February 19-June 9, 2026
Head Start WEST has the opportunity to deliver something transformative and unmatched nationally: a year-long Community of Practice for emerging and new leaders that goes beyond orientation or static “new director” training.
National centers offer introductions to the Performance Standards and “tips for new managers.” Those are useful but limited and static. This Community of Practice (CoP) will instead be a living, responsive network where leaders learn to navigate the shifting realities of Head Start with confidence, grounded in our mission and core values.
This is not a training program that ends when the session closes. It is about cultivating a circle of trust, shared learning, and adaptive leadership—the kind of leadership Head Start needs right now.
New and Emerging Directors Community of Practice is a hybrid training, beginning with an in-person kickoff on February 19-20 at Redwood Shores Center in Redwood City, CA. The program continues with monthly, 2-hour virtual sessions from March through May, led by Rise Partners’ Cynthia Yao. Each session provides an in-depth exploration of current leadership challenges, including fiscal health, staffing, family engagement, monitoring readiness, governance, and OHS/ACF priorities. Participants engage in real-world case studies, collaborative problem-solving with peers, and discussions with seasoned leaders or federal policy experts. The program concludes with an in-person closeout in June at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, a 1.5-day gathering where participants reflect on lessons learned, take part in leadership innovation roundtables with experienced directors, showcase peer strategies and solutions, and develop commitments to sustain their network beyond the formal program.
In-Person- February 19-20, 2026
Virtual Via Zoom- March 12, 2026 | 2:00-4:00 PM
Virtual Via Zoom- April 9, 2026 | 2:00-4:00 PM
Virtual Via Zoom- May 14, 2026 | 2:00-4:00 PM
In-Person- June 8-9, 2026
Member Pricing Full Access: $1,950.00 Per Person
Non Member Pricing Full Access: $2,150.00 Per Person
Questions? Contact us at msahagun@headstartwest.org.
I have been to management workshops, not leadership training. This has totally changed my perspective and encouraged me to propel forward in developing my skills.
I am honored and humbled to be a recipient of the Head Start WEST’s Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship helped me get one step closer to achieving my goal of becoming a Head Start Director.
I took part in The disproportionate impact of COVID 19, and how to provide “real” support for black/brown children and families and I just want to say this was an amazing webinar. I hope we can look forward to further conversation on this topic.
Thank you so much for making events like this! I really enjoyed and learned so much teaching strategies to implement STEM in the classroom.
The HR Network was an excellent opportunity to network and learn the best practices from other HR professionals within Head Start programs. You will be amazed by the level of talent and experience of the participants.
The Summer Camp training was powerful and inspiring! Each presenter was very engaging, it’s hard to even pick a favorite session!
The Leadership Challenge training was very relevant to my work as a Head Start leader! Great facilitation; stayed with the program yet allowed time for individual and small group reflections.
Regular price $12.00
Regular price $39.00
Questions? Contact us at headstartr9@region9hsa.org.
