SLED expands to early childhood

Jesus Our Savior Lutheran Preschool in Winnebago, Neb. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

The School Leadership Development (SLED) Project, a program of LCMS School Ministry, exists to identify, recruit and equip educators to serve as leaders in their schools. Since the program began in 1996, nearly 600 educators have graduated from SLED.

Now, SLED is expanding into early childhood (EC). While early childhood administrators were welcome to attend SLED in its original form, that program was designed for elementary and secondary administration. Dr. Patricia Hoffman, an emeritus educator in the LCMS Kansas District who designed the new program and who sits on the EC SLED cabinet, explained the need for a program specifically created for EC educators.

“EC SLED is a completely separate program from the current SLED,” Hoffman said. “It is designed to meet the specific needs of early educators in our Lutheran centers.”

Hoffman continued: “Early educators and programs are many and varied. Educational backgrounds for our directors run from a two-year degree or CDA [Child Development Associate] to a master’s degree. Educators must meet individual state requirements for directors, and their backgrounds in Lutheran teaching and beliefs are similarly varied. This program focuses specifically on what it means to be an administrator in an EC Lutheran center. There is no other program like it.”

The initial EC SLED cohort will meet in St. Louis June 10–12, with an application deadline of April 15. Those selected for the program are required to attend two training events of three days each — one in June 2026 and one in June 2027 — and are mentored over the course of the year by experienced Lutheran EC educators. The cost of the program to the participant is $500.

Participants will develop a variety of leadership skills while increasing their confidence and expanding their knowledge base in such areas as staffing, fiscal management, curriculum, marketing, building a Christ-centered team, crafting mission statements and more. Each topic is presented and discussed through a Lutheran lens. In addition to the two on-site training events, participants will attend monthly Zoom meetings, have reading assignments and complete a capstone project.

Participant travel, housing and meals are covered by the EC SLED program through generous donations from local and national contributors who support the LCMS.

For more information, contact LCMS School Ministry at school.ministry@lcms.org.

Apply online.

Posted March 6, 2026