First 5 Leadership Institute

Advancing California’s Early Childhood Leaders

Register for Upcoming Sessions

From Commitment to Practice: Spotlight on REDI in Action

Join us on October 23 for a peer learning session where counties share how they are putting REDI into practice, navigating challenges, strengthening community capacity, and innovating to advance equity in the early childhood field.

Regional Commissioner Roundtables

First 5 Commissioners are invited to join regional virtual roundtables that foster connection, shared learning, and peer support to strengthen governance and impact.

The Power of Your Voice – Advocacy Messaging that Moves

Learn to craft clear, compelling messages with practical strategies for framing issues, engaging diverse audiences, and elevating advocacy impact.

First 5 Commissioner Onboarding: Understanding the Network, Role, and Impact

Join us for an onboarding session introducing new commissioners to the First 5 Network, its history, mission, and key governance responsibilities.

Strategies for Engaging Elected Officials

Nurturing Early Childhood Leaders Through a Connected Ecosystem

At the heart of our commitment to strengthening early childhood systems is the belief that leadership is a journey shaped by community, continuous learning, and shared purpose.

Our Leadership Development Ecosystem grows with you, offering multiple pathways, like Affinity Circles or Leadership Lab, for engagement and development over time.

This approach ensures that leaders at every stage, emerging, evolving, or established, have access to the support they need.

Each component of the ecosystem is intentionally designed to build on the others, creating a cohesive and dynamic structure.

What people are saying about the
Leadership Institute

"For advocacy, I used the guidance to create a Commission agenda item to endorse a ballot measure and to inform what actions I can take after that endorsement that is legal."

Advocacy TrackAdvocacy and the Law session attendee

"Plan to utilize some of Elliot Haspel talking points on the importance of child care when engaging with elected officials/business sector to advocate for financially supporting quality child care for families."

Field in Focus TrackReimagining America’s Approach to Children & Families with Elliot Haspel session attendee

"Really great information, especially for those navigating the turbulent times and for a newbie to public policy."

Advocacy TrackAdvocacy and the Law session attendee

"This was excellent! So grateful you brought Elliot to speak. Gave me a lot to consider, and gave me hope from an advocacy standpoint"

Field in Focus TrackReimagining America’s Approach to Children & Families with Elliot Haspel session attendee

Leadership Institute Offerings

Learn at your pace, deepen your impact

Virtual Learning Tracks

Focused, self-guided or facilitated sessions designed to build core competencies and explore emerging topics in early childhood leadership.

Grow through shared experience

Leadership Huddles

Join peer-led groups and quarterly REDI in Action calls to share challenges and bright spots, gain peer input, and deepen practice in a collaborative, trust-based setting.

Additional Offerings Launching Soon

Launching November 2025

Affinity Circles

Spaces to connect and lead authentically.
Identity-centered groups that offer space for connection, reflection, and empowerment, helping leaders bring their full selves to their work.

Launching November 2025

Leadership Lab

Mentorship, support, and guidance through connection.
Pairing experienced leaders with emerging ones to foster one-on-one learning, reflection, and professional growth rooted in relationship-building.

Launching 2027

Fellowship Program

Lead with purpose and shape the future.
A capstone opportunity for early childhood leaders to apply their learning in a real-world project while contributing to system-wide change.

Leadership Institute Session Calendar

Skill-building and reflection

From Commitment to Practice: Spotlight on REDI in Action

Join us on October 23 for a peer learning session highlighting how counties are putting Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) into practice. This session will feature spotlights from First 5 Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Merced, sharing how they are navigating political pushback, strengthening community capacity, and innovating to advance equity. Participants will explore common challenges, creative strategies, and lessons learned while reflecting on their own strengths and opportunities. Together, we’ll dig into what it means to treat REDI as a verb and build a stronger, more inclusive early childhood field.

The Power of Your Voice – Advocacy Messaging that Moves

Learn how to craft clear, compelling messages that inspire action and influence decision-makers. In this interactive training, participants will explore practical strategies for framing issues, connecting with diverse audiences, and elevating their advocacy impact.

Strategies for Engaging Elected Officials

Regional Commissioner Roundtables

First 5 Commissioners are invited to participate in a series of informal virtual roundtables designed to foster connection, shared learning, and peer support. Hosted by region—Northeast, Northwest, Sacramento, Bay Area, Central Valley, and Southern—these six sessions offer commissioners the opportunity to engage in conversation with peers from similar counties, explore common challenges, and exchange ideas to strengthen local governance and impact. Whether you’re newly appointed or a long-serving commissioner, these meet-ups are a space to connect, reflect, and grow together.

First 5 Commissioner Onboarding: Understanding the Network, Role, and Impact

Join us for an onboarding session designed to welcome new commissioners to the First 5 Network. This session will provide an introduction to the history and structure of First 5, the statewide case for investing in early childhood, and the essential responsibilities of county commissioners—including ethics, compliance, and key governance resources.

First 5 Staff Onboarding: Understanding the Network, Mission, and Our Collective Impact

Join us for an engaging onboarding session designed to welcome new First 5 staff into the statewide network. This session will introduce the history and structure of First 5, explore the powerful case for investing in early childhood, and provide an overview of key staff roles across counties. We’ll highlight how First 5 teams work together—within and across counties—to advance equity and improve outcomes for California’s youngest children and their families. Whether you’re new to the organization or looking to deepen your understanding of the network, this session offers a valuable foundation for your work ahead.

Stay tuned for more upcoming events!

Leadership Development and Learning Is Part of Our Focus and Our Future

Part of First 5 Association’s Strategic Framework goals is developing and implementing comprehensive leadership development programs and learning opportunities for members of the First 5 Network, the early childhood field, and other sector leaders.

Our goal is to have more leaders in California who prioritize the health and well-being of young children and their families—and have the knowledge, tools, and experiences to create sustained change.

Leadership Institute Advisory Council

The First 5 Leadership Institute’s Advisory Council is a small group of thought partners who will help shape the Institute’s design, implementation, and evaluation.

Our advisory council members bring a range of perspectives, professional expertise, and lived experience. They are committed to building an inclusive, innovative, and sustainable supports for California’s early childhood leaders.