This past fiscal year marked a pivotal chapter for Early Education Leaders. From launching our new name to expanding leadership development programs across multiple states, our journey has been guided by a single, powerful vision: a world where racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse early educators are valued, respected, and sustainably supported as they transform early learning, ensuring all children are growing, thriving, and learning.
Last fiscal year marked an important milestone for Early Education Leaders when the number of early educators who have graduated from Leading for Change in Early Care and Education (LFC) — our 40-hour, research-based leadership program — surpassed 1,000!
LFC is offered for free to all licensed early educators in Massachusetts and available to early educators in Maryland through the Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program based at the Shriver Center/Division of Professional Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. In Fiscal Year 2024, we brought LFC to New York and Pennsylvania and introduced it to early education policymakers at a statewide convening in Hawaii, where we are working to bring LFC to early educators in Fiscal Year 2025
Fiscal Year 2024 also saw growth in the Early Childhood Fellowship – Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program, with nearly 75 early educators accepted. With generous funding from the City of Boston, this program removes financial barriers to higher education and prepares Fellows to serve in the city for at least three years post-graduation.
Through partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Early Care and Education, we also advanced workforce development via the Statewide Professional Development Academy, the Metro Boston Professional Development Center, and the Early Childhood Support Organization.
We published over 25 pieces of research and commentary this year, reinforcing our role as a thought leader in the field. From program impact data to systems-level recommendations, our contributions are shaping the narrative around what effective, equitable early education leadership looks like. As we continue to grow nationally and deepen our local roots, we remain committed to investing in leaders who reflect the racial, cultural, and linguistic richness of their communities.
Download a copy of our FY2024 Impact Report.
