Family Leadership Summit 2024 by Jacob Dixon

Family Leadership Summit 2024

AsFamilies,We'reaTEAM: Together,Everyone AchievesMore.

Marriott Melville Long Island Long

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Welcome!

Welcome to the third annual FamilyLeadershipSummit- an island-went event focusing on parents, families, caregivers with tools, resources and leadership skills to navigate LongIsland’searlychildhoodlandscapefortheirearlylearnersandbeyond. Thissummit ispartofourExpandingOpportunitiesforEarlyLearnersinPre-K&Kseries.

This summit is one of our recent additions to our annual professional development opportunities for families and early childhood practitioners at the Long Island Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K & Early Childhood Education (LI-RTAC). It is importantforustotrulycenterparentleadershipandauthenticfamilyengagementinour work - as families are the backbone of schools, child care providers, community-based organizations and more. In turn, this summit was designed to convene families on an annual basis, as we do with educators and leaders where today, the LI-RTAC is now offering three separate and unique opportunities for professional growth. We are truly thankfulforourpartnershipwiththeChoiceforAllParentActionCoalition(CFAPAC)of Long Island who has curated this experience for you all. With their visionary leadership andexpertise,theCFAPACofLongIslandhasdesignedthissummitwithawithawiderange of topics proposed by our community of families and early childhood educators. Thank you for taking the time to attend this year’s summit. We invite you to take advantageoftheresourcessharedtoexpandyourknowledge,deepenrelationshipswith existing and new connections as a community and strengthen your capacity as a parent leader.

What is the LI-RTAC?

The Long Island Regional Technical Assistance Center (LI-RTAC) for Pre-K & Early ChildhoodEducation’smissionistoincreasequality,access,equityanddeliveryofPre-K andEarlyChildhoodProgramsacrossLongIsland. Ourvisionisthatallchildrenwillhave access to a robust Pre-K and Early Childhood program on Long Island, regardless of ZIP code. Our core areas are professional development, technical assistance, data, research andcommunityengagementwithfamiliesandsystemleaders.Thecenterisleadbythe center’s advisory board - a collaborative partnership of nonprofits, higher education, the two child care and referral agencies, and three boards of cooperative educational servicesasshownbelow:

Inside This Program

PARENT ACTION COALITION OF LONG ISLAND

THIS PAC MATTERS. WE BELIEVE CHILDREN & FAMILIES ALWAYS COMES FIRST.

WhatistheChoicePACofLI?

We are a grassroots, parent-led coalition focused on building a united voice and power of families on key issues impacting child and family well being on Long Island. Our vision is for a Long Island and New York State that puts children and families first in policy and culture.

Whatisourapproachtothework?

Through educational workshops, issued based campaigns, community organizing, and using tools of nonpartisan civic engagement, we are dedicated to supporting parents and caregivers as leaders to advance access, equity, inclusion and justice for families.

Whatareourissuesfor2024-2025schoolyear?

Pre-K for All on Long Island: All Long Island School Districts will adopt at minimum, one (1) high-quality Pre-K program

Family Engagement Liaisons in All Long Island Districts: Support the creation of a district-wide family engagement liaison or director role in every school district on Long Island

Special Education Advocacy: Host a second cohort of Special Education Parent Advocate Academy (SEPAA) & create a regional convening for parent advocates of children with variations

Financial Inclusion for All Families: Campaign addressing debt, credit, savings & assets through policy, advocacy and expansion of financial empowerment counseling services on Long Island

Infusing Mental Health in Child Care & ECE Programs: Bridging the gap between policy, services and culture on mental health and early childhood education access on Long Island

Eliminating or Severe Use of Suspensions & Expulsions for Children under the Age of 5 in New York State: policy change with funding for early childhood educator training

Resource Tables

Weareingratitudetoournonprofitorganizationsand businesspartnersprovidingkeyresourcesandinformation tobuildyourcapacityasparentleaders.Pleasebesureto visitthemandtakeadvantageofwhattheyaresharing!

Schedule At a Glance

8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Registration........................................................................................................................PrefunctionArea

Breakfast.............................................................................................................................Salons1-5

ResourceTables..............................................................................................................SalonsHallway

9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Welcome&Greetings

DonnaWorsley-Hines&JahshuaTaylor............................................................Salons1-5

10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

KeynoteWorkshop

Dr.UrsulaDavis................................................................................................................Salons1-5

10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Networking&VisitResourceTables...................................................................PrefunctionArea

11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Workshop Sessions

What’sStressGotToDoWithIt?

