Leadership Little Traverse Class of 2023-24
The Child Care Initiative (CCI) at North Central Michigan College (NCMC) is a comprehensive and community-driven effort to address the undersupply of child care in Emmet County, Michigan. Launched in 2022 with support from key foundations, the CCI envisions a high-quality, accessible early care and education system supported through community connections.
In this Luncheon Lecture, Leadership Little Traverse Class of 2023-24 will share a brief overview of the organization and what led the group to choose the CCI as their community service project. Jennifer Wixson will then share findings from Phase 1 of the CCI. In this phase, a team, led by Wixson, conducted thorough research and collected community input through surveys, focus groups and interviews. This phase identified five key impact areas: Affordability, Accessibility, Capacity, Workforce Opportunities, and Quality of care. Proposed evidence and community-based innovations were carefully vetted for impact and feasibility.
Jennifer will provide an overview of these community-based innovations in an introduction to Phase 2 of the CCI: Innovative Solutions. After a year of research, the team identified two main innovation concepts for implementation slated for 2024-2025. Jennifer will detail Concept 1: True Cost Fiscal Models and Concept 2: Creating an Early Care and Education Ecosystem.
Your fee includes a buffet lunch beginning at 11:30 am, lecture begins at noon.
Note: At this time, masks are optional inside NCMC facilities.
Cancellations are non-refundable within 48 hours of this event.
Jennifer Wixson, M.S.
Jennifer became a part of the North Central team in 2019, taking on the roles of Program Coordinator and Professor for the Early Childhood Education program. Prior to joining North Central, she contributed over two decades as an adjunct instructor.
In her current position, Jennifer spearheads the NCMC Child Care Initiative, dedicating herself to establishing a sustainable and viable child care system in Emmet County. Her extensive professional journey in early care and education includes experiences as a preschool teacher, Head Start teacher, 15 years as a Kindergarten and 1st-grade teacher, and over a decade as a child care program administrator.
Jennifer is actively involved in various professional capacities. She serves on the Governing Board of the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children, is a member of the Northern Early Childhood Support Network Steering Committee, and actively participates in the Char-Em Great Start Collaborative and the COP-ESD Great Start Collaborative.
