Instructor:
, Phone: E-mail: sarah.gagne@vtaeyc.org Cell Phone is best (anytime): (303) 519-8520 Personal Email: sarahmgagne@icloud.com |
Instructor Level
| Certified | |
| If needed: Beth Wallace (Master instructor) |
Education
| Bachelor's degree in Studio Arts/Sociology Professional certificate or license in Colorado Early Childhood Professional Credential 2.0 Level 4 (expired); Director - Large Center Cert | |
| After completing my Bachelor's degree I completed an additional 24+ college course credits in Early Childhood Education from Cabrillo College in CA and Red Rocks Community College in CO. I began serving in a Lead Teacher role in 2005, as a Program Director in 2009, and in a supervisory administrator role in 2014 (included being a program director for early childhood and afterschool programs through May 2023). | |
| has received formal instruction in adult education or in the facilitation of learning for adults. |
Work Experience
| Workforce Development Manager, Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC); Burlington, VT July 2024 - present ❖ Developed and implemented a comprehensive early childhood career awareness campaign including: development of informative and engaging materials that highlight the benefits of a career in child care; expansion of training programs and professional development opportunities to enhance the skills of current and aspiring early childhood educators; showcasing the visibility and desirability of early childhood education careers through presentations, career fairs, and other outreach initiatives; and coordination of outreach efforts targeting secondary, post-secondary, and higher education organizations. ❖ Collaborated with current early childhood educators to guide them through professional preparation pathways and programs for career advancement. ❖ Worked closely with early childhood education employers in Vermont to provide support in utilizing programs designed to recruit and retain educators. Early Childhood Programs & Data Specialist, Career Advancement Team; Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC); Burlington, VT January - June 2024 ❖ Managed data entry and file organization for T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship, VTAEYC Grants & Bonuses, Youth Apprenticeship, and Curtis Fund programs. ❖ Led continued development and management of front-facing web portal for grant and scholarship applications, contract documentation, and awards. ❖ Managed tracking and reimbursement spreadsheets for efficient communication and workflow, and collaboration with external stakeholders. ❖ Created informational and reporting documents for distribution to internal staff, community partners, and funding stakeholders. Senior Supervisor: Youth Programs, Facilities & Operations; City of Fort Collins Recreation Department; City Fort Collins, CO March 2020 – June 2023 ❖ Supervised program directors and staff for early childhood and after school/summer camp programs, serving over 500 students annually. ❖ Acquired, allocated, and reported on over $1M in grant funding to operate licensed childcare programming in COVID-19 pandemic and throughout recovery process. ❖ Developed relationships with community partners to relocate programming and increase child care service capacity during pandemic-related facility closures. ❖ Developed and implemented virtual preschool learning opportunities and in-person, full-day child care for school age students during virtual and hybrid learning periods. ❖ Developed collaborative, inter-departmental relationships for new opportunities & resources including implementation of new City Employee Childcare Benefit and creation of new FTE for Behavioral Health Specialist through the Office of Social Sustainability’s Community Childcare Systems grant program. Senior Coordinator: Youth & General Programs; City of Loveland Recreation Department; Loveland, CO May 2014 – March 2020 ❖ Led multiple teams of full-time and part-time staff in the areas of early education, youth programs, tot sports, dance, martial arts, outdoor recreation, pottery studio, and special events. ❖ Increased program revenue to justify creation of two new full-time director positions to support licensed childcare programs. ❖ Led licensed childcare program directors and staff through achieving Level 5 rating with Colorado Shines accreditation process. ❖ Led licensed school age summer camp directors and staff through capacity and program expansions for 200+ students. ❖ Developed middle school summer "camp" programs that incorporated volunteer, career-exploration, and leadership programs. Recreation Supervisor: Early Education, Environmental Education, & Youth Programs; Ken-Caryl Ranch Metropolitan District Recreation Department; Littleton, CO January 2009 – May 2014 ❖ Led full-time and part-time staff in youth programs, environmental and early education, and special events. ❖ Presented to Board of Directors and received approval to expand facility and program space. ❖ Collaborated with team of architects to complete facility remodel and subsequently offered expanded, full-day licensed childcare programming for 60+ weekly child care slots. ❖ Collaborated with community members and parks department for placement of youth art in public spaces. | ||||||||||
| 5-10 years instructing adults. | ||||||||||
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Additional Information
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| Child Development (Early Childhood) Families and Communities (Early Childhood) Teaching and Learning (Early Childhood) Healthy and Safe Environments (Early Childhood) Professionalism and Program Organization (Early Childhood) Child and Youth Development (Afterschool) Curriculum and Learning Environment (Afterschool) Families and Communities (Afterschool) Healthy and Safe Environments (Afterschool) Professionalism and Program Organization (Afterschool) Observing and Assessing (Early Childhood) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Training Topics | Systems Resources Professional Growth Working with Staff and Colleagues |