Ready to Lead

An open and inclusive professional learning community designed specifically for recently hired (one-day to five years of experience) center-based, early childhood administrators of all backgrounds.

Develop your Leadership Essentials. Attendees will delve into topics that identify their leadership strengths, engage is interactive learning activities, and fine-tune strategies for dealing with real-life challenges experienced by new directors. Content in RTL is aligned with the Illinois Director Credential and Illinois Gateways to Opportunity.

A Blended Event of Virtual and In-Person Sessions

Funded by Illinois Department of Human Services

Applications for 2025 cohorts open May 9, 2025, and close July 9, 2025.

Download the Ready to Lead flyer to learn more:

Download flyer

Session Topics:

Session 1 – Orientation and Forming a Professional Learning Community
Session 2 – New Role, New Relationships: Learning to Lead
Session 3 – From the Inside Out: The Power of Reflection and Self-Awareness
Session 4 – Leadership in Action: How Effective Directors Get Things Done
Session 5 – Professional Development Coaching

Price

$175* and full participation gets you:

• One, two hour virtual orientation (a working computer with Internet accessibility and audio and video capability is required)
• Three, full-day in-person sessions (lunch and snacks included)
• 22 contact hours of Illinois Gateways to Opportunity approved professional development
• Books, handouts, and materials

Additional Opportunities:

• Earn IL Director Credential credits through participation in AIM4Exellence™ online modules
• Select up to three modules at no additional cost
• Five undergraduate college course credit hours from NLU available for an additional course tuition charge

*Valued at over $5,000. The registration fee is only for Illinois administrators. Out-of-state administrators, please contact MCECL.LA@nl.edu

Two RTL cohorts are available:

RTL 12 – National Louis University Campus, 1000 Capitol Dr. Wheeling, IL 60090

• Session 1 | Virtual | September 3, 2025 | 9:00 am – 11:30 am
• Session 2 | In-Person | September 4, 2025 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Session 3 | In-Person | October 2, 2025 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Session 4 | In-Person | October 30, 2024 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Session 5 | Virtual | December 4, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

RTL 13 – Richard J. Daley College, 7500 S. Pulaski Rd. Chicago, IL 60652

• Session 1 | Virtual | September 10, 2025 | 9:00 am – 11:30 am
• Session 2 | In-Person | September 11, 2025 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Session 3 | In-Person | October 9, 2025 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Session 4 | In-Person | November 6, 2025 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Session 5 | Virtual | December 4, 2025 | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Taking the Lead

Connect and collaborate in a professional learning community.

A Blended Event of Virtual and In-Person Sessions

Funded by Illinois Department of Human Services and FDC Foundation

Download the Taking the Lead flyer to learn more:

Download flyer

TTL Includes:

• 9 monthly training sessions (in-person and virtual)
• 119 total contact hours and credit towards Illinois Family Child Care Credential
• A $300 quality improvement grant
• Support through a community of peers and a TTL coach
• Registration to the Leadership Connections™ National Conference, Family Childcare Summit
• 10 quarter hours of undergraduate college course credit (for an additional fee)

TTL is valued at over $5,000, but costs Illinois administrators only $175. Out-of-state administrators, please contact MCECL.LA@nl.edu.

Session topics:

• Orientation: It Starts With You
• More Than a Nurturing Heart
• Creating Continuous Quality Improvement Plans
• Promoting Quality with the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale – Revised (FCCERS-R)
• Making Dollars and Sense: Fiscal Management and Recordkeeping
• Put it in Writing: Developing and Strengthening Contracts, Handbooks and Risk Management Plans
• Family Engagement in Your Program
• Marketing with a Message: Communicating the Value of Family Child Care
• Advocacy in Action

Location:

National Louis University-Lisle campus
850 Warrenville Rd. Lisle, IL 60532
Public Forum Room

Note:

Participants must be able to:

• Have computer access with audio and video capabilities
• Access the internet including Zoom platform and McCormick Center Learning Management System (LMS)
• Save and upload files and open PDF documents

Taking Charge of Change

Taking Charge of Change™ (TCC) is designed to support early childhood administrators of center-based programs in leading an organization to continuous quality improvement.

Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services

These essential features contribute to the TCC learning experience:

Learn more about the proven outcomes from TCC.

Empower yourself and embrace the change process. Delve into topics that strengthen your leadership style, promote peak performance, implement a quality improvement plan, and build a strong organizational climate.

As a participant, you will:

• Explore a variety of leadership topics including: appreciating individual differences, systems thinking, navigating change, organizational climate, meetings, and shared decision making, to name a few.
• Learn strategies for recruitment, inclusive leadership, meeting facilitation, organizational climate, peer learning communities, supervising staff, and more.
• Engage with a network of peers in a professional learning community about early childhood leadership.
• Participate in interactive learning and guided reflections.
• Use the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey (ECWES) to diagnose organizational challenges and assess the need for change.
• Experience the impact of blending shared decision-making with data-based decision-making skills.
• Receive support and guidance from a coach.
• Receive a mini-grant to support improvements toward circles of quality in ExceleRate™ Illinois
• Participate in the Leadership Connections™ National Conference with hundreds of colleagues as you learn new concepts about Whole Leadership.

Links to research on TCC’s impact

Zoom Report

20-Year Review