Felicitas Gonzalez Membrillo, a Great Start to Quality Assessor at the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), has dedicated many years to supporting children and families in southwest Detroit, a community she deeply values. Known as a champion for young children and families, she has worked extensively to educate community members and organizations about quality child care. Her reputation and strong community connections caught the attention of Tara Hardy, Director of Early Learning at Detroit PBS.
Ms. Hardy reached out to Felicitas about a fellowship opportunity with Detroit PBS, a chance Felicitas was eager to pursue. Always passionate about early childhood development and continually learning how to help families thrive, she was drawn to the Detroit PBS Education Pilot Fellowship. Its focus on empowering families and providing resources aligned perfectly with her values.
Now, as she finishes her fellowship, Felicitas has had the opportunity to learn, grow and develop a project she feels is important to the community. PBS Kids and Felicitas have developed a free training for early childhood educators. The free training is hosted in MiRegistry in Spanish. Participants will receive credit in MiRegistry for completion. Felicitas has worked collaboratively with Detroit PBS Education and fellow cohort members to ensure the content is accessible for the community. “It is critical that resources are shared in Spanish for Spanish-speaking communities,” she emphasized.
The initiative is more than just a project; it is the culmination of Felicitas’ dedication to empowering families and creating inclusive spaces for learning and growth. Reflecting on how her journey of continual learning has helped her grow, Felicitas added, “Through each new opportunity, I’ve learned to speak up and share my ideas. I used to be more reserved, but now I feel empowered to be a voice for my community.” Felicitas is excited about fellowship and the opportunity to contribute to the early care and learning community in a meaningful way.
This fellowship journey has been a natural extension of Felicitas’s work at ECIC, where she is developing a strong foundation in supporting early childhood educators and uplifting family voices. The skills and confidence gained through the fellowship will continue to inform her work at ECIC, as she deepens her efforts to help Michigan’s children and families thrive.
As part of her Fellowship, Felicitas completed a video sharing tips for creating a reading area for young children.