South Carolina First Steps hosted a special luncheon on Wednesday, August 27 to honor fifteen SC First Steps 4K directors who recently earned the Aim4Excellence National Director Credential, a prestigious professional development certification awarded through the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.
This year’s honorees include: Amanda Raymond, Amanda Reynolds, Amber Smith Elizabeth Pitts, Erica Jones, Hattie Bryson, Perdina Brown, Shirley Reed, Whitney Echols-Hough, Mary Wesley, Kristen, Buccilli, Harriett Campbell, Sonya Guiles, Amber James, and Marilyn Pyatt.
The event celebrated the graduates of the seventh South Carolina cohort to complete the year-long online program, which equips early childhood leaders with essential leadership and management skills. Since launching the initiative, SC First Steps has supported more than 100 early childhood education leaders in earning the credential.
To celebrate the graduates’ achievements, SC First Steps presented framed certificates during the luncheon and shared additional resources such as books and policy tools to help directors implement what they learned.
“It’s a way to celebrate and highlight them, to really celebrate their success and hard work,” said Kristine Jenkins, SC First Steps’ 4K Manager and facilitator of the Aim4Excellence program. “Even though it’s online learning, it’s very demanding and very intense. Trying to manage that while working full time and running your business, it’s tough.”
Since 2018, SC First Steps has made the Aim4Excellence credential more accessible by providing scholarships to participating First Steps 4K providers. For those without a bachelor’s degree, this includes undergraduate college credit toward earning one.
The Aim4Excellence credential consists of nine intensive online modules covering core administrative and leadership competencies, such as financial management, program operations, human resources, family engagement, and classroom quality. While many participants already have experience in early childhood education, the program challenges them to elevate their practice.
“Moving forward, I plan to implement the best practices I’ve learned to further develop my staff, create a more enriching environment for the children and families we serve, and ensure continuous growth and excellence in our program,” said 4K director Kristen Buccilli. “This credential has truly empowered me to lead with confidence and make a lasting impact in early childhood education.”
Coursework includes a mix of videos, reading assignments, quizzes, and written reflections, requiring participants to critically examine and improve their current policies and practices. “There is a lot of reading and reflection,” Jenkins noted. “They have to go back, look at staff evaluations, classroom procedures, and compare them to what they’re learning. Then they think about what kind of changes they might implement.”
The Aim4Excellence initiative is part of SC First Steps’ broader mission to ensure all children start school ready to reach their highest potential. By investing in the professional development of early childhood leaders, the organization is helping to raise the standard of care and early childhood education across the state.
Topics:
First Steps 4K
