Putting the “We” Before “Me”
2020 BOLD Thinker: Dr. Elizabeth DeCamilla
In early spring, NHSA named 14 individuals as 2020 BOLD Prize winners in recognition of their extraordinary leadership in response to the unique challenges they encountered in 2020… Over the course of this summer, NHSA is sharing insights from each BOLD Prize Winner about leading through unprecedented times and overcoming uncertainty and adversity to support both staff and the children and families Head Start serves.
An out-of-the-box approach and comfort with uncertainty, coupled with transformational leadership, make Dr. Elizabeth DeCamilla a 2020 BOLD Thinker.
Dr. Elizabeth DeCamilla has been the Quality Assurance Manager for the Pasco County Head Start/Early Head Start program for the past 16 years. Their service area is 742 square miles, with the west side of the county located on the Gulf of Mexico and more urban, while the east side of the county is rural with defunct sawmills and farms that rely on migrant workers. During the pandemic, Pasco County saw a rise in homelessness due to job loss, low wages, and a shortage of affordable housing. They also saw an increase in the number of children living with grandparents as a result of COVID-19 and opioid addiction. These factors contributed to a lack of access to technology, and internet for educational, social, mental health, and recruitment purposes, making it challenging to connect with children and families.
Despite the challenges, Elizabeth immediately began creating a developmentally appropriate virtual model of a Head Start classroom in March of 2020 that included each aspect of the day at their centers: handwashing, family-style meals, and nutrition, morning school/family meetings, high-quality video read alouds (with an intentional focus on both men and women as readers), and language/literacy and STEAM activities. She worked with their education administrator to create content for 12 weeks of instructional and social-emotional learning strategies. Elizabeth was adamant they would not merely provide parents with a list of educational websites and leave the learning to them, but would instead become true partners in education at home.
Elizabeth forged a relationship with the school district’s eSchool administrator who connected her to a virtual kindergarten teacher who turned all of Pasco County Head Start/Early Head Start’s content and ideas for virtual learning into a developmentally appropriate and visually appealing course in the CANVAS online learning management system. They then trained the Head Start teachers on using CANVAS so they were able to host morning meetings with their children through Zoom each day and hold a class read-aloud twice a week. Elizabeth also purchased materials including art supplies and books for the children to complete their learning activities. Teachers and family advocates delivered the materials, along with an iPad or laptop and a hot spot if needed, to families.
Elizabeth also continued to work on pandemic-appropriate enrollment capabilities, creating a virtual ‘face-to-face’ application interview through Zoom and a drive-through registration process. Through the virtual interviews and drive-through system, Liz and her program were able to process 1,200 applications. Despite the new systems and families’ uncertainty around in-person services, this was one of their strongest recruitment years on record.
In her own words:
“What I have learned through my bold leadership experiences is that if you have a vision that you truly to your core beliefs is fundamentally right or needed for children and families, you must move forward. There will always be naysayers, time constraints, and budget constraints, but if you truly have the ability to guide the systems needed for the change, change will come and others will follow. The other piece of advice I would give is, change is hard and it is not linear. There are many ebbs and flows and definite course corrections will be needed. The goal is to be aware of this ahead of the game and follow your gut with action, intentionality, and pride for children. I truly believe that by leaving your ego at the door and being ok with… ‘that didn’t work, let’s try it this way’ … anything can be done for children and families.”
Learn more about the 2020 BOLD Leadership Prize and explore profiles of the BOLD leaders in your community on our website.
