Early Education Leaders, an Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is pleased to announce the selection of seven Early Educator Leadership Fellows for the 2024-2026 cohort of its Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Early Education Research, Policy, and Practice (PMC).

The PMC is a two-year, 12-credit graduate program designed for professionals seeking to enhance their impact on the early education sector. Incoming Fellows, who represent a diverse array of professional contexts throughout the field, will spend the next two years immersed in intensive training in relational and entrepreneurial leadership, early childhood policy, and the science of early learning. They will also connect with and join the Early Education Leaders’s growing network of early childhood education leaders. The program culminates in a capstone project that addresses a significant challenge or opportunity within early education, which Fellows present at the annual Early Educator Leadership Forum at UMass Boston.

“We are thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of early education professionals to our Post-Master’s Certificate Program,” said Lynne Mendes, Director of Leadership Programs for Early Education Leaders. “Their diverse backgrounds and shared commitment to advancing early education will undoubtedly contribute to rich discussions and innovative approaches in addressing the complex challenges facing our field today.”

More than 100 PMC alumni have formed a powerful leadership corps, leveraging their practical experience and leadership training to improve early care and education quality and children’s learning, and mentoring the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. Past PMC graduates have gone on to pursue doctoral study to advance scholarship in the field, led quality improvement efforts in their programs, sought new positions to make change on a scale greater than that possible in their prior job, served on professional advisory boards, and launched entrepreneurial ventures including the establishment of innovative models of early care and education.

The PMC is supported by grant funding and Early Educator Fellows are offered tuition scholarships that offset program-related costs. Courses take place online and on Saturdays to accommodate employment- and family-related responsibilities.

The following are the 2024-2026 Early Educator Leadership Fellows:

• Carrie Jiang, a Family Child Care Coach/Trainer at the UMass Amherst Donahue Institute
• Celia Araniz, an infant teacher at McLean’s Child Care Center
• Gianne O’Connell, a home-based Family Child Care Provider
• Mischel Silva MacLean, Family and Community Engagement Supervisor for ABCD Head Start
• Monica Veiga, ELM Coach at Early Education Leaders
• Nicole Restrepo, Research Analyst at Early Education Leaders
• Yanying Liu, an early education coach who also develops training materials in Mandarin for bilingual and Mandarin-speaking educators

The Early Educator Leadership Fellows will begin their coursework this fall, with opportunities to collaborate with experts in early childhood policy, research, and practice. Many graduates of the PMC program have gone on to take leadership roles in early education programs, serve on advisory boards, and launch innovative models of care.

For more information about the PMC program or to learn more about Early Education Leaders, visit earlyedinstitute.umb.edu.

About Early Education Leaders

Early Education Leaders, an Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, provides the leadership development opportunities and infrastructure that early educators need to support thriving children and families. Founded in 2016, we drive systems change by cultivating effective leaders who reflect and represent their communities—through workforce and leadership development, research, and partnerships that strengthen the larger early education ecosystem. We are nationally recognized as a model of excellence, and we make high-quality early care and education a reality for more children and families while supporting the professional growth of a diverse workforce of early educators. Get involved or learn more by visiting www.umb.edu/earlyedinstitute.