Dara Starkman Email & Phone Number

Simmons University

• Familiarized self with the Harlem Children’s Zone and the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative
• Collaborated with Somerville community providers to brainstorm and plan possible partnerships among community providers and uses of funding resources
• Developed a curriculum framework including sample activities (based on the Massachusetts Kindergarten Learning Experiences for Mathematics and English Language Arts) for a summer preschool program serving children.

• Familiarized self with Louisiana Early Learning Guidelines and Program Standards for Children Birth through Four Years Old, Child Development Associate (CDA) competencies and National Association for Family Childcare.
• Applied the content of the program’s curriculum to the above listed standards
• Provided documentation to show the correlations between the curriculum content and the above listed standards

• Developed a staff census survey for the licensed child care centers in Onondaga County, New York
• Organized a database for responses to the staff census survey
• Analyzed the information received from the staff census survey

• Engaged in interactive learning with pre-school children
• Recorded anecdotal notes on developmental aspects of individual children
• Planned and evaluated activities in the core developmental areas
• Created portfolios on three individual children (including one with special needs)

• Co-supervised eighteen 4-year-olds
• Designed and implemented creative and innovative age appropriate activities
• Organized daily activities for children that reflected the core areas of development
• Developed routines and rituals to promote positive inclusion for children with special needs

M.A., Child Development

Relevant Courses: Child Care and Early Education Policy, Social Policy for Children and Families, Seminar in Government and Family, The.

B.S., Dual Degree: Child & Family Studies, Psychology

Honors: Cum Laude, Dean’s List Attended Dr. Alice S. Honig’s 31st Annual Quality Infant & Toddler Caregiving Workshop (June 2007)