To fund a Directors’ Fellowship to develop the high quality personnel needed for excellence in the field of JCC Early Childhood Education. The fellowship served to connect emerging learners and leaders in Jewish Early Childhood Education, and provided a platform for study, discussion, and relationship building. The program was conceived in part to address the need that JCC Association recognized through surveying the field: As more early childhood educators retire, there are few available to take their place.

Through this grant, 20 Fellows – who became known as the Sheva Covenant Fellows – were invited to participate in the Institute. The program included ongoing monthly learning through online platforms as well as in person learning through summer and winter seminars. Participants had ongoing conversations through an online discussion forum. Mentors made site visits to participants’ local JCCs, attended staff meetings, and assessed leadership skills and the implementation of the training content.

More To Consider:

• Sheva-Covenant Directors Institute Addresses a Gap in Leadership as Educators Learn Together (eJewish Philanthropy)
• JCC Early Childhood Center Participates in National Leadership Program (LocalStew, West Bloomfield, MI)