The Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation (“Leadership Institute”) at UMass Boston is pleased to announce the 11th annual Leadership Forum on Early Education Research, Policy, and Practice (“Leadership Forum) will take place May 4 from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the UMass Boston Campus Center, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston.
This year the Leadership Forum returns to an in-person format after being held virtually since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The theme is “Celebration of Early Educator Leadership,” in recognition of the central role early educators have played in shaping the new initiatives to improve the affordability and accessibility of early care and education that are now coming from Beacon Hill after years of advocacy.
“We’re excited to gather in person this year to celebrate the leadership of early educators,” said Anne Douglass, PdD, founder and executive director of the Leadership Institute. “Early educators know what works and policymakers have been listening. We still have a way to go in ensuring that every family in the Commonwealth can access high-quality, affordable early care and education, but it’s important to acknowledge the substantive progress we’ve made, and the leadership that brought us here.”
The Leadership Forum comes at a time when both Gov. Maura Healey and legislative leaders are prioritizing funding and other resources aimed at reforming and strengthening the Commonwealth’s system of early care and education. Most recently, Gov. Healey announced plans to significantly expand universal pre-Kindergarten in the Commonwealth’s 26 Gateway Cities, expand eligibility criteria for child care assistance, and fund an additional year of pandemic-era relief grants for providers. Gov. Healey also issued an executive order to shape a comprehensive approach across her administration to expanding access to early care and education.
The Leadership Forum is the only gathering of its kind in the country that brings together early educators for action-oriented networking and sharing ideas for innovation in programs and the field. It elevates and centers the voices of early educators in leading quality improvement, business management and entrepreneurship, racial equity, systems change, and other areas.
Last year’s Leadership Forum featured presentations by more than 50 early educators. Topics included creating paths for equitable funding, strategies for staff retention, creating culturally responsive and equitable learning environments, how to use artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to automate tasks, expanding nature-based play in family childcare settings, and cultivating joy and happiness for Black educators.
About the Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation
The Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation 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.