CherylMcHunguzi...........................................................................................................Salon8

We’reAllLeaders:Skills,Resources&LessonsLearned

SaraMorrison&DaphneBaptiste...........................................................................Salon9

TheSuperpowerofParentsandCreativeLearninginEarlyChildhood

JavieraArenas....................................................................................................................Salon10

BuildingHealthyParent-TeacherRelationships:BestPractices

MichaelMcDonald..........................................................................................................Salon11-12

12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lunch....................................................................................................................................Salons1-5

ResourceTables..............................................................................................................SalonsHallway

1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

YouAreResilient:ParentTools&Advocacy

JacobDixon.......................................................................................................................Salons1-5

2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

CarnivalTime!ThankYou&Certificates..........................................................PrefunctionArea

Dr. Ursula Davis Keynote Speaker

Highly Renowned Early Childhood Educator and Expert Practitioner

Dr. Ursula Davis is a highly renowned Early Childhood educator and expert practitioner with many years of classroom and administrative experience. A graduate of Hampton University and Bank Street College Graduate School, Dr. Davis has built a long and distinguished career as an advocate for quality early childhood programs accessible to all children. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Davis has provided consulting services to public, private, and charter schools, as well as childcare organizations in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country. Additionally, she has worked with numerous corporate clients on product development and evaluation.

In the early 1990s, Dr. Davis was appointed Deputy Director of the New York City Commission on Early Childhood and Childcare. This commission, established by law through the joint efforts of Mayor Dinkins and the City Council, was tasked with examining the multifaceted needs of young children in NYC and would go on to make significant policy recommendations that would shape the future of early childhood education. Dr. Davis also served as Director of Early Childhood in Community School District 4 in East Harlem, where she was responsible for all Pre-K through third-grade classes.

Dr. Davis has frequently appeared as an expert guest on television, radio, and online platforms, discussing early childhood issues. She has also written extensively for professional magazines, providing insights for teachers, parents, and school leaders. Her credits include her definitive book on blocks, Blocks: The Cornerstone of an Early Childhood Curriculum, which has been used internationally. As a leading voice in early childhood education, Dr. Davis has played a pivotal role in advancing the field, with her unwavering commitment continuing to inspire and influence educators worldwide.

Workshops

Belowarethedescriptionsfortheworkshopsforthisyear’s FamilyLeadershipSummit!

What’sStressGotToDoWithIt?-Salon8

CherylMchunguzi,LMSWRMT, Founder&CEOofMetamorphosis,LMSWP.C.&WellnessCenter

This workshop will provide parents and families with working knowledgeoftheimpactofstressonthemselvesandtheirchildren. Participantswilllearnhowstressmanifestsinourchildren'sbehavior, interactionswithothersandalsorecognizeitintheirownbehaviors. Participants will receive effective strategies and interventions to reduce stressintheirdailylives.

We’reAllLeaders:Skills,Resources&LessonsLearned -Salon9

SaraMorrison,MSWandDaphneBaptiste,MSW-ParentAdvocates ChoicePACLongIsland CoalitionMembers

This workshop focuses on how parents as leaders can utilizes strategiesofeffectiveadvocacyandleadershipskillstosupporttheir childrenandfamilies.Everyparenthaswhatittakestobeanadvocate and leader, as well as enhance skills to raise awareness. Participants willlearntousetheirpersonalstoriesandvoicestodrivechange.

TheSuperpowerofParentsandCreativityinEarlyLearning-Salon10

JavieraArenas,BA

Thisworkshopwillfocusonhowintegratinglanguage,vocabularyand parentengagementcanhappenanywhere–beitthegrocerystore, yourhomeorinthecommunity.Participantswilllearnhowtogrowin theircapacityasaneducatorintheirchild’slifewithconcreteexamples oftools,resourcesandactivitiesthatcanbeeasilyimplemented,witha specialfocusonmultilinguallearners.

BuildingHealthyParent-TeacherRelationships-Salon11-12

MichaelMcDonald,MSEd,MEd.

Thisworkshopfocusesontheimportanceandthe“how”inbuilding healthy parent-teacher relationships. Participants will learn best practicesincreatingandfosteringbothapartnershipandrelationships, along with assess strengths and challenges with working with educatorsfromDay1intheschoolyear.

FAMILIES, PRE-K TEACHERS, CHILD CARE PROVIDERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND DIRECTORS

Bookmark our new website: www.longislandrtac.org

This is where you can register for professional development workshops, get the scoop about upcoming events, download free resources and link to local and national organizations in the early learning community.

Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter!

Every Wednesday, we send you information you can use right away in your classroom—and we list job openings for early education on Long Island, too! If you have attended one of our workshops, you should have been automatically subscribed. If you are not receiving it, just go to our website and click on “Sign up for our newsletter!" right below the website heading.

Join us for daily announcements, links to early education news and alerts about upcoming events for early educators.

Family Leadership Summit 2024