NIHSDA
National Indian Head Start Directors Association
Standing Strong for American Indian and Alaska Native Children
Training Consultants
The following businesses/individuals have requested inclusion in the NIHSDA consultant list as providers of Head Start/Early Head Start training/technical assistance services. NIHSDA does not endorse, recommend, or assume responsibility for the work of any consultant, listed or otherwise. Anyone using the consultant list assumes full responsibility for confirming the consultant’s professional qualifications, performance history, and references and for fulfilling the terms of a professional services contract.
Alicia Allard
Areas of Expertise: Providing Consulting, Coaching, and Technical Assistance to AI/AN Head Start and Early Head Start programs and grantees. Little Hawk Consulting offers customized consulting plans designed to help your program or organization build a successful foundation and plan for long-term sustainability. With 16+ years of experience in AI/AN Head Start/EHS and Licensed Child Care; Alicia Allard, MS ECE, has the experience to help your program identify, communicate, and reach strategic goals, improve outcomes, and strengthen your organizational systems.
Little Hawk Consulting specializes in the following areas: AI/AN Head Start Program Policies and Procedures, Alaska Native Head Start Programs, Traditional Foods in Early Childhood Settings, Natural Outdoor Play and Education, Head Start Conversion/Reduction Plans, Pre-Service and Ongoing Team Training (Various Topics Available), New/Interim Director Coaching & Advising, Facilities Consulting and Head Start 1302 Planning, Education and Curriculum Coaching, Program Assessments & Strategic Planning
Alicia Allard, MS ECE, is a dedicated advocate for enhancing the quality of AI/AN early learning and care, rooted in the principles of place-based education and self-determination. Leveraging her experience as a former AI/AN Head Start parent and Policy Council member, Alicia is committed to ensuring every Native child has access to safe, loving, and supportive early learning. Through training, coaching, and advising, Alicia empowers programs with actionable insights, enabling them to identify and implement positive changes for long-term improvements in quality and sustainability. From optimizing funding for equipment upgrades and facility renovations to addressing systemic gaps in policy and operations, Alicia's keen eye for detail supports your program goals. Alicia's expertise spans strategic planning, project management, organizational restructuring, change management, community needs assessment, and policy and procedure development. Little Hawk Consulting offers virtual consulting, training, and Technical Assistance (T/TA) services across the United States and Indian Country, including Alaska. Visit the website for more information. Alicia is ready to apply her knowledge to help your community achieve its goals and create a strong and sustainable future for children and families.
Patty Brown
Consultant
530-925-0420 brownpatty527@gmail.com
Areas of Expertise: Program Management, Practice-Based Coaching/Mentoring, Professional Development, Program Governance, Family Engagement, Health, ERSEA, Child Development/Behavior
Patty Brown has more than 38 years of experience in the education field working with children from infancy through school-age as a teacher, program director, and administrator. Her specialties include child development, family engagement, leadership, program management, health, mentoring, and training. Patty has effectively worked in partnership with parents, families, teachers, and caregivers in a variety of programs and early childhood settings including both tribal, non-tribal center-based, family child care, S. Patty has excellent communication, coordination, facilitation, organizational, and collaboration skills. A lifelong learner and advocate for cultural competency and equity, Patty supports educators and administrators by developing and implementing workshops, policies, and curriculum specifically designed to enhance learning environments and experiences to engage the child, family, providers, and community. Patty has planned, developed, and facilitated workshops and webinars at the local, regional, state, and national levels. Patty has always maintained an open-door policy throughout her career, giving opportunities for accessibility and time to share concerns and ideas to support individual and program growth.
Daniel Christensen
UPC Parks
16269 Plateau Circle, Redding, CA 96001
530-605-2664 eileen@upcparks.com
Areas of Expertise: Playground Design
From the rock climbing wall industry, Dan Christensen saw the need for more adventurous, more exciting experiences in the playground, and in 2003 started the Rocks & Ropes playground line of naturalistic rock and log climbers to bring the outdoor play environment into the modern playground. By using pre-designed molds, UPC Parks is able to offer precast equipment with the unique artistic quality of custom sculptures, at an affordable price. The patented PolyFiberCrete® material enables unique climbing experiences with caves, ledges, and crawl-throughs that competitor GFRC shells cannot replicate. With successful installations and award-winning designs, you can find UPC Parks' unique and exciting natural adventure playgrounds in cities, schools, and recreation areas across the United States and Canada.
Maya Coleman
Executive Director, Hand in Hand Parenting
1867 Ingleside Ter NW, Washington, DC 20010
202-413-6853 maya@handinhandparenting.org
Areas of Expertise: PhD Clinical Psychology, MA Special Education, Executive Director, Hand in Hand Parenting, Special Education Discipline Coordinator, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program at Georgetown University
Maya Coleman is the Executive Director of Hand in Hand Parenting and leads an international staff and cohort of 180+ Certified Instructors to offer Hand in Hand’s unique social-emotional development approach to parents and professionals worldwide.
For the previous decade, Maya worked as a Clinical Psychologist in private practice with families of young children who had challenging early experiences including preterm birth, early illness and medical treatment, developmental challenges, and caregiving disruptions. Maya also worked with preschool educators to bring trauma-informed social-emotional learning strategies into their classrooms and programs.
