Build your public policy knowledge to safeguard early childhood resources.
The next cohort is scheduled for the fall of 2023. A call for nominations will be announced in the spring of 2023.
As a senior-level early childhood professional, this program takes an anti-racism approach to public policy knowledge and pairs it with your experience in the field to fortify your skills and elevate your advocacy on early childhood policy. This program considers nominated candidates who are reflective of the communities they serve in Illinois.
Named after one of Erikson’s co-founders, Barbara T. Bowman, the Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows (BBLF) program is designed to enrich the perspective and enhance the capacity of diverse early childhood leaders committed to advancing racial equity through policy and systems change.
Early childhood leaders participate in full-day seminars once a month October through July. You can expect an engaging, rigorous, and reflective experience with a thoughtful balance between theory and practice.
Monthly sessions further your skills to analyze critical issues and cultivate a broader understanding of how policy and systems affect children and families in Illinois.
During the course of the program, you will identify an issue in the early childhood field and, based on your experience and relevant data, develop policy recommendations that contributes to resolving the problem. Past recommendations focused on workforce issues, barriers to programs and services, systems alignment and more.
2019-2020 Policy Memo Book
2018-2019 Policy Memo Book
2017-2018 Policy Memo Book
2016-2017 Policy Memo Book
Learn about nomination requirements and the application process today.