McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY | April 21, 2015

PRESS RELEASE


WHEELING, IL — April 21, 2015 — With constant threats to state funding for early childhood education, there has never been a more important time for leaders in the field to exchange ideas and advocate for a strong education for our youngest children.


The past several months have brought a whirlwind of emotions for early childhood education (ECE) professionals in Illinois.


First there was the exhilaration surrounding the December 10 announcement of $1 billion in public/private ECE funding and the acknowledgement by President Obama that the early years are indeed critical learning years.


Then, just weeks later, came the Illinois budget crisis. Some child care programs were forced to shut their doors as they awaited payment from a backlogged state comptroller’s office. Others sat on pins and needles, wondering whether they would have to follow suit.

While Governor Rauner has stated he would like to see an increase in early childhood education funding, no service is safe while tough decisions are being made in the state Capitol.


The time is now for ECE professionals to advocate and get involved. On May 13-16, 2015, the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University will provide early childhood leaders an opportunity to do just that.


The Leadership Connections™ national conference supports early childhood administrators and other leaders in the field by inviting them to join the conversation with a full-day advocacy session sponsored by The Ounce; a 2-hour public policy forum led by Joan Lombardi, a visionary leader and author of the seminal book on advocacy, Speaking Out; a policy session track with 7 forums; messages of inspiration during the Paula Jorde Bloom Leadership Colloquium; and several opportunities to be inspired by peers. As of the morning of April 21, 2015, more than 430 ECE leaders from 26 states, Washington D.C., and Canada are registered to attend the conference.


Leadership Connections offers an exceptional professional development experience where early childhood professionals can learn, network, and reenergize with internationally and nationally recognized ECE presenters. The conference is designed specifically around leaders in the early childhood field and is held annually in Wheeling, IL. This year marks the conference’s 15th anniversary.

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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
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