Board Of Jewish Education Of Metropolitan Chicago

TO PROVIDE EARLY CHILDHOOD AND JEWISH EDUCATION TO THE COMMUNITY.

EARLY CHILD CENTER (ECC) - BJE'S EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER IS A REGGIO-INSPIRED PROGRAM. THE CHILDREN PAVE THE WAY FOR THEIR OWN LEARNING BASED ON IDEAS OR CONCEPTS THAT THEY SHOW A VISIBLE INTEREST IN. WE ARE A PROGRAM THAT SETS CHILDREN UP TO USE THE SKILLS THEY ARE LEARNING TO FOSTER A LOVE FOR LEARNING. WE NATURALLY WEAVE IN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF LEARNING THROUGH SOCIAL DRAMATIC PLAY AND GUIDED EXPLORATIONS. FACETS OF EARLY LITERACY, PRE-MATH AND PRE-SCIENCE ARE ORGANICALLY INTRODUCED IN AN AGE-APPROPRIATE WAY.IN FY22 THE BJE-ECCS OPERATED A FULL-DAY PROGRAM IN WILMETTE AND A HALF DAY SCHOOL IN NORTHBROOK IL, SERVING OVER 140 CHILDREN AGED 6 WEEKS TO 5 YEARS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE BJE EMPLOYED OVER 40 EDUCATORS. THE SCHOOLS OR CAMP PROGRAMS WERE OPEN AND OPERATING EVERY DAY DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC.AT BJE-ECC, WE RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY CHILD LEARNS DIFFERENTLY. OUR STAFF VALUES EACH CHILD AS CAPABLE AND COMPETENT. TEACHERS ACT AS GUIDES IN THE CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION. WE PROVIDE A CO-CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THE CHILDREN ARE THE DRIVERS OF THEIR LEARNING AND NATURALLY ABSORB THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION, GROUP-LIVING, AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM THROUGH THEIR UNIQUE LENS. THIS MEANS CHILDREN ARE THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING WE DO AT BJE.WE ALSO VALUE THE ENVIRONMENT AS THE THIRD TEACHER, MEANING WE ARE INTENTIONAL WITH THE MATERIALS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE IN THE CLASSROOMS AND OUR ATELIER STUDIO SPACE SO THE CHILDREN CAN DIGEST WHAT THEY LEARN IN A WAY THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO THEM. THE CHILDREN ALSO USE NATURE AND OUTSIDE SPACES TO MAKE CONNECTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT.THE DIVERSE STAFF AT BJE IS ALSO WHAT MAKES BJE SO SPECIAL. OUR TEACHERS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING WITH CONTINUING EDUCATION, REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION, AND MONTHLY STAFF MEETINGS. TEACHERS ARE CAREFULLY OBSERVED BY A MEMBER OF OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THEN MEET TO DISCUSS THE DYNAMICS OF THEIR CLASSROOM AND HOW THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EACH CHILD'S SUCCESS.WE BRING TOGETHER OUR SHARED EXPERIENCES TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER. WE ALSO LEARN ALONGSIDE OUR CHILDREN BY ENCOURAGING THEM AND GUIDING THEM THROUGH PROJECT APPROACH WORK.BJE ECC VALUES COMMUNITY. WE VIEW PARENTS AND FAMILIES AS PARTNERS IN LEARNING. OUR COMMUNITY WIDE EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS HONOR THE WORK THAT THE CHILDREN ARE DOING IN SCHOOL AND HELP MOLD CONNECTIONS AMONG PARENTS AND FAMILIES. WE CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS TOGETHER AND ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S CLASSROOM SO THE CHILDREN CAN MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS.

