In the changing landscape of Jewish education, we look to the now and to the future to help you respond and innovate. Our special initiatives also strive to raise you up and celebrate your courage and accomplishments as professionals.
Voices for Good Initiative
For women in the professional Jewish world
A multi-pronged initiative designed to advance gender equity in Jewish life, and support women in positions of leadership and influence.
Special Needs & Inclusion Initiative
For Jewish educators across organizational settings
Tools, training and consulting services to ensure that all children can participate fully in Jewish life and learning, and all Jewish educators are equipped to create inclusive learning environments for children with special needs.
The Ruby Award
Celebrating the work of educators and professionals who work with adolescents in the Bay Area
Established in 2020, the Ruby Award is our award for excellence in Jewish youth education and engagement, a cornerstone of both the vibrant present and future of the Jewish community. The next Ruby Award ceremony and day of learning will take place in 2026.
ElevatED
For East Bay early childhood education professionals
The East Bay Jewish early childhood community is one of five pioneering communities participating in the first cohort of ElevatED, a national effort uplifting the profession of early childhood educators by increasing the number of qualified educators in communities.
Jewish LearningWorks will convene this cohort of emerging educators over 18-months for weekly learning and mentorship. Participants will also receive funds to pursue academic credentials required to become a fully licensed early childhood teacher.
This special initiative includes a micro-grant program designed to help Jewish preschools establish or extend experimental initiatives in the areas of staff recruitment, staff retention, staff mentorship or family engagement.
ElevatED is a partnership of the Union for Reform Judaism, the JCC Association of North America, and The Jewish Federations of North America.
For more information, please contact Ellen Lefkowitz at [email protected].
The Orchard
For early childhood education teachers
Jewish LearningWorks is proud to be one of twenty-five organizations from around North America that bring you The Orchard—a joint initiative that advances the professional learning of educators in Jewish early childhood centers.
The Orchard offers a variety of virtual workshops, from teaching the Jewish holidays, to child development and pedagogy, to teaching American holidays through an equity lens. These are some of the fall 2024 workshops we are looking forward to:
There are many pieces to the puzzle that form our educational system; but at the center of that complexity is, simply, a child. And yet, for school leaders, so much more attention is placed on developing the important but still secondary skills of management and finance. Less is placed on ensuring that leaders have a strong foundation in child development and learning. Five simple facts about child development can guide leaders in making informed decisions and modeling practices that will best benefit children and teachers. Find out what early educators want their leadership to know, and how it can change the paradigm for all who are involved in the education of children.
This session will take place on September 16, 2024 at 3:30 pm EST | 12:30 pm PST.
Come learn about the developing brains of young children and how you can apply this research into your daily practice with children.
This session will take place on September 19, 2024 at 7:30 pm EST | 4:30 pm PST.
When working with very young children, it is in everyone’s best interests to work with development. This session will look at current knowledge about development, some interesting new ideas about neurodiversity and identity, and how we can put this all together in our daily work with children. We will also deconstruct some of the routines in infant and toddler environments and come to understand our expectations of our little ones. With that knowledge, we can adapt so that all of our children are successful.
This session will take place on September 26, 2024 at 7:30 pm EST | 4:30 pm PST.
This series will focus on the ins and outs of reflective supervision. Reflective supervision is a collaborative process between an educator and school leader that involves regular reflection on the educator’s thoughts, feelings, and classroom practice.
This workshop series will take place on Tuesdays from September 11 until November 4, 2024 at 7:00 pm EST | 4:00 pm PST.
