Leadership Academies

Join a professional learning community. The McCormick Center’s Leadership Academies, Ready to Lead (RTL), Taking Charge of Change™ (TCC), and Taking the Lead (TTL), offer transformational professional learning for center-based and home-based program administrators. Taking place over several months, the experience encourages practical application of learning concepts between sessions and the forming of supportive networks. Credits for college and professional development credentials are available.

  • Ready to Lead (RTL) is an academy for newly-hired early childhood administrators created to delve into the power of self-reflection, understand the transition from peer to supervisor, explore leadership styles, and learn strategies for increased productivity.
  • Taking Charge of Change™ (TCC) is designed to support early childhood administrators to embrace change, improve administrative practices, and embark on a journey of continuous improvement at the individual and organizational levels.
  • Taking the Lead (TTL) is a family child care provider academy focused on growing and sustaining your business, developing advocacy skills, and promoting positive learning environments.

Ready to Lead (for newly-hired administrators)

Ready to Lead

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.


RTL 8 (Lisle, IL), RTL 9 (Bloomington, IL) – Deadline to Apply July 7, 2023

Applications will open this spring. (Sign up for updates)


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

Price

$150* 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)
  • 19.5 contact hours of Illinois Gateways to Opportunity approved professional development
  • Books, handouts, and materials

*Valued at over $4,000. The registration fee is only for Illinois administrators. Out-of-state administrators, please contact MCECL.LA@nl.edu


Two RTL Cohorts Available

Select the cohort that is right for you!

RTL 8 – NLU Campus, 850 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL
Deadline to Apply: July 7, 2023

  • Session 1 | Virtual | September 13, 2023 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Session 2 | In-Person | September 14, 2023 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
  • Session 3 | In-Person | October 19, 2023 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
  • Session 4 | In-Person | November 9, 2023 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Professional Development Coaching | Virtual | December 6, 2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

RTL 9 – Location TBD
Deadline to Apply: July 7, 2023

  • Session 1 | Virtual | September 20, 2023 | 9:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Session 2 | In-Person | September 21, 2023 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
  • Session 3 | In-Person | October 26, 2023 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
  • Session 4 | In-Person | November 30, 2023 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Professional Development Coaching | Virtual | December 7, 2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Taking Charge of Change (for experienced center-based administrators)

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 $500 mini-grant to support improvements toward circles of quality in ExceleRate™ Illinois
  • Participate in the Leadership Connections™ Virtual 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

Taking the Lead (for home-based program administrators)

Taking the Lead

Taking the Lead (TTL) is designed to support early childhood administrators of home-based programs to grow and sustain their business.

 

A Blended Event of Virtual and In-Person Sessions for 2022–2023

APPLICATIONS CLOSE JULY 15, 2022

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

Funding provided by Illinois Department of Human Services and FDC


Download the Taking the Lead flyer to learn more:

Download flyer


These essential features contribute to the TTL learning experience:

As a participant, you will:

  • Explore and strengthen business and professional practices, focus on improving the learning environment, and practice advocacy strategies.
  • Learn strategies for building your leadership capacity, recordkeeping, budgeting, marketing, and improving contracts and handbooks.
  • Participate in interactive learning and guided reflections.
  • Engage with a network of peers in a professional learning community about early childhood leadership.
  • Use the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) and the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale-Revised (FCCERS-R) to diagnose administrative and learning environment challenges and assess the need for change.
  • Experience the impact of using data to improve program quality.
  • Apply a $300 mini-grant to support improvements toward circles of quality in ExceleRate™ Illinois.
  • Participate in the Leadership Connections National Conference with colleagues from around the world as you learn new concepts.

 

Price:

$125.00 Registration Fee and full participation gets you:

  • Ten training sessions (5 in-person sessions and five virtual sessions) from September 2022-May 2023
  • Lunch included for in-person sessions
  • $300 program improvement funds
  • Books, handouts, materials, and program assessment tools
  • 119 total contact hours and 6 points of Illinois Family Child Care Credential approved training delivered through:
    • Group learning, one Saturday per month
    • Independent online learning
    • Self-assessment
    • One-on-one coaching
  • Registration to the 2023 Leadership Connections™ National Conference
  • 10 quarter hours of optional undergraduate college course credit for an additional fee

TTL is valued at over $2,000, but costs you only $125.

 

Location:

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

National Louis University-Wheeling campus
1000 Capitol Dr, Wheeling, IL 60090
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

Share the excitement about Taking the Lead on your social networks! Download our easy-to-use social media toolkit:

Download Social Media Toolkit

 

College Credit Available

College credit through National Louis University (NLU) is available for TCC and TTL at an additional cost. Scholarships and financial aid may be available to help you cover the cost.

Contact Us to Learn More

Taking Charge of Change At a Glance

College credit option available

26

communities of practice have gained life-changing leadership skills

98

total clock hours

“Taking Charge of Change is a great way to learn about your role as a leader. It also gives you an opportunity to connect with others in similar roles and situations.”
Jill Schaefer, Illinois, Cohort #25, Director

Embrace change.

Over 700 early childhood leaders have experienced this transformative professional learning opportunity. Subscribe to be notified when applications open.

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Taking the Lead at a Glance

College credit option available

9

communities of practice have gained life-changing leadership skills

119

total contact hours

“This training will give you very important information that is necessary to run an FCC program. The information will help you protect yourself and your business. ”
Helena Lewis, Family Child Care Provider

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