JTEACH.ORG, FORMERLY THE MARSHALL CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN JEWISH EDUCATION AND THE FRANK G. MARSHALL JEWISH LEARNING CENTER (MJLC), WAS REBRANDED AS JTEACH.ORG IN FY21 AND CONTINUES TO BE A LEADER IN PROVIDING MODELS OF BEST PRACTICE, EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CURRICULUM AND CREATIVE MATERIALS TO ENHANCE JEWISH EDUCATION. THE RESOURCES OF THE BJE'S JTEACH.ORG ARE AVAILABLE NATIONALLY AND WORLDWIDE. THESE CUTTING-EDGE, MULTI-MEDIA JEWISH RESOURCES HAVE OVER 500 ORIGINAL LESSONS, AND IS ACCESSED INTERNATIONALLY BY OVER 105,000 VISITORS/EDUCATORS FROM 133 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES. OVER 475,000 LESSONS AND RESOURCES ARE DOWNLOADED TO HELP STUDENTS AND FAMILIES MAKE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO JEWISH THOUGHT AND PRACTICE.JTEACH'S MISSION IS TO ENCOURAGE AND ENHANCE CONTEMPORARY JEWISH LIVING THAT CONNECTS INNOVATIVE CONTENT TO THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF JEWISH WISDOM. WE WORK TO SERVE JEWISH SCHOOLS WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THAT ARE ENGAGING, DISTINCTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE. JEWISH EDUCATORS NEED RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO INCREASE NOT ONLY THE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR LEARNERS BUT MAKE THEM BETTER PRACTITIONERS. JTEACH'S ONGOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES HELP NEW AND EXPERIENCED TEACHERS EXPAND AND ENHANCE THE SKILLS NEEDED IN THE CLASSROOM.THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TWO-PRONG APPROACH ALLOWS TEACHERS TO CHOOSE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM. EDUCATORS, LIKE MOST LEARNERS, NEED DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES TO MEET THE NEEDS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. ONE FACET IS PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY, ORIGINAL, READY-TO-USE ACTIVITIES, LESSON PLANS, AND PROJECTS PUBLISHED ONLINE AND QUICKLY DOWNLOADABLE. WE PROVIDE EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS WHO ARE NEW TO JEWISH EDUCATION WITH THE BACKGROUND THEY NEED TO TRANSMIT JEWISH WISDOM. WE PROVIDE NEW EDUCATORS WITH THE PLAN TO MAKE JEWISH WISDOM MEANINGFUL. AND, FOR THE EXPERIENCED JEWISH EDUCATOR, JTEACH.ORG PROVIDES ENGAGING AND INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES.THESE RESOURCES ENABLE EDUCATORS TO OFFER AGE-APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH ADULT LEARNERS. THE MATERIALS ARE DESIGNED FOR JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS, CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOLS, CAMPS, AND YOUTH GROUPS AND ARE NON-DENOMINATIONAL.OUR ACTIVITIES COVER MANY TRADITIONAL TOPICS LIKE SHABBAT AND HOLIDAYS AND ARE ALSO ABLE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN JEWISH WISDOM AND EVERYDAY LIVING IN CATEGORIES LIKE CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE AND DAILY LIFE AND SACRED MOMENTS. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERS THOSE LOOKING FOR HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS AND THE BEST ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT THE LEARNER. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SUPPORTS ACADEMICS, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND THE MEANS TO A POSITIVE JEWISH EXPERIENCE. OUR SUCCESS IS BASED ON USING RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND THE HOME.THE SECOND APPROACH IS LIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PD) OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE JTEACH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES. THE PLCS ARE ALL ONLINE AND ALLOW US TO REACH PARTICIPANTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WE COLLABORATE AND COUNSEL EDUCATORS TO FIND THE BEST PRACTICES AND SUBJECTS THAT BRING SUCCESS TO THEIR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.DURING FY21 AN EXTENSIVE UPGRADE, REVISION, AND ENHANCEMENT OF JTEACH.ORG WAS COMPLETED AND LAUNCHED IN EARLY FY22 SO THAT IT CONTINUES TO BE RELEVANT AND UNIQUE. MATERIALS ARE DESIGNED TO BE CURRENT AND OF INTEREST TO 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS. MATERIALS ARE DESIGNED TO BE OPEN, RELEVANT DISCUSSIONS ON CURRENT EVENTS THROUGH A JEWISH LENS. JTEACH ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS PROMOTE COLLABORATION, CRITICAL THINKING, COMMUNICATION, AND CREATIVITY. VISUALLY COMPELLING POSTERS, WITH CORRESPONDING CURRICULA, ARE AVAILABLE FOR CLASSROOMS.