The Director's Link (Fall 2008)
The Power of Trust

[Cover story by Paula Steffen] Trust is a powerful form of motivation and inspiration. People want to be trusted. They respond and thrive on trust. As leaders in the field of early care and education, it is important to establish, nurture, and sustain trusting relationships—not as a way to manipulate people, but as the most effective way of working with others and getting results. Read more »

Fall Management Institute: The Family-Friendly Director
National-Louis University, Wheeling Campus Annex (Map and Directions)
October 24-25, 2008

Last chance to register! This institute will help you examine your center's policies and practices through a "family-responsive" lens. Participants will look at the social, economic, and technological factors impacting families in contemporary society and explore ways to make centers a part of a community-wide support system for parents. Emphasis will be given to developing a family-responsive mission statement as well as creating marketing and enrollment literature that engages parents as true partners in their children's care and education. Guest presenters include Karen Stephens, author and director of the Illinois State University Lab School and Cynthia Stringfellow, director of the Family Focus Midwest Center for Learning. The registration fee is $199. For more information, download a brochure or contact Debra Trude-Suter at (800) 443-5522, ext. 5056 or debra.trudesuter@nl.edu.

Supporting Directors as the Gatekeepers to Quality – ILLINOIS ONLY
National-Louis University, Wheeling Campus Annex (Map and Directions)
January 12-15 and May 19-20, 2009

If you are a seasoned early childhood professional in Illinois and interested in improving the leadership and management practices of center-based programs, don't miss out on this exciting professional development opportunity. Designed for college instructors, directors of multi-site programs, education coordinators, independent consultants, and resource and referral specialists, "Supporting Directors as the Gatekeepers to Quality" will provide in-depth training on how to use the Program Administration Scale (PAS) to help directors of center-based programs prepare for Quality Counts, the Illinois Quality Rating System.

Funded by the Grand Victoria Foundation, this training opportunity is designed to create a cadre of experienced program consultants who can provide technical assistance to center directors interested in applying for star levels three and four in the Illinois Quality Rating System and implementing suggested program improvements resulting from their PAS assessment. Participant's portion of the training cost is only $150. This training opportunity is limited to 15 participants from Illinois. For more information, download a flyer or contact Debra Trude-Suter at (800) 443-5522, ext. 5056 or debra.trudesuter@nl.edu. The application deadline is December 1, 2008.

Technology Workshop: Packing Power into Presentations
College of Lake County, Grayslake Campus (Map and Directions)
Friday, January 30, 2009

Take your presentations to the next level. Learn the potential of Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® 2007 for creating winning presentations and how to select a multimedia projector for your center. Become familiar with best practices for integrating technology into presentations. This full-day, interactive workshop will be held at the College of Lake County's Grayslake, Illinois Campus (building/room T-338) from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Funding is provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Participant's portion of the training cost is only $45. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance documenting 6 clock hours of training for use towards the renewal of the Illinois Director Credential (IDC). Enrollment is limited and priority will be given to administrators whose programs serve IDHS-funded children. For more information, download a brochure or contact Debra Trude-Suter at (800) 443-5522, ext. 5056 or debra.trudesuter@nl.edu.

Leadership Connections
The Westin Chicago North Shore (Map and Directions)
May 14-16, 2009

Join us at the luxurious Westin Chicago North Shore for this highly acclaimed professional development opportunity especially designed for center directors, lead teachers and supervisors, trainers and consultants, technical assistance specialists, and family child care providers. Three stimulating days of training, exhibits, networking, and fun! Total conference package is only $375 before February 1, 2009. This includes:

• Thursday: Opening luncheon and keynote, public policy forum, networking reception, marketplace, spotlight on best practices, and pamper yourself activities
• Friday: Continental breakfast, skill-building clinics, box lunch, marketplace, meet the authors, and afternoon ice cream treat
• Saturday: Continental breakfast, seminars, and closing luncheon and keynote
• Plus a conference bag, yellow pages of professional resources, and LOTS of raffle prizes and gifts

A full-day of great preconference activities are also available on Wednesday, May 13. Pre-registration and an additional fee required. The complete brochure will be available soon. For more information including sponsorship opportunities, contact Donna Jonas at (800) 443-5522, ext. 5058 or donna.jonas@nl.edu.

Employment Opportunity: Aim4Excellence Project Director

The McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National-Louis University seeks a person of initiative, competence, and experience to serve as Project Director for its Aim4Excellence online national director credential. Duties include a broad range of technical and interpersonal skills including proposal writing, project management, public speaking, and supervision. For a complete job description, download the official posting or visit http://cecl.nl.edu/public/employment.htm.