McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Shuntae Richardson | May 10, 2022

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

“Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.”


— Helen Keller


In 2018, I had the opportunity, as an employee of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, to participate in the center’s flagship Leadership Academy, Taking Charge of ChangeTM (TCC). It was truly an empowering experience. Among the many memorable things I took away from TCC was being embraced by a community. TCC is designed for center-based administrators of early childhood education and programs. Although I was McCormick Center staff and not an administrator, I never felt excluded. Rather, the instructors and participants demonstrated to me what a true community looks like.


According to the Oxford Dictionary, a community can be defined as “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attributes, interests, and goals.” Being part of a community helps lessen feelings of isolation, division, and separation.


One night during my experience at TCC, participants gathered around a bonfire, sharing the many trials and triumphs of being an administrator. Again, although I was not an administrator, participants brought me into the conversation, shared details of their work, and authentically asked for and listened to my opinion. This made me feel seen, heard, and valued and is just one example of how TCC made me feel included.


The benefits of building a community include ensuring you have a circle of influence, people who can hold you accountable, others you can share ideas and network with, and people you can turn to when you need support. All the leadership academies at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership strive to create communities and an atmosphere where inclusion is the norm.


BUILDING COMMUNITY ONE STONE AT A TIME


I like to think about the process of building a community like the process of building a rock cairn (stacked stones). Just like a rock cairn, you build a community one stone at a time. Below are a few of the stones I consider critical when building up a community.

A person is stacking rocks on top of each other on a beach.

Critical Stones for Building Community


  • Accountability—set clear boundaries and expectations, and communicate when these are not being met
  • Empathy—try to view things through the perspectives of others
  • Respect—make sure everyone is treated with kindness and consideration
  • Trust—demonstrate values and beliefs through actions
  • Connection—find commonalities and build bridges
  • Openness—welcome others with diverse backgrounds and experiences


REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS


Which stone(s) could you add to your rock cairn to make it stronger?


When was the last time you felt embraced by a community? How did it make you feel?


In what ways does your organization strive to build community? How does it support your mission?


If you are interested in being part of professional learning community, consider joining one of the McCormick Center’s leadership academies. The academies are offered in Illinois and can also be brought to your state!

Shuntae Richardson, B.A., is Professional Leadership Team Administrative Assistant IV for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. She is the founder of the One Accord Community Development Organization (OACD) and a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success. Shuntae has twenty-plus years of experience in the non-profit and corporate sectors. Her professional experience includes; accounting, customer service, insurance claims, office management, mortgage lending, event planning, and community and business development. Shuntae has professional affiliations with many organizations and has served as a trustee for several non-profit organizations. She has served on planning committees for villages, townships, and chambers of commerce in various communities. Shuntae has traveled throughout Chicagoland presenting workshops in corporate settings and facilitating budgeting simulations in high schools. She has been instrumental in motivating and encouraging others to reach their highest potential.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

The AI-Enabled Administrator: Reclaim Valuable Time

By Dr. Neal Green • February 8, 2026
Tools: Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, Perplexity Spaces Overview The evidence is clear that early childhood professionals' most significant challenge is a lack of time. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, when used strategically, can give administrators some of the time they desperately need, allowing them to focus more on their staff and the children and families in their care. This approach aligns with the foundational goal of strengthening leadership effectiveness and program impact (Abel, Talan, & Masterson, 2023). When I scan the AI landscape of available products and platforms, it becomes overwhelming. There are so many options that it is impossible to keep up with every new development. Focusing on a limited number of AI tools backed by organizations with strong infrastructure and fiscal stability is a wise place to start your AI journey. McCormick Institute for Early Childhood’s (MIEC’s) upcoming professional development sessions will focus on three AI tools. These include Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, and Perplexity Spaces. Think of Gemini Gems as your customized AI assistant that you "train" to follow your rules and meet your goals. Gemini Gems are the right tool to tackle Internal Operations . NotebookLM is perfect for creating Family Support resources that stick. NotebookLM is a powerful AI tool that uses only the documents or other resources you add to generate specific, focused output. Perplexity Spaces is a fantastic choice to address Marketing demands. Like many AI tools, you can toggle back and forth between open web searches and focused documents that are specific to your work. Gemini Gems: The “Specialist Teammate” Gemini Gems allow you to create templates you can use repeatedly for agendas, HR policies, and more. If you have used AI in the past, you know that writing an effective prompt takes time, and they can easily get "lost" if you use AI often. Gems removes that challenge and lets you save your most effective prompts without having to rewrite them every time you use Gemini. It is up to you to decide if you want to create several smaller Gems to tackle common challenges you face or create larger Gems that encompass large swaths of your work. For our purposes, we will focus our Gem work on Internal Operations, addressing Program Administration Scale (PAS) Item 9: Internal Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). Imagine using a Gem to turn messy staff meeting notes into professional minutes with clear action plans in minutes or less! NotebookLM: The "Walled Garden" NotebookLM is an excellent tool for Family Support for your center, addressing PAS Item 17: Family Support and Involvement (Talan & Bloom, 2011). After uploading documents and resources, such as your parent handbook or community referral lists, to your Notebook, you can create several resources that parents/guardians of your center students will love. Just a few of the impressive features available with NotebookLM include audio (podcast) summaries, video summaries, and reporting functions with templates or the option to create your own report with metrics that matter most to you. Perplexity Spaces: The "Research Librarian" Perplexity Spaces is a perfect AI partner for Marketing your early childhood education (ECE) program, addressing PAS Item 18: External Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). You can build your own centralized repository, with control over branding to ensure consistency and present a professional, current image. Adding specific instructions to your space eliminates the need to format documents constantly and saves valuable time. The consistency that a Perplexity Space offers in this regard allows you to upload messages that are the "voice” of your brand. Your marketing efforts are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also enable you to track trends at similar centers in your area, helping you assess the competition. Strategies for Success: Audit your Internal Communications: Identify one repetitive task, such as creating staff meeting agendas (PAS Item 9), and automate it with a Gemini Gem. Curate your Family Resources: Gather three to five existing documents to "feed" a NotebookLM project for more responsive family support (PAS Item 17). Standardize your Brand: Use a Perplexity Space to ensure all public relations tools project a consistent, professional image (PAS Item 18). Reflection Questions: Which administrative task takes the most time away from your interactions with staff and families? How might centralizing marketing materials (branding) impact the professional image to prospective families? Table 1: AI Tools for ECE Professionals
Show More