Dear Educator,
With optimism that Covid is behind us and with the opportunities presented by the Kirwan Commission’s early childhood recommendations, MECLP is delighted to announce that the Application to identify MECLP fellows for its 4th Cohort is now available. We are thrilled to announce that, pending sufficient registration from interested applicants, we may offer two cohorts in 2023: one at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), in Catonsville MD, and a second cohort at the University of Maryland Southern Maryland Regional Center, in California, MD. (If we do not receive sufficient applicants from Southern Maryland, southern Anne Arundel and Prince George’s County, the Cohort will meet at UMBC.) The Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program (MECLP), an initiative of the Sherman
Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities at UMBC, is an early childhood workforce pipeline designed to accelerate leadership development in early childhood and mitigate the current leadership gap in Maryland. We are increasing the diversity of ECE leaders across the state, positioning Maryland as a leader in developing strong ECE systems and creating a Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Hub. MECLP has created a two-tiered early childhood pathway to leadership culminating in two 3-credit graduate courses leading to an Endorsement in Early Childhood Leadership from UMBC. Future plans include developing two additional 3 credit graduate courses to formalize Tier II – a 12 credit Certificate in Early Childhood Leadership from UMBC. To extend the course work, MECLP created a vibrant Community of Practice which encompasses a robust mentoring component; Leadership in Action forums, a series of webinars on ECE topics of interest, field experiences and an annual Leadership Institute. MECLP’s current course, Leading for Change in Early Childhood Education, a research based curriculum, was developed by the Institute for Early Education Leadership and
Innovation (IEELI) at the University of Massachusetts. The modified curriculum is tailored to the specific needs of Maryland’s early childhood community and focuses on seven core leadership competencies - leadership vision, leadership skills and values, personnel and resource management skills, organizational capacity, data analytical skills, creativity and innovation, and public policy knowledge. Fourteen early educators participated as Inaugural Fellows in 2020 and are now part of MECLP’s Community of Practice together with Cohort II Course completers. Fifteen (15) additional outstanding early childhood professionals are currently participants in Cohort III
MECLP is now accepting applications from outstanding early childhood professionals and their colleagues in related fields representing the ethnic, geographic and early childhood affiliation diversity across Maryland. The 2022/23 MECLP Fellows will participate in the year-long Leading for Change in Early Childhood Education Course, starting with an Orientation in December 2022; classes will begin in January 2023.
Applicants need to submit the following:
Both of these forms are also available to be submitted directly through our website. They can be filled out and submitted online or submitted via email.
For more information on MECLP, please visit our website - meclp.umbc.edu. An Overview of MECLP, and Frequently Asked Questions are available.
Applications are due June 24th either submitted online or emailed to
Please consider applying to participate in this exciting opportunity and help us circulate its availability to interested Maryland early childhood professionals in your programs, agencies, groups, organizations and networks. 2022-23 fellows will be joining their colleagues on their collective ECE leadership journey supporting the Maryland early childhood workforce pipeline – a commitment we all share.
Thank you.
Warm Regards,
Louise Corwin
Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program
Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities UMBC
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