Redefining excellence in early childhood education.
What is the Sheva Center?
JCC early childhood programs are the largest platform for early childhood Jewish education in North America, touching the lives of thousands of young children and their families annually. The Sheva Center—the early childhood segment of JCC Association of North America, recognizing this reach and the associated responsibility—cultivates and promotes an innovative approach to early childhood Jewish education that empowers classroom educators, school and JCC leaders, and families and communities to develop and nurture early childhood education centers that reflect excellence in every way.
Who leads the Sheva Center?
How does the Sheva Center serve the field of early childhood Jewish education?
The Sheva Center offers an array of professional development opportunities to classroom educators and school and JCC leaders across the movement to strengthen individuals and enhance their early childhood education centers. We also facilitate connections among early childhood professionals within the JCC network, enabling them to inspire and support one another.
The Sheva Center provides in-person and virtual consultations tailored to the specific needs and goals of individual early childhood centers as well as expertise in these and other formats:
- Professional development for leaders and classroom educators
- Consultations related to curricular approaches, instructional practices, and program operations
- Coaching and mentoring for teachers, directors, and leadership teams
- Support for visioning and strategic planning
- Task force convenings
- Professional connections for peer support
- Data collection and reporting to inform practices
- Regional and North American conferences
- Curated resources and information
High-quality early childhood curricular and organizational materials are accessible to all JCC professionals in the JCC Association Resource Center.
What is the Sheva Center approach to early childhood Jewish education?
The foundation of our work is the JCCs of North America Early Learning Framework, which outlines a dynamic vision of excellence in early childhood Jewish education. It is not a curriculum but is meant to guide teaching and learning across a range of programs.
The Early Learning Framework is rooted in and informed by seven Jewish lenses—core, universal values that can be part of the lived experience of children, educators, and families. “Sheva,” which means “seven” in Hebrew, is a powerful number in Jewish thought and practice. The framework is built on seven core elements of early childhood education, influenced by multiple philosophies of early education and the most recent and highly regarded research on children’s learning, adult development, and an understanding of the needs of 21st-century families.
The lenses and core elements are at the heart of a constructivist, strengths-based approach to early childhood Jewish education that sees children and the adults who care for them as capable and competent. Anchoring our work to this supporting framework promotes and sustains high-quality early childhood Jewish education. It ensures that children engage fully in learning that supports their growth, teachers engage in reflective dialogue about their work, and those in leadership roles understand what it means to be a supportive pedagogical leader.
Schedule a Sheva Center consultation today at [email protected]. We are excited to get to know you and your program.