Call for Co‑Facilitator: Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice (IESJ) CoP

Feb 25
3 min read

Updated: Mar 2

The DEC Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice Community of Practice (IESJ CoP) is recruiting a new co‑facilitator to join current facilitator Ashley Watts, EdD beginning in April 2026. This is an opportunity for DEC members to deepen their leadership, strengthen our collective capacity, and help sustain a CoP committed to advancing equity, anti‑racist practice, and justice‑centered early childhood systems.

We strongly encourage applications from members who reflect the full diversity of DEC and the communities we serve—including diversity in race, ethnicity, culture, language, dialect, age, ability, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion/spirituality, and national origin. We also seek representation across geography, roles, and lived experience (practitioners, family members, higher education faculty, researchers, administrators, and community partners).

Applicants should be knowledgeable about—or eager to learn—the DEC Mission, Vision, Policies, and the DEC Racial Equity Point of View (available here), as well as the IESJ CoP’s commitments to anti‑racist practice, accessible language, and community‑rooted leadership. Co‑facilitators must be current DEC members or join DEC upon selection.

Please complete this form to indicate your interest in co‑facilitating the IESJ CoP by March 25th, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. The current facilitators, in partnership with the DEC CoP Development Committee and the DEC Executive Office, will review applications. The selected co‑facilitator can anticipate a start date of April 2026.

Interested in learning more? Join a Q&A on Wednesday, March 10th, 2026, 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Register here to attend.

What is the Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice (IESJ) CoP?

The IESJ CoP is a community of early childhood professionals, family members, and partners committed to advancing equity, anti‑racist practice, and social justice across early intervention and early childhood special education. The CoP works to:

build shared understanding of equity‑centered practices,
elevate community and family voice,
challenge inequitable systems and positions,
co‑create tools and resources that support inclusive, culturally sustaining practice, and
strengthen the capacity of the field to disrupt racism, ableism, and other forms of oppression.

The IESJ CoP is a space for learning, reflection, and collective action—grounded in the belief that justice in early childhood requires both personal transformation and systemic change.

Co‑Facilitator Activities

Co‑facilitators may support:

Ongoing outreach and awareness of IESJ‑aligned resources, tools, and materials developed by DEC, partner organizations, and equity‑centered initiatives.
Monthly or bi‑monthly planning meetings to prepare IESJ CoP sessions, learning opportunities, and collaborative projects.
Identification, creation, and sharing of equity‑focused resources, including tools that support anti‑racist practice, accessible language, and culturally sustaining approaches.
Planning and facilitating web conversations, learning circles, and conference presentations that advance the mission of the IESJ CoP.

Co‑Facilitator Qualifications and Expectations

Co‑facilitators of the IESJ CoP:

must understand the shared interests and practices of members committed to inclusion, equity, anti‑racism, and social justice;
should bring a unique perspective, lived experience, or skillset that strengthens the CoP’s ability to engage members in meaningful, justice‑centered learning;
should have ideas for how to support member engagement (e.g., affinity spaces, resource co‑creation, accessible language tools, community‑rooted learning structures);
must be or become an active member of DEC and CEC;
must be able to commit 2–5 volunteer hours per month for two to three years; and
should not currently hold or anticipate holding another DEC leadership position.

Benefits of Becoming an IESJ Co‑Facilitator

Grow your leadership in equity‑centered, justice‑driven early childhood work.
Collaborate with professionals, families, and community partners who share a commitment to anti‑racist and inclusive practice.
Receive support from the DEC CoP Development Committee and join a network of CoP facilitators learning with and from one another.
Serve in an advisory capacity to an international professional organization by elevating the priorities and needs of the IESJ community.
Strengthen your ability to lead change, influence policy, and support equity‑centered practice across systems.
Receive discounted access to DEC professional development opportunities, including:
- 50% off DEC Annual Conference registration
- 50% off DEC Virtual Institutes
Free access to DEC Learning Deck webinars