Janet Humphryes
Co-Founder-Principal Coach, Dynamic Coaching Systems LLC
6292 Torrey Pines Drive, Larkspur, CO 80118
303-912-0540 janet@dynamiccoachingsystems.com
Areas of Expertise: Leadership: Coaching Systems, Coaching
Ed Staff: Coaching, Guidance Strategies/Executive Function Skills, B-5 Child Development, Cognitively Enriched Environments
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Janet Humphryes, M.A. is co-founder, principal coach and consultant for Dynamic Coaching Systems with 47+ years of experience in the early childhood (EC) profession, 26 of which is in Head Start with 20 as a TA Specialist/Manager with Regions VIII and XI and PMFO. She led the creation of and co-instructs the EC Coaching Certificate Program offered at the University of CO and through Dynamic Coaching Systems. She has a M.A. in EC Ed, a B.A. in Behavioral Sciences, and an AMI Montessori teaching credential. Janet’s published articles and books, keynotes/speaking engagements, rich experience, and strong integrity to support developmentally responsive practices with children and adults attest to her ability to connect, inspire and transform lives. Her career focus has been on leveraging human behavior science to maximize human potentials at any age.
Lakeshore Professional Services Group
Lakeshore Learning Materials
2695 E. Dominguez St., Carson, CA 90895
800-421-5354 psg@lakeshorelearning.com
Areas of expertise for Lakeshore Professional Services Group (PSG): content-based professional development across multiple subjects in early learning, elementary education, special education, family and community engagement; classroom product trainings; customized learning materials and educational publishing services; quality-improvement services; and conference support for keynotes, preservice workshops and conference sessions.
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Lakeshore’s passion for supporting teachers, administrators and families doesn’t end with the products we develop. Professional Services Group (PSG) offers personalized, hands-on learning services designed to address what is most important to you—from professional development and conference workshops to quality-improvement services for early learning and school-age programs. PSG staff is comprised of educators and subject-matter experts, top-level trainers, consultants and presenters committed to furthering education goals at the individual level, classroom level and program level. Popular areas of expertise include STEM/STEAM, social-emotional development, before/after school, intervention, family engagement and more. Flexible scheduling options include half-day sessions, full-day sessions and multiday series.
Fran Moore
Principal Consultant at A.W.A.R.E. Consulting
Knoxville, Tennessee
901-210-3437 FEMoore.AWARE@outlook.com
Areas of expertise: Change Management, Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Educational Consulting , Management Consulting, Non-profit Consulting, Grant Writing, Technical Writing, Writing
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I have more than 35 years of experience in the field of education. This includes managing, leading, teaching, providing training and technical assistance, and monitoring for Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care programs. I have worked at all levels of the Early Childhood field including federal, state, tribal, and local levels. Much of my work focused on assisting severely deficient programs move toward excellence. I spent many years working in diverse settings including American Indian and Alaska Native communities, rural communities in Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and West Virginia and inner city settings. I specialize in working with American Indian governments to build collaborative efforts to create seamless systems of care for all of a Tribe’s young children especially those with special needs. I served in the 1996 Class of Head Start-Johnson and Johnson Management Fellows Program and the 1999-2000 Class of Head Start Fellows. Over the years, I have received recognition for work such as the Certificate of Merit from the US Department of Education, the Distinguished Service Award from the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Indian Head Start Directors’ Association 2000 Indian Child Advocate of the Year.
Maria Teresa Ruiz
Child Development Specialist/Consultant
2232 London Circle, Modesto, CA 95356
209-496-6379 mariateresaruiz2014@gmail.com
Areas of Expertise: STEAM coach/ Children’s literature/booksCoaching (Teachers)/Curriculum implementation/ Language Learning/Early Childhood/ Resources/ Advisor/Family Child Care/ Family/Parent Engagement/ Language and Literacy development/ Loose Parts/ Play/ PreK/ Project Approach/ STEAM/STEM/ Storytelling with children
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As a consultant, I am dedicated to supporting educators in the continuous search for best practices in Early Childhood Education. I have a passion for STEAM experiences and creative-innovative approaches to engage educators in professional development opportunities that support best practices in serving young children and their families.
I hold a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and a Child Development Graduate Certificate, enhancing my understanding and twenty-three years of practice in the field of early childhood education.
Michelle Sarche
Associate Professor, University of Colorado/Colorado School of Public Health, Tribal Early Childhood Research Center
13055 E. 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-1460 michelle.sarche@cuanshutz.edu www.tribalearlychildhood.org
Areas of Expertise: Research, Evaluation
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Michelle Sarche, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado School of Public Health, Department of Community and Behavioral Health, an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow, and tribal citizen of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe. Dr. Sarche has worked with American Indian and Alaska Native communities for over 25 years. Her work has focused on children’s development, parenting, and early care environments such as Head Start, Home Visiting, and Child Care. Her current projects include the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center, the Native Children’s Research Exchange, the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey Workgroup, the Multi-site Implementation Evaluation of Tribal Home Visiting, and two projects focused on alcohol-exposed pregnancy prevention among Native women. Dr. Sarche also co-directs the Native Children’s Research Exchange Scholars program which supports the career development of American Indian and Alaska Native and other early career researchers whose work focuses on Native children’s development. Dr. Sarche’s work is supported by funding from the Administration for Children and Families, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Rebecca Spiridis
Head Start/EHS Consultant
2097 Nolan Ave., Crown Point, IN 46307
630-209-3233 Rebecca@RSpiridisConsulting.com
Areas of Expertise: Grant Writing (5 Year, Expansion, and DRS) and Community Needs Assessments/Updates
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