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at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) emphasizes research that drives policy and practice, as well as collective action that sparks systemic change. Since 2016, 43 fellows have taken part in the initiative, going on to leadership roles throughout the country while remaining in touch with the burgeoning Zaentz community.

Below, three of the nine most recent fellows share about their experience and their plans.

The 鈥淕ifts鈥� of Early Learning

Charlotte Petty majored in art history at Bard College and continues to make ceramics and to look for ways to incorporate creative expression into early education. She mentions Friedrich Wilhelm Fr枚bel (1782鈥�1852), whose including colored paper, mosaic tiles and sewing, are tied to the origins of kindergarten and the thinking of Maria Montessori. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been fascinated by the way humans interact with materials,鈥� she says. 鈥淭oddlers are like little action painters. They don鈥檛 care about the final product. They鈥檙e just in the moment 鈥� sensorially and viscerally.鈥�

Having attended Vermont鈥檚 during her senior year of high school, Petty never lost the connection between nature and learning. Inspired by the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network, she ran a pandemic pod school for 4-year-olds that spent the entire year outdoors.

Working in collaboration with Cambridge Public Schools鈥� , Petty is helping to conduct an expansive survey focusing on the experience of early educators working in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. 鈥淓ducator voice,鈥� she says, 鈥渋s essential for implementing universal pre-K in a way that works for the people who will be carrying out the work.鈥�

Looking back at her Zaentz fellowship, Petty is appreciative of the culture as well as the curriculum. 鈥淭he faculty treats us like experts,鈥� she says, noting that Zaentz postdoctoral researcher Dr. Emily Hanno expanded her understanding of early childhood development and policy. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e learned from previous cohorts that there are so many ways of working in this field.鈥�

A Haven at the Heart of Despair

Amina Elgamal鈥檚 early education journey began in Egypt with a series of volunteer opportunities. 鈥淲orking with slum communities, she says, 鈥淚 was shocked that children had no proper schooling because they were working alongside their parents instead.鈥�

She persisted, establishing a Montessori kindergarten called Net3allem, which means 鈥渢o learn collectively鈥� in English. 鈥淲e wanted the kindergarten to be both an educational and economic center to the community where mothers can work and children can learn,鈥� she says. It became more than that; it鈥檚 鈥渁 haven at the heart of despair.鈥�

As the only international fellow this year, Elgamal says she 鈥渂rought a different perspective in terms of culture and experience. Growing up in a developing country and learning about early education systems in low-income communities allowed me to contribute with insights as to how to navigate challenges that stem from contextual differences.鈥� Along the way, she gained insight into evidence-based practices in the United States and how professionals here handle systems and challenges effectively.

Earlier in her career, Elgamal worked in the fields of corporate social responsibility, corporate communication and brand management, so it makes sense that part of her Zaentz fellowship involved developing a marketing plan for the program, which serves early education directors, state leaders, program administrators, instructional coaches, school principals and nonprofit leaders.

鈥淥verall,鈥� Elgamal says, 鈥淚 gained a lot of knowledge from mentors, experts and colleagues, and built a community that will last beyond HGSE.鈥�

Cross-Pollinating for Diversity

Jenna Nguyen came to Zaentz from the education division of , a research institute in Menlo Park, California. She previously worked as a behavioral therapist for children with autism. 鈥淭he training I received wasn鈥檛 always up on best practices in the field,鈥� she admits. Since that time, she has learned more about neurodiversity and evidence-based intervention rooted in family engagement. 鈥淓arly intervention doesn鈥檛 happen during a visit,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t happens between sessions.鈥�

Relationships among fellows have been the cornerstone of Nguyen鈥檚 Zaentz experience. 鈥淲e innovate, collaborate and troubleshoot together. It makes for a strong tribe.鈥�

Nguyen鈥檚 internship with continues through this summer. She鈥檚 been working with Salem Public Schools on applying for a grant from to expand early education. One of her favorite parts of the job is the daily , a Zoom forum for the state鈥檚 early learning community 鈥� teachers, family, funders, legislators and more. The cross-pollination on the 9:30 calls brings to mind the collaborative spirit of the Zaentz Fellowship.

Asked where she鈥檒l go after her internship, Nguyen responds, 鈥淲herever I can have the most influence.鈥�

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.