Clarissa Johnston
Mounds View,MN
Summary
Thirty years as a child care business owner and educator with skills in project management, curriculum development and community organizing. Seeking a new career as a special education paraeducator to support each student's physical, emotional and social readiness for a lifetime of learning. To encourage students, in partnership with parents, to learn at their own pace and develop a sense of belonging and high self-esteem.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work History
Licensed Child Care Owner/Operator
Rainbow Kids Family Child Care
05.1992 - 01.2024
Planned and implemented developmentally appropriate curriculum for a mixed-age large group family childcare; educated and built secure relationships with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children and their families; completed assessments and conducted family conferences; maintained all aspects of a thriving small business.
Highlights:
- Consistently exceeded compliance with state licensing regulations
- Developed parent engagement events with Ramsey County Public Health
- Followed culturally responsive curriculum and care-giving practices for ESL students
- Supported students with special needs by providing referrals and working with therapists
- Trained and mentored over 10 new childcare assistants t
Trainer- Content Expert
Childcare Advocates and Resources for Excellence
03.2010 - 03.2020
Achieve/Develop registered trainer. Cooperatively planned and delivered responsive training to a wide array of demographics; assessed and prioritized development needs in child care communities through outreach and relationship building with a cross-section of stakeholders in the early childhood field; wrote curriculum to address identified needs.
Highlights:
- Coordinated more accessible and affordable First Aid/CPR training to underserved populations
- 2015 National Association for Family Child Care conference trainer
- Cooperatively adapted and delivered Ramsey County Public Health “The Wakanheza Project” and “Family Transformation Model” training
- Wrote and delivered “Toxins in the Home” workshop
Lead Community Liaison
Minnesota Provider Collaborative
03.2009 - 10.2017
- Assisted launching an innovative, grassroots program to support licensed family child care providers’ professional growth in collaboration with a wide range of community partners, such as public and non-profit agencies; cultivated the valuable contributions of the organization’s diversity; performed non-profit administrative functions; utilized evaluations to develop and implement programs improvements.
Highlights:
- Leveraged provider’s valuable relationship with families for outreach and services
- Developed policies and procedures for the program’s management and administration
- Assessed impact of The Wakanheza Project© in cooperation with Augsburg URGO research
- Cooperatively facilitated SHIP work with SPRCPH on obesity prevention and breastfeeding support
- Edited/wrote articles for SHIP’s newsletter. Facilitated newsletter delivery to Ramsey County providers
Education
BA in Communication -
St. Catherine University
St. Paul, MN05.2009
Skills
- Human Relations
- Classroom management
- Conflict resolution
- Written communication
- Organizational leadership
- Multitasking
Accomplishments
- Appointed to the Governor’s Interagency Coordinating Committee, 05/19/2014 - 01/04/2016, Represented the family child care profession to address methods of implementing the state policy of developing and implementing comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary interagency programs of early intervention for children with disabilities and their families.
- Ramsey County Public Health Award: (Nominee), 01/01/2015, Honoring individuals and groups for their exceptional contributions to improving the health of individuals, families and communities: Minnesota Provider Collaborative
Timeline
Trainer- Content Expert
Childcare Advocates and Resources for Excellence
03.2010 - 03.2020
Lead Community Liaison
Minnesota Provider Collaborative
03.2009 - 10.2017
Licensed Child Care Owner/Operator
Rainbow Kids Family Child Care
05.1992 - 01.2024
BA in Communication -
St. Catherine University
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