September 25, 2025
by earlyedinstitute
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When Puaʻena Vierra-Villanueva introduces herself, she always begins in ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i—Hawaiian Language. This intentional choice reflects the deep responsibility she feels to honor her cultural identity and the generations that came before her—especially her great-grandmother, who was the last native … Continue reading
April 15, 2025
by earlyedinstitute
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Adriana Batista-Guerra didn’t always see herself as a leader. The self-described introvert began her early education career as a family childcare provider and assumed leadership meant “picking up a banner” and advocating at the State House—activities well outside her comfort … Continue reading
March 24, 2025
by earlyedinstitute
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“There’s a big difference between being a boss and being a leader,” says Tasha McNabb, Center Director at Next Generation Children’s Center in Marlborough. This distinction is at the heart of what she and Assistant Director Karen Rodriguez have learned … Continue reading
February 12, 2025
by earlyedinstitute
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Sarah Martinez’s entry into early childhood education came through an unlikely clerical error. Fresh out of college and working as a YMCA lifeguard, she applied to a number of different jobs and her application was accidentally stapled to someone else’s … Continue reading
August 30, 2024
by earlyedinstitute
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In Pennsylvania, Janine Pagano, the state’s Family Childcare (FCC) Coordinator has built robust community networks of FCC providers across the state to support one another, learn from each other, and be stronger advocates for their ECE sector. In doing so, … Continue reading
August 21, 2024
by earlyedinstitute
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Vanessa Hunter didn’t set out to work in early education. In fact, her career happened almost by accident. As a frequent volunteer at her son’s childcare center, Hunter employed the skills she honed as the assistant director for a program … Continue reading
July 9, 2024
by earlyedinstitute
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Like most early care and education providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Annette Fernandez, PhD, and her staff at Meadowbrook Child Garden in Marlborough found themselves in uncharted territory as they struggled to serve children and families in a safe and … Continue reading
March 12, 2024
by earlyedinstitute
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As a longtime educator and ECE leader, Mandy Chaput is confident in her skills and in her work as director of the Early Learning Center and of school-age programs at the YWCA of Northeastern MA. “I pride myself on having … Continue reading
March 1, 2024
by earlyedinstitute
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Initially, neither Maureen Myers nor Katie Shanley was enthusiastic about joining UMass Boston’s Early Childhood Support Organization (ECSO), a multi-year program for center-based ECE teams looking to build their capacity to provide the highest-quality learning experiences for the children and … Continue reading
January 9, 2024
by earlyedinstitute
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Ami Patel and Julie Smith became fast friends at the first meeting of their Early Education Leadership Fellowship cohort in the Post-Master’s Certificate in Early Education Research, Policy, and Practice (PMC) program, bonding immediately over the realization that both were … Continue reading