California Early Childhood Mentor Program

09/26/2026

Native American Day | September 25, 2026 🧡
We recognize Native American Day, an opportunity to honor Native peoples, cultures, histories, contributions, and communities.

As early childhood educators and mentors, we have an important role in creating learning environments where children and families see their identities, cultures, and communities represented with respect and authenticity.

This day also invites us to listen, learn, and make space for Native voices, not only today, but throughout the year.

Help us amplify their voices for our future.

Learn more and connect with the California Early Childhood Mentor Program: https://cecmp.org 

CECMP CulturalResponsiveness EarlyChildhoodWorkforce Belonging RespectAndRepresentation

Image description: Graphic for the California Early Childhood Mentor Program recognizing Native American Day on September 25, 2026. The background features colorful beaded artwork in turquoise, red, orange, yellow, white, and black. A white overlay reads “Native American Day,” “September 25th, 2026,” and “Help us amplify their voice for our future.” The CECMP logo and website appear at the bottom.

09/25/2026

Native American Day | September 25, 2026 🧡
We recognize Native American Day, an opportunity to honor Native peoples, cultures, histories, contributions, and communities.

As early childhood educators and mentors, we have an important role in creating learning environments where children and families see their identities, cultures, and communities represented with respect and authenticity.

This day also invites us to listen, learn, and make space for Native voices, not only today, but throughout the year.

Help us amplify their voices for our future.

Learn more and connect with the California Early Childhood Mentor Program: https://cecmp.org

CECMP CulturalResponsiveness EarlyChildhoodWorkforce Belonging RespectAndRepresentation

Image description: Graphic for the California Early Childhood Mentor Program recognizing Native American Day on September 25, 2026. The background features colorful beaded artwork in turquoise, red, orange, yellow, white, and black. A white overlay reads “Native American Day,” “September 25th, 2026,” and “Help us amplify their voice for our future.” The CECMP logo and website appear at the bottom.

09/22/2026

Stronger connections. Stronger mentors. Stronger early childhood workforce.

The California Early Childhood Mentor Program (CECMP) is proud to partner with community colleges across seven regions of California, creating opportunities for students, educators, and experienced mentors to learn and grow together.

From San Diego and Imperial Counties to the Bay Area, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and Northern California, our college partners are helping build pathways into early childhood education and supporting the next generation of educators and changemakers. 💚

We’re grateful to every college, faculty member, mentor, coordinator, and student who makes this statewide network possible.

Mentoring creates connections. Connections create opportunity. And together, we’re strengthening the future of early childhood education.



Video Description: This 22-second CECMP video introduces the program’s college coordinators and highlights the community colleges participating across California’s seven regions. It begins with a message recognizing more than 90 CECMP coordinators who connect students, mentors, and early childhood education programs, helping bridge classroom learning with real-world professional experience. The video then displays participating colleges by region and invites viewers to learn more about becoming part of the CECMP mentoring community at cecmp.org.

09/17/2026

High-quality child care begins with strong, skilled leadership.

Great leaders don’t have to figure it all out alone. The California Early Childhood Mentor Program (CECMP) supports early childhood educators and leaders through mentoring, professional growth, and connection.

Whether you’re new to ECE or a seasoned professional, mentorship can help you strengthen your practice, grow your confidence, and make an even greater impact on children, families, and your team.

🌱 Learn. Connect. Grow. Lead.
Discover how CECMP can support your journey:

👉 cecmp.org — link in bio

Share this with an ECE professional who believes in the power of strong leadership!


Image Description: A blue CECMP graphic with hearts, social media icons, and a message about strong leadership supporting high-quality child care.

09/10/2026

🌱 START HERE. GROW WITH US. 🌱
Whether you’re new to early childhood education or a seasoned teacher of children ages 0–5, you don’t have to navigate your journey alone. 💙

The California Early Childhood Mentor Program (CECMP) connects ECE professionals with support, mentoring, and opportunities to grow in their practice.

✨ Build your skills.
 ✨ Connect with a mentor.
 ✨ Strengthen your practice.
 ✨ Grow alongside other early childhood professionals.

Whether you’re taking your first steps or looking for your next step, CECMP is here to support your journey.

👉 Learn more through the link in our bio!



Image description: CECMP graphic with a blue background, children reading together, and a message inviting ECE professionals to start their journey

09/08/2026

SAVE THE DATE! 📅

The California Early Childhood Mentor Program is excited to kick off the 2026–2027 Coordinator Meetings!

📆 Friday, September 11, 2026

Our Coordinator Meetings are an important opportunity to connect, collaborate, share ideas, and strengthen mentorship across California’s early childhood education community.

