. Part 1 on May 26th will cover crafting effective messages, using those messages for advocacy, and strategies to achieve power in numbers. Join us again on June 3rd in an interactive session with Abby to hone those message-making skills with opportunities for feedback and strategizing.

We invite you to our next virtual Book Group discussion featuring "Ready or Not: Early Care and Education's Leadership Choices-12 Years Later" by Stacie G. Goffin and Valora Washington.  

"Authors, Goffin and Washington, examine the major issues that must still be addressed if children are to be given more and better opportunities. This second edition will help everyone whose work impacts ECE workforce to deepen their commitment to adaptive systems work and to develop the leadership capacity needed to become change agents."

This virtual Leadership Panel Discussion is hosted by the WesternNY and Long Island regional Leadership Initiatives. Come learn from a moderated panel of early childhood professionals and leaders about their work to create equitable environments for children in early childhood settings. This panel will allow participants to dive into what it means to truly have an equity stance. Participants will be encouraged to set a goal to work towards advancing equity in early childhood education.

Read about our panelists and moderator HERE

Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion! 

The NY Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is proud to present a Leadership Speaker Series event in our 2021 series. This event is co-hosted virtually by the NYC, Western NY, and Long Island regional Leadership Initiative chapters. Grace Reef, President of Early Learning Policy, will explore and help attendees to consider what is on the horizon for early childhood education with the new federal administration. Who are the key players? How will priorities shift with this new leadership and in response to COVID? What are the opportunities for change, innovation, and advocacy? What can you do as leaders in early childhood education?

Join our next virtual Book Group discussion featuring "The Work: Searching for a Life That Matters" by Wes Moore. We will be providing those who register with a copy of the book. Upon registration we will contact you to obtain your mailing address to send you the book.

These panel events focus on a different aspect of leadership in Early Childhood Education and feature moderated panel discussions with a diverse group of professionals. This event is co-hosted virtually by the Early Childhood Career Development Centers and Leadership Initiatives of the NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute.  This virtual panel, “Exploring Leadership Pathways: Voices from our Field," highlighted unique early childhood leadership roles for those considering opportunities outside of programs/schools. Our panelists represented a NYS Credentialed Coach, Early Childhood Career Advisor, a Quality Improvement Specialist, and a Professor of Early Childhood and Teacher Education Programs. They shared their career pathways, how their role has an impact on the field, and the skills, credentials, and dispositions that have helped them to be successful in their respective positions. 

November and December Meetings
Weds Nov 3rd 1pm-2pm
Weds Nov 17th 5pm-6pm
Weds Dec 1st 1pm-2pm
Weds Dec 15th 5pm-6pm

Meetings are every other week on Wednesdays: first meeting of the month at 1pm-2pm and second meeting of the month at 5pm-6pm
Attend how often and whenever you can.

The NY Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is proud to present a film screening and discussion, featuring the film "Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope."  The event will include a screening of the film followed by a interactive discussion with Tim Hathaway, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse New York. This event is co-hosted by the regional Leadership Initiatives of New York City, Western NY, and Long Island. The event will be hosted live over Zoom.

 

A professional learning community of early childhood leaders interested in reflecting on and learning about cultivating resilience in themselves and others. This learning community features the book Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar.

November 2020-November 2021
Registration is currently closed.

This virtual panel will present diverse perspectives on developing a trauma-informed lens in leading your early childhood program and supporting your program staff.  We will learn from the experiences and perspectives of a trauma systems therapy trainer, Early Childhood program director, social worker and behavioral specialist, and an assistant professor in human development and education. Our panelists will also share their career pathways and what has led them to this work. Attendees will walk away with important considerations and strategies for leadership, program culture, trauma-informed care, and resiliency in caring for staff, children and families.

In an interview moderated by Sherry Cleary, University Dean of Early Childhood Initiatives and Executive Director of the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, Melodie Baker will share her experience as a black female education leader and advocate.  She will share her factors to success, navigating challenges, and balancing family and work.

Melodie Baker has spent her career working to advance education opportunities for disadvantaged students. Prior to joining Just Equations she was the director of education at United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. Melodie Chairs and Co-Chairs various national, state and local coalitions including, Erie Niagara Birth-8, Raising New York, and The Coalition for Community Schools. In 2014, she co-founded the first inquiry-based school in Western New York, The Charter School of Inquiry to build on an early learning program she implemented earlier in her career as assistant director for a Head Start.  Her work in education has led to several noteworthy appointments such as being selected to serve on Governor Cuomo’s Reimagining Education Advisory Council and leading the research and evaluation for Rockefeller Institute of Government’s First 1000 Day’s on Medicaid initiative headed by the New York State Department of Health. In 2019, Baker was the first African American to run for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 27th Congressional District.

Elena Aguilar will explore high leverage strategies that anyone can use to build their resilience, as well as the resilience of others. Attendees will understand how to use these strategies and why they are so effective, particularly in times of crisis and change. 

