How Two Educators Are Impacting Philadelphia Communities
KenCrest Educators Rosaida Iraola and Josie Jones completed the Hispanic ECE Fellowship and Pew’s Emerging Leaders Corps.
By Sydney Kerelo
This summer, two KenCrest employees, Rosaida Iraola (Benitez) and Josie Jones, achieved significant milestones impacting the Philadelphia communities. Rosaida completed the Hispanic Early Care and Education (ECE) Fellowship, a program that offers training hours, the ability to connect with other leaders, and a chance to learn about local and state resources. Josie embarked on a journey to become a Philadelphia Emerging Leaders Corps through the PEW Charitable Trust, where she learned about the City’s government and how to strengthen its most significant challenges.
Both Rosaida and Josie, who work at KenCrest’s Early Learning Centers, are not just employees but visionaries who are determined to shape the future of our city. Their commitment to shaping young minds is evident in their roles—Rosaida as the Program Director for the South Center and Josie as the Program Coordinator for the West Center.
Rosaida Graduated from the Hispanic ECE Fellowship
Rosaida was the first person invited to this fellowship by First Up, a Philadelphia nonprofit that supports early childhood education and strives to provide educators with best-in-class training. For more than 50 years, First Up has significantly impacted early childhood education in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Their website states, “Our technical assistance team has helped hundreds of early childhood programs reach national accreditation standards. Our advocacy team has created a statewide grassroots advocacy network that has grown to more than 3,000 individuals and organizations working daily to influence public policy.”
From February to June, Rosaida attended virtual or in-person meetings that allowed her to connect with other ECE professionals, such as city council members, Public Health Management Corporation directors, First Up, local politicians, authors, and more. She also learned about local and state resources available for advocates, families, and children served. The fellowship taught her how to direct herself, speak up about her story, and show how powerful embracing one’s culture and language is.
“I wanted to attend this fellowship because I had taken several leadership trainings before, but this one is directed specifically to ECE Directors, and it was conducted, written, and implemented in Spanish, my language, and for me, that was powerful,” says Rosaida. “Getting to meet with other fellows that speak my language and go through the same struggles that I do in this field of early learning impacted my appreciation for all the years of effort to support the Spanish-speaking community.”
"It made me feel that I am not alone, that I can give more, and that this is not my last stop," she adds.
The fellowship was not just a professional milestone for Rosaida but a personal one. It instilled in her a sense of belonging, a renewed determination to contribute more, and a belief that her journey was far from over.
Rosaida is already visiting politicians around Philadelphia and inviting them to support KenCrest and its ELC program.
Josie Graduate from Pew’s Philadelphia Emerging Leaders Corps (ELC) Cohort
Last March, the Pew Charitable Trust announced the launch of its new collaborative learning program, the Emerging Leaders Corps (ELC), to support an equitable and inclusive economy and a city where all residents can thrive. The program aims to help rising leaders tackle challenges throughout the city by strengthening their ability to use data effectively.
Josie Jones attended this four-month program to learn more about Philadelphia's growth and understand the City Government's functions. Josie is a leader within the West Center, but she wanted to become a leader for all of those in Philadelphia.
The program was based on seven topics pertaining to Philadelphia and the city's state. It will strengthen and develop important core competencies, including using research and data to inform policies, building relationships, fostering critical and creative problem-solving, assessing consequences and tradeoffs, and participating in continued learning.
Experts in the field would attend these meetings to share valuable information and learning opportunities around each subject area. Plus, Josie and her class were given a chance to share their 30-second pitch for “A Better Philadelphia.”
“As a lifelong learner, I was extremely honored to be involved with this program,” says Josie. “I am interested in the growth of Philadelphia and wanted to learn the functions of City Government so that I can blend my nonprofit knowledge with Early Childhood Education to approach Early Learning issues from a Public Health Perspective.”
Rosaida and Josie are just two examples of KenCrest employees who go above and beyond to support those we serve better.
