STEP

Teacher Spotlight! ✨

At Cross Cultural Family Center Mary Lane, Teacher Nhi playfully sings an action song, weaving in rich vocabulary as the child joyfully dances along, turning the moment into a lively exchange of music, movement, and connection. 🎼

This is exactly what the STEP Program is all about. Through our specialized teacher trainings, we empower educators like Teacher Nhi with creative techniques to turn everyday play into powerful learning opportunities. When our teachers grow, our children thrive!

Meaningful work happens through partnership. 🤝

A major thank you to the Compass Family Services team for their partnership and for providing a platform to share the STEP program to their clients. We had an incredible time connecting with such a wonderful community.

We believe deeply in the power of collaboration to create real change, and we can’t wait to return for more presentations in the future.

See our last slide for details on how to join our team of dedicated STEP Teachers!

That’s a wrap! 🎉

On March 7th, we completed our final session of the Teaching Pyramid trainings with our STEP teachers!

The Teaching Pyramid framework equips our teachers with evidence-based tools to nurture positive social-emotional development and create warm, inclusive environments. We are so proud of their dedication and can't wait to see them bring these powerful new skills to life in the classroom! 🍎✨

Connection goes beyond words. ✨

At the Kai Ming TKL Center, Teacher Lucrecia shows how meaningful relationships can be built even without a shared language. As a child curiously points to places on the world map, Teacher Lucrecia follows the child’s lead using gestures, facial expressions, and her own language to communicate. The child eagerly responds, and together they create a warm, joyful back-and-forth exchange. 🌎💬

Moments like these reflect the heart of early childhood education: being present, responsive, and following children’s curiosity. Through STEP’s professional development and mentorship, our educators build the skills to support children’s communication, curiosity, and connection in every classroom interaction. We are proud to support teachers as they grow and create meaningful learning experiences for young children. 💛

✨ Teacher Spotlight ✨

Teacher Elaine Torres is making a wonderful impact at The Unity Council – Cesar Chavez in Concord in the preschool classroom! Through engaging activities in the book area, art area, and during large group time, she creates meaningful learning moments for the children.

Elaine connects with the children through warm, back-and-forth conversations in both English and Spanish, helping them feel supported, understood, and excited to participate.

At STEP, we are proud to support educators like Elaine as they grow in the early childhood education field. With guidance from our mentors and support for their academic and professional development, our program helps individuals build the skills and confidence to become strong early educators. We’re excited to see how far our educators can go! 💛

Teacher Spotlight! ✨

In both moments, Teacher Liyi was fully present with the children: leaning in, listening closely, and engaging in powerful serve-and-return interactions. Through intentional language and thoughtful questions, she extends children’s thinking, strengthens communication skills, and transforms everyday play into rich, meaningful learning experiences.

This is what STEP educators do every day — nurturing growth, building confidence, and supporting each child’s development through connection and care. 💛

🧧✨ Happy Lunar New Year from STEP! ✨🧧

We loved celebrating with our amazing STEP teachers at our office raffle event: from gift cards to Golden State Warriors tickets, the smiles said it all!

Thank you for joining us, for your wonderful participation, and for the thoughtful notes and well wishes you shared with our program. We are truly grateful for your continued dedication to early childhood education.

Wishing you all a joyful, healthy, and prosperous year ahead! ❤️

🎨✨ Sparking creativity, building confidence, and growing together!

Our STEP Maker Workshop helped teachers discover new creative tools and ideas they can use with children in early childhood education. STEP teachers especially enjoyed how hands-on and engaging this training was!

Trainings like these support our educators’ growth while strengthening their ability to create meaningful, engaging learning experiences for little learners. 💛

We are thrilled to announce that our program has received a generous $5,000 grant from the Heffernan Foundation! 💙🧩

This support is vital to our mission at ECE STEP. It helps us continue training, empowering, and placing dedicated substitute teachers where they are needed most in San Francisco’s Early Childhood Education centers. Thank you for investing in our educators and the future of our children!

🐼🥡 Dine for a Difference 🥡🐼

📅 February 20, 2026

Our partner agency, Kai Ming Head Start, is excited to share their upcoming virtual community fundraising event with Panda Express! On February 20th, 28% of all eligible sales will be donated directly to support Kai Ming Head Start programs.

Join us in Dining for a Difference—enjoy a delicious meal while giving back to children and families in our community. Your support helps strengthen early learning and family services! 💛

🌱 Teacher Spotlight: Qianwen Ni 🌱

Teacher Qianwen Ni supports the infant classroom at the YMCA - Tung Lok Center, beginning her shift at 11:30 a.m. With care and attentiveness, she feeds the babies, gently settles them into their cribs for rest, and helps maintain a calm, nurturing environment. While the infants sleep, she ensures the classroom remains clean and safe by washing bibs and feeding bottles and thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing tables, chairs, and floors.

✨ This is what STEP looks like: educators growing alongside children, supported by strong partnerships and shared values. We are proud to nurture teachers who lead with patience and heart, and we invite partner agencies and educators to grow with us by joining our program. 💛