ECLD Invitation to Apply
Please share this invitation with others who care about or work to improve life for young children and families in Oregon!
Early Childhood Leadership Directions (ECLD) announces a highly successful statewide professional development opportunity for aspiring leaders in health, mental health, human services, and education who seek to improve child and family health, mental health, and education in rural communities in Oregon.
ECLD is an outreach program in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University. Two nationally recognized leaders, Sharon Rosenkoetter and Diane Turner, facilitate this proven professional development program. Using an evidence-based model created with funding from a U.S. Department of Education grant and now supported by Oregon's foundations and individual donors, ECLD offers Pathways to Excellence, a year-long immersion program that includes three 4-day leadership development retreats, community applications, and ongoing mentoring.
Pathways to Excellence begins by strengthening participants' personal and interpersonal leadership qualities and skills, progresses to build skills to lead high performing teams, guide relationship-based organizations and advance systems change, and then to foster skills required to mentor others, advocate for change, sustain organizations, and lead collaborative community, state, and national initiatives.
Pathways to Excellence retreats are held at the Silver Falls Conference Center in the State Park.
- Pathway 1: Packing Our Backpacks. October 27-30, 2008
- Pathway 2: Creating Our Maps. January 12-15, 2009
- Pathway 3: Breaking New Trails. April 20-23, 2009
- Pathway retreats begin at 12 Noon on the first day and end at 3 PM on the last day.
ECLD invites applicants who are professionals or graduate students in health, human services, and education who seek to improve child and family health, mental health, and education in rural communities in Oregon. Preference is given to interdisciplinary interagency community teams of 3-5 members, but individual applications are also considered. ECLD seeks especially to recruit individuals from historically excluded or under-represented groups, including individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds, persons with disabilities, and parents or family members of children with special needs. Individuals selected to participate must commit to attend an orientation site visit and all three 4-day Pathway retreats. Lodging and meals are provided at no cost to participants. Selected participants may choose from three registration options: continuing education, undergraduate, or graduate credit - all at drastically reduced rates. Slots are limited. Apply early for best consideration.
Applications will be accepted until August 30, 2008. They will be considered in the order received until the slots are filled.
If you have questions, please contact Diane Turner, Program Director, at diane.turner@oregonstate.edu.