In the challenging role of running a child care center, early childhood leaders often feel isolated and in need of support. Over the past ten years, DIEEC has offered Community of Practice (CoP) experiences to assist early childhood professionals in dealing with this reality.
The aim of a CoP is to bring early childhood leaders together regularly to facilitate collaboration between them. These experiences focus on problem-solving, idea generation, and resource sharing within the group.
If you are interested in joining a Community of Practice, please contact Jen Potts at jpotts@udel.edu.
Here is what Leaders are Saying About it:
If you have never been a part of a Community of Practice (CoP), I highly recommend you find one to join. Not only have I gained knowledge from the other directors in my group, but the support offered by the CoP is priceless. We rely on each other for information and advice in between meetings and spend time talking about pertinent topics during our meetings. – Lisa E. Ratliff, Co-Owner/Co-Director the little school at Kids Cottage
By far one of the most positive outcomes of navigating a pandemic has been being a part of a Community of Practice (CoP) group through DIEEC. This group made up of directors and owners of programs in the state has been a lifeline to me through these extremely challenging times (pandemic, workforce shortages, supply shortages, price increases). Through the CoP, we have been able to network, share ideas, brainstorm through challenges, find resources and supports, and sometimes simply be a sounding board for one another when we had to be strong for our staff and families and had no other place to decompress and find support for ourselves as leaders.
I’m so thankful for the professional relationships I have formed through my CoP group. These individuals and I now communicate often and have formed connections we previously did not have. What a blessing to have a time and space (especially over the last 2 years) to encourage colleagues and to be encouraged by colleagues! – Jennifer Spinks, Executive Director, GiggleBugs Early Learning
Monthly CoP meetings allow us to network and align with other ECE professionals. We always leave the meeting feeling so blessed to be a part of a community where we can openly share and express our concerns, our challenges, frustrations, and victories without judgment or condemnation. – Brenda Kibler, Director of Bayhealth Medical Center, Child Care and Early Learning Center