Together, we continue building a stronger, more connected early childhood workforce through relationship-based mentorship and collaboration. 🌱🤝

Stay connected and learn more about CECMP: https://cecmp.org

 

Image description: CECMP Save the Date graphic announcing the September 11, 2026 Coordinator Meeting.

09/07/2026

This Labor Day, the California Early Childhood Mentor Program celebrates the dedication, passion, and hard work of the early childhood education professionals who make a difference in the lives of children and families every day. 🌱

To the teachers, mentors, student teachers, administrators, caregivers, and advocates who show up each day ready to guide, support, nurture, and inspire—thank you.

Your work may not always be easy, but its impact reaches far beyond the classroom. Every relationship you build, every educator you mentor, and every child and family you support helps strengthen the future of our communities.

Today, we celebrate the work, and the people, behind early childhood education. 💚

Happy Labor Day from the California Early Childhood Mentor Program!



Stay connected and learn more about CECMP: https://cecmp.org

Long Description: A Labor Day appreciation graphic from the California Early Childhood Mentor Program. The upper portion combines text with a photograph of a smiling adult and two young children playing with colorful building blocks in a bright classroom. The left side features the program logo and Labor Day message, while red, white, and blue brushstrokes with white stars separate the photograph from a dark navy-blue lower panel. The lower panel contains a handwritten message honoring early childhood professionals, four white line-art icons labeled by worker group, and a turquoise concluding statement.

09/02/2026

Dear ECE Colleagues,
Please join us on Friday, October 9, from 10:00–11:30 a.m. to learn about the Workforce Pathways LA Career & College Advisement Toolkit and explore how it can support your work with ECE students.

Building on the legacy of the Investing in Early Educators Stipend Program (AB 212), Workforce Pathways LA is a comprehensive workforce development model that works in partnership with Quality Start Los Angeles (QSLA). The program supports early educators as they move along the career lattice, with a focus on:
• Licensing, health, and safety
• Professional development, permits, and degrees
• Workforce systems improvement

Workforce Pathways LA also provides financial incentives for achieving career and educational milestones, along with professional development and career advisement for early educators across a variety of settings.

As part of this work, Workforce Pathways LA developed the Career & College Advisement Toolkit to support the early care and education field.

During our October 9 session, we will explore how the resources in the Toolkit can be used when advising students about coursework, degrees, permits, and ECE career pathways. We also want to hear from you: What additional resources would make the Toolkit more useful to you and the students you advise?

You are welcome to review the Toolkit prior to our meeting:
• Career & College Advisement Toolkit:https://childcare.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WPLA-Career-College-Advisement-Toolkit-FINAL.pdf
• Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4870509200?omn=82872141716

We hope you can join us!

~PEACH, An Early Childhood Higher Education Collaborative

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

06/30/2026

Start your adventure today!

As educators and early childhood professionals, caring for ourselves helps us show up with patience, confidence, and compassion for the children, families, and communities we serve. Small daily wellness practices can create space for reflection, balance, and personal growth.

Becoming a mentor allows you to strengthen your leadership skills, build meaningful connections, and inspire the next generation of educators while continuing to learn about yourself along the way. Mentorship is also a journey of self-growth.

Celebrate your progress and consider how your experience could help guide someone else. 💙

Become part of the California Early Childhood Mentor Program community and help shape the future of ECE, one relationship at a time.

Visit: https://cecmp.org/

Image Description A pastel “Self-Care Bingo” board featuring wellness activities including drinking water, journaling, meditating, stretching, walking, and spending time in nature, with a reminder to explore becoming a mentor. A “Becoming a Mentor” graphic with soft blue and beige tones explains how mentoring supports educator growth, leadership, collaboration, and the future of early childhood education.

06/30/2026

Summer is a time to reset, recharge, and rediscover joy in the work we do. ☀️🍃

As educators, we spend so much time supporting others that it’s important to also make space for rest, reflection, and personal growth. Whether you are taking time to relax, reconnect with loved ones, or prepare for a new season of teaching, this summer can also be an opportunity to explore the power of mentorship.

Mentoring in early childhood education is more than professional support—it is a chance to inspire, lead, learn, and grow alongside fellow educators. By sharing your experience and wisdom, you help strengthen the future of the ECE workforce while continuing your own journey of self-discovery and leadership.

This summer, embrace the reset and consider becoming part of a supportive mentoring community. 🌿

Learn more about becoming a mentor:

Visit: https://cecmp.org/

CECMP MentorProgram Tanessa Sanchez Chabot College

Image 1 Description A summer-themed graphic with sunglasses and the message “Teacher on Break Summer 2026,” encouraging educators to rest, recharge, and explore mentoring opportunities through the California Early Childhood Mentor Program. A motivational graphic features a quote by Anton Chekhov beside two people celebrating outdoors in a park.