ABOUT

Whether you are new or a seasoned professional looking to renew and improve your skills….this Academy is for you! The Site Directors & Management Academy (SDMA) is designed to build capacity for new and emerging leaders in your agency. Many who serve in a leadership position (or desire to serve in the future) must work to engage all site stakeholders (staff, children, parents, administrators, community members/partners) from various skill levels, backgrounds, and experiences. Whether your job title is EHS/HS Director, Site Director, Center Director, Center Manager, Center Director, Education Manager or some variation thereof, this academy has been developed and designed with you and your specific needs in mind. You serve as a mentor, coach, support system, and you must keep staff motivated all while ensuring you have the infrastructure (both physical and mental) in place to yield positive outcomes for children and families. Some of the skills you will learn at the Academy will include: creating your own leadership style; engaging in mindful supervision and actions; bringing out the best in yourself and others; and building a cohesive team. The program is designed to help leaders develop strategies to lead effectively and maintain high performing teams in the midst of organizational change and challenges. IHSA has recognized these challenges and has partnered with Ericka Williams and Yolanda Winfrey, two very experienced senior level Head Start managers and trainers /consultants to provide you with an intensive, hands-on, high-energy, engaging, skill & knowledge-building 2 ½ day Academy to include six in-depth training modules. The six modules will provide a collaborative adult learning experience with peer-to-peer networking.

Mindfulness

Additionally, we are excited to be adding “Mindfulness” as a common thread that will be woven, recognized, and practiced in each academy module. We believe embracing and practicing the art of mindfulness in tandem with other essential leadership skills can be a significant, positive difference maker in the lives of our academy participants and those they serve.

The Site Directors & Management Academy (SDMA) is an excellent team training experience. The course design emphasizes individual and team development. Site based leadership requires the engagement of both site based leadership and central office leadership. Bring a team and enjoy the dynamic of this unique setting! 

The Site Directors Academy is comprised of six unique modules for each attendee to gain knowledge.  The training setting breaks the groups down to smaller teams so that participants may dialogue over challenges and strategies, participate and reflect on experiential exercises and plan actions steps for application of new knowledge.

SIX MODULES:

Module 1: Leadership

Leadership practices are the strategies and processes that promote professional and interagency collaboration, advocacy, and systems change. By the end of the Module 1 participants will be able to: 1. Consider ways that the function of leadership is different from other work they do. 2. Identify opportunities to lead, regardless of the position they hold in your organization.

• Learning Outcome 1: Understand the role as leaders can make a positive impact in their program, their home organization, and their community. Effective leaders engage in lifelong processes of development, that create nourishing work environments and explores the importance of knowing your “personal leadership self.”
• Learning Outcome 2: Build up effective leadership and development so the participant can be encouraged to reflect on their own leadership style. So they can build upon personal strengths, and to explore leadership tools and resources that complement their personal style.

Module 2: Program Operations

Program operations is the big picture view of the organization. It is designed to provide participants with tools and strategies to understand, demonstrate, and implement strategies to realize the vision, mission, goals and objectives. It will provide participants with the tools needed to understand the organizational design which will yield results. By the end of the Module 2 participants will be able to: 1. Explore and examine the organization vision and mission and the connection to the goals and objectives; 2. Strengthen their ability to look at strategic planning through a different lens to better understand organizational design, the importance of on-going monitoring and program operations; 3. Better understand of how they deal with change and their communication style and its implications and impact on overall program operations, including staff development.

• Learning Outcome 1: Explore and examine the organization vision and mission and the connection to the goals and objectives;
• Learning Outcome 2 Strengthen their ability to look at strategic planning through a different lens to better understand organizational design and program operations;
• Learning Outcome 3: Participants will better understand how they deal with change, their communication style and its implications and impact on overall program operations, including staff development.

Module 3: Supervision

Leadership practices are the strategies and processes that promote professional and interagency collaboration, advocacy, and systems change.

By the end of the Module 3 participants will be able to: 1. Understand how to effectively manage staff development efforts. 2. Increase their knowledge of effective relationship-building practices. 3. Understand that supervision should improve the quality of practice, support the development of integrated working and ensure continuing professional development.

• Learning Outcome 1: Supervision must enable and support workers to build effective professional relationships, develop good practice, and exercise both professional judgement and discretion in decision-making.
• Learning Outcome 2: Understanding the standard for good supervision practice and its core part of competences for leaders and managers

Module 4: Community Building

Community Building is designed to support participants in developing the ability to establish a positive culture of inclusion and diversity treating all with dignity and respect. It is further designed to create systems for effective and impactful family engagement through establishing partnerships and involving key stakeholders that nurture engagement and support.

By the end of the Module 4 participants will be able to: 1. Understand the importance of creating a culture of diversity and inclusion 2. Build effective systems to approach their work with compassion, dignity and respect while strengthening their ability effectively engage all families and staff.

• Learning Outcome 1: Understand the importance of creating a culture of diversity and inclusion
• Learning Outcome 2: Build effective systems to approach their work with compassion, dignity and respect while strengthening their ability effectively engage all families.

Module 5: Building a Cohesive Team

Building a cohesive team is why some site directors may be hesitant to step in, it is a must when team members are experiencing conflict. We will show by assisting in conflict resolution, site directors can ensure that these conflicts don’t hurt the overall team dynamic.

By the end of the Module 5 participants will be able to: 1. Understand how to plan a partnership. 2. Know how to improve teamwork to increase group cohesion and effectiveness 3. Know how to align the group so they share the same purpose and goals.

• Learning Outcome 1: Supervision must enable and support workers to build effective professional relationships, develop good practice, and exercise both professional judgement and discretion in decision-making.

Module 6: Systems Integration

Systems Integration is designed to support participants in developing the ability to make informed, quality decisions and create an effective culture of continuous improvement and evolution through the strategic use of data that works across systems. This module provides another approach to the big picture view of the organization and dive deeper to implement strategies across all areas (i.e. classrooms, facilities, HR, technology, communications, etc.).

By the end of the Module 6 participants will be able to: 1. Design and implement strategies for continuous improvement and evolution (growth); 2. Strengthen their ability effectively utilize and engage all staff in the self-assessment process and improve the participants ability to create effective monitoring systems and systems of accountability 3. Better understand how integrated systems impact overall program operations, including staff development and outcomes.

• Learning Outcome 1: Design and implement strategies for continuous improvement and evolution (growth);
• Learning Outcome 2: Strengthen their ability effectively utilize and engage all staff in the self-assessment process and improve the participants ability to create effective monitoring systems and systems of accountability
• Learning Outcome 3: Better understand how integrated systems impact overall program operations, including staff development and outcomes.

Top 5 Reasons To Invest Your Valuable Time & Join Us!

1- Gain a better understanding of your leadership style and how it impacts change, positively influences others, and cultivates a high performing work culture.

2- Gain support in developing a healthy (work and wellness) balance while setting appropriate boundaries (especially with former peers), developing your own style, and transitioning into the supervisory role.

3- Receive tools and strategies to understand, demonstrate and implement strategies to realize the vision, mission, program goals and objectives. Gain an understanding of and build skills in systems integration, critical and strategic thinking skills as you learn how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together to ensure high quality curriculum and instruction is occurring within safe and conducive learning environments.

4- Develop and enhance the skills needed to establish a positive culture of inclusion and diversity treating all with dignity and respect.

5- Enhance skills in creating systems for effective and impactful family engagement through establishing partnerships and involving key stakeholders that nurture engagement and support.