Head Start-Johnson & Johnson
Management Fellows Program

By Myra Brown

Program Overview
Each year since 1991, the Anderson School at the University of California-Los Angeles has conducted the Head Start-Johnson & Johnson Management Fellows Program. The Fellows Program, which is fully funded by Johnson & Johnson and the Head Start Bureau, is a unique opportunity for Head Start directors and management teams to participate in a two-week, intensive management training session.

Curriculum
Two programs are offered each summer. The June program is for Head Start directors while the July program works with management teams. The curriculum, designed from a strategic planning perspective, builds both executive and entrepreneurial management skills. Lectures, workshops, and group discussions cover management topics that take into account current Head Start needs and issues. Several case studies from actual Head Start programs are used to illustrate key concepts and to enhance learning. Subject areas include the following–

• Organizational Design & Change
• Operations and Project Management
• Marketing & Public Relations
• Human Resource Management
• Finance & Economics
• Management & Leadership

An important and innovative element of the Fellows Program is the involvement of the Head Start directors' supervisors during the last three and one-half days of the program as "co-participants." The director (or in July, the management team) and supervisor work together to develop a strategic initiative called a Management Improvement Project (MIP). These MIPs prepare the Fellows to implement major projects upon returning to their organizations.

Graduates of the Fellows Program are awarded a certificate from UCLA and are given the option of receiving academic graduate-level credits. Fellows are often called upon to work with the Head Start Bureau and regional offices to provide management training to their Head Start colleagues.

Eligibility
Head Start managers, who have been directors for at least three years, compete for fellowships based on the quality of their application to the Fellows Program. Head Start teams are selected based on the team's experience and need. Each Fellows class is representative of the Head Start program nationwide in terms of urban/rural mix, size, auspice, and other demographic factors. The next round of applicants will be for the 2002 Program to be held June 16-28 and July 7-19.

Program Follow-Up
During their two weeks at UCLA, Fellows develop an invaluable network that they continue to draw upon long after they return to their own programs. They are also given the opportunity for ongoing training through the annual Advanced Management Institute (AMI)–a four-day training, held each winter at UCLA, that offers advanced-level workshops and a public policy forum dealing with current issues facing the Head Start community.

A newsletter is published quarterly, providing a mechanism for Fellows to stay informed of the professional activities of colleagues, program developments, and other news of interest. The program also maintains an informational Web site that includes a searchable database on all alumni as well as a list of resource areas where alumni offer their expertise to help other programs.

For an application or further information, please contact Myra Brown, Senior Program Manager at The Anderson School at UCLA, T: 310-825-6306; F: 310-206-3924; E-mail: mybrown@anderson.ucla.edu; Web site: http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/community/headstart.