Early Childhood Directors Adapt to Changing Needs

The early childhood centers’ directors in our networks meet regularly to share common ideas and interests  about their work  with children, faculty and families.  They support one another in strategizing and reaching new goals .  The Long Island directors recently met to hear from several of their colleagues who have made transformations in their programs to accommodate the changing needs of their families and communities.

The director of Huntington Jewish Center discussed the process of adding on a  half day Kindergarten enrichment class to her school. This served the needs of many families with working parents when the school district changed from full to half day kindergarten. This innovative program  also drew in more students to increase the enrollment of the school.  She also discussed how Huntington Jewish Center is working closely with a local Solomon Schechter to provide personal outreach to parents and showcase options for continuing Jewish education for their children.

At Temple Beth David in Commack, the early childhood program was reinvented to provide full time early child care (from 7 AM - 6 PM) for toddlers.  The director shared the story of renovating and remodeling their building to meet this new need, and discussed both the marketing and administrative challenges involved.

The goal of this network meeting was to show directors how they can make changes in their own institutions to serve the families’ and communities' needs.  The educators in The Jewish Education Project's Directors Networks have formed true collegial sharing communities and are working together to provide support and inspiration to each other to continue to learn and  grow.

Learn more about The Jewish Education Project's work.