McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Wendy Guerrero-Rivera | January 30, 2015

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

Parent involvement is of absolute importance in early childhood education. For many parents, this step signifies the introduction to the education system at large. Many creative opportunities exist for parent involvement in early childhood programs and most parents participate in at least one way. However, there is often a lower percentage of parent participation from parents in the diverse community. 


In my past experience as a Parent Involvement Coordinator I learned that it is not because these families don’t care or don’t want to participate. Culturally diverse families may have many differences from mainstream families; but they also have many similarities. Wanting the best education for their children and doing whatever they can to support them is one of these great similarities. 


So how can we ensure all parents become more involved in their children’s early care and education experiences? 


Creating a welcoming environment is key! 


First, it is important to note that for some parents stepping into your program is the first time they will step into a school in this country. Some families who have just arrived to this country do not speak English, do not know the system, and feel extremely intimidated. The first and best way to get them involved is to make them feel welcomed. Early childhood programs can make these families feel welcomed by developing relationships with them. Directors, teachers, and other early childhood staff–such as receptionists, cooks, and van/bus drivers–can attempt to get to know these families better by trying to understand their culture and their traditions. 


Developing a relationship of mutual trust and respect by the director and staff is critical. Relationship building should be ongoing and have a connection to the family’s home. Once this partnership is established, families will feel more comfortable becoming engaged in their child’s early childhood program.


Where can you go to get started in learning how to better engage diverse families in your program?  


I encourage you to revisit the McCormick Center’s resource, “The Value of Culture in Your Family Partnerships,” for some ideas to help engage diverse families in your program. I also invite you to join us for sessions surrounding this topic at Leadership Connections™ National Conference. Or, consider exploring the Aim4Excellence™ Module 8: Building Partnerships with Families online module to help you implement new strategies in your program. Below are resources that can provide additional insight into this topic: 


Wendy is currently an Assessor and Training Specialist for McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. Previously, Wendy worked as a Parent Involvement Coordinator for a state pre-K program.

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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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