The Early Education Director Fellowship (EEDF) consists of exploring three leadership themes and their supporting principles: Know + Lead Your Center, Know + Lead Others, and Know + Lead Self.
To begin, Know + Lead Your Center invites directors to engage in conversations around purpose and values followed closely by a thoughtful examination of how those values are embedded in all components of their centers’ daily life. The next stop on the EEDF journey, Know + Lead Others, includes a deep dive into the importance of relationships and how those relationships are supported by the center’s values and practices. Finally, during Know + Lead Self, directors will be asked to inventory their strengths and reflect on their sense of balance.
Different from most professional development programs, the fellowship journey is as personalized as possible, encouraging individual directors to identify and apply the principles to their unique situation.
Themes and principles are explored through residency and cohort days, located at one of The Oaks Academy’s campuses in Indianapolis, IN.
Residency days will consist of a blend of reflection through moderated exercises and readings, as well as classroom observations with detailed debriefs.
Cohort sessions consist of reviewing residency lessons and group issue processing opportunities. Issue processing invites fellows to bring their unique issues to the table with the intention of enlisting peer feedback through questions and recommendations.
One-on-one sessions with a certified executive coach take directors deeper into the material. This learning segment offers equal measures of accountability and encouragement.
2023 - 2024 Schedule
Virtual Orientation | Monday, September 18, 2023 (9 – 10:30 AM)
Know + Lead Center
Residency Day | Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Cohort Session | Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Executive 1:1 Coaching | November or December 2023
Fall Forum | Thursday, November 2, 2023 (9 – 10:30 AM)
Know + Lead Others
Residency Day | Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Cohort Session | Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Spring Forum | Thursday, March 7, 2024 (9 – 10:30 AM)
Know + Lead Self
Residency Day | Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Cohort Session | Tuesday, March 19, 2024
End of Year Reflection | Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Executive 1:1 Coaching | May or June 2024
Residency Days and Cohort Sessions will start at 9am and conclude by 12pm.
Executive Coaching is scheduled individually with each participant.
The Fall and Spring Forums offer the opportunity for past and current fellows (from the School Leader Fellowship, Early Education Center Director Fellowship, and the Teacher Renewal Fellowship) to come together for rich discussion around an important educational topic relevant to all.
Enrollment Details
Each Fellowship class will have a capacity of 15 fellows, with applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Early Learning Indiana will review applications as they are submitted and connect you with a member of the leadership team at Indiana Educator Fellowships upon completion of the review process.
At this time, there is no cost to directors to participate in the fellowship.