Elena Aguilar is the Founder and President of Bright Morning Consulting. She has trained trained thousands of educators in transformational coaching. Elena’s expertise derives from twenty five years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach and leadership coach working in diverse school environments. She is the author of four highly acclaimed books: The Art of Coaching, (2013) and The Art of Coaching Teams, (2016) Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (2018) and the Onward Workbook (2018), and the forthcoming Coaching for Equity (August 2020). She is a regular contributor to Edutopia and ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and she was a blogger for EdWeek Teacher for many years.
 

Our Podcast Discussion.

Here's the link to the podcast!

Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us: https://brenebrown.com/unlockingus/

This virtual panel, “Leadership During a Time of Crisis”, moderated by Sherry Cleary, Executive Director of the NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, will focus on the many qualities and considerations for effective leadership in a time of crisis. We will learn from the experiences and perspectives of a former CEO of a social service non-profit, a licensed child development mental health expert and play therapist, a social worker and FEMA crisis master trainer, and an executive director of a child care program. Attendees will walk away with important considerations and strategies for leadership, trauma-informed care, building resiliency, crisis management and coping, and planning for change. 

 

 

The Leadership Initiative is holding weekly Virtual Network meetings every Wednesday at 4 pm for the foreseeable future

Join us for a 3-part Learning Community to dig deeper into exploring our individual and collective roles in advancing equity in early childhood. Facilitated by Fela Barclift and Wendy Cole, two of our panelists from our December Dine & Discuss event.

We ask that you commit to attending all three dates. 

Join us for a discussion of the book:

Unconscious Bias in Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism
by Tracey A. Benson and Sarah E. Fiarman

At this Dine and Discuss, we will hear from a moderated panel of early childhood professionals  and leaders about their work to create equitable environments for children in early childhood settings. Participants will be encouraged to set a goal to work towards advancing equity in early childhood education.

Join us for a light dinner, great speakers, and networking

This session is desgined to start the school year off right. Join us for an evening with self-care professionals and learn ways to nurture your physical, emotional, and mental health.

Join us for a light dinner, great speakers, and networking

Join us for an evening with leaders from the Brooklyn Kindergarten Society, NYC Department of Education, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. Each leader will discuss the transition from the private, not-for-profit sector to working for public agencies or vice versa.

Join us for a light dinner, great speakers, and networking!

The NYC Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is proud to present the 2018-19 Leadership Speaker Series' Winter event.

Come hear what behavioral science is and how it works, and more importantly, learn effective ways to encourage colleagues, staff, and families to turn their best intentions into action.

The Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is proud to present the next event in our Dine and Discuss Series. Each session focuses on a different aspect of leadership in Early Childhood Education and features a moderated panel discussion with a diverse group of professionals. Join us for an evening with leaders from the NYC Department of Education, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Administration for Children's Services. Each city agency will share their vision and mission for early childhood education and its leadership.

The NYC Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is proud to present the 2018-19 Leadership Speaker Series' Fall event.

The Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is proud to present the next event in our Dine and Discuss Series. Join us for an evening thinking about "Transformation in the Context of Transition" as our Dine and Discuss panel will speak to the courage and grace it takes to assess our careers, face change and transform our lives.

Join us for a conversation with Ann McClain Terrell, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation and author of Graceful Leadership in Early Childhood Education

This session features local early childhood leaders speaking about their own pathway          

The Early Childhood Leadership Initiative is launching its Leadership Speaker Series. The series is designed for individuals in leadership and policy-making roles wherever children are served. Join us for our inaugural speaker, Join us for a conversation with Anne Douglass, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Executive Director at the Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the author of Leading for Change in Early Care and Education: Cultivating Leadership from Within.

This Fall, members are welcomed to join us to read and discuss “The Sum of Us” by Heather McGhee. This powerful read gives us the opportunity to better understand the ways that racism costs our society. While the author, a descendent of enslaved people, identifies people of color as the primary victims of racism, she also demonstrates the many ways systematized racism negatively impacts all of society. In this book, we’ll see these impacts as McGhee unpacks her research in voting rights, healthcare, and the environment. McGhee challenges the “zero sum” mentality in America. Rather than taking away from some to give to others, McGhee encourages readers to think of and lead “win-win” solutions where all of society can advance together.

Through McGhee’s kindness in her writing and her optimism for a transformational future, we’ll reflect on our roles as early childhood leaders and champions of equality and equity in our communities. Join us for this influential read and opportunity for brave reflection amongst peers.

Our book group meetings are virtual gathers. Books are provided at no cost to participants. We anticipate this series will begin in October. Registration coming soon! 

The NYC Leadership Initiative and QUALITYstarsNY are proud to partner to offer this series. We welcome leaders to join us for this special learning community to study "Coaching with Powerful Interactions". This text is the work of Judy Jablon, Amy Laura Dombro, and Shaun Johnsen. It is the next step after "Powerful Interactions" for professionals who are supporting staff that lead early childhood instruction in all different learning spaces. If you're looking to join a community and take the next step in applying Powerful Interactions to your practice as a leader, this learning community is for you. We'll consider our stance as leaders, the way we would like to support relationships with our teams, and how the Three Steps of a Powerful Interaction can become deeply rooted in our practice. 

We'll meet for 4 sessions to study this material and practice it together in small groups. This opportunity is available to leaders who support QUALITYstarsNY programs. 

For inquiries and registration, please email: leadershipinitiative@earlychildhoodny.org