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Professional Networking » Professional Networking

Professional Networking

 
The Jewish Education Center has articulated a strategic goal to elevate and celebrate teachers and professionals in Jewish Cleveland. One foundational practice in this arena is the regular convening of professional networks.
 
A vital component of the work of the Jewish Education Center is to serve as the convener of a variety of professional networks. The regular network gatherings foster collaboration across educational programs, enhance communication and provide professional and leadership development.   
 
PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS

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Early Childhood Directors Network
ECDNThe Early Childhood Directors Network (ECDN) truly reflects the diversity of Cleveland’s Jewish community. This wonderfully collaborative group has directors that hail from our congregational, community-based and day school-based early childhood programs.  
 
 
 
 

The ECDN meets monthly during the school year, with a focus on:  
  • Collegial sharing of key early childhood issues including child development, curriculum, administrative issues, and the Jewish growth of children and families.
  • Understanding and meeting the State of Ohio’s licensing requirements, and for most of our Jewish programs the Step Up to Quality voluntary rating system.
  • Professional development of teachers, both within individual programs and community-wide.
Education Directors Network
EDNThe Education Directors Network (EDN) brings together educational leaders from Cleveland’s congregational and community-based part-time educational settings.  Meeting monthly during the school year, this group:
 
 
 
 
 
  • Focuses on issues that are more powerfully addressed community-wide (e.g., continued involvement of teens in Jewish education)
  • Plans community-wide programs for students and/or their families 
  • Works collaboratively to plan community-wide professional development for teachers and themselves
  • Stays abreast of general or Jewish educational trends
The EDN is led by member-elected officers, with the support of the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland.
 
Day School Directors Network
DSD
The five Cleveland Jewish day school directors meet together several times a year:
  • Fuchs Mizrachi School
  • Gross Schechter Day School
  • Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
  • Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School
  • Yeshiva Derech Hatorah
 
Youth Professional Network
YPNThe Youth Professionals Network (YPN) brings together youth directors engaging over 1,500 Jewish teens across the Cleveland Jewish community. The directors are from both synagogues and national movements such as, NIFTY, USCJ, NCSY, Friendship Circle, BBYO and more. The professionals collaborate on a monthly basis, sharing successes and challenges to effective teen engagement.

Presently, the YPN is involved in developing a parallel group of Teen Advisors as programming partners for their work in the community. The operating philosophy is to program with young adults rather than “for “ them. Additionally the YPN is a partner with J-Serve, the Jewish arm of the National Day of Service.
 
Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC)
 
Jewish Family Engagement Network (JFEN)