Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Sarah Denson

Layton,UT

Summary

Hard working, passionate professional, dedicated to fostering lifelong learning and inspiring students, partners, families and communities to provide the highest quality early childhood education, in response to current needs. Adaptable, dependable and can work within constraints of guidelines and policies. Strong communication, relationship building, problem solving and networking skills. Keen observer equipped to create sustainable, positive change within systems as needed. Superior project management and communication skills. Successful at organizing, preparing and updating data, materials, projects and programming. Well equipped to adopt new material or policy. Exceedingly prepared to instruct large groups, small groups or individuals depending on demands. Outgoing personality with outstanding history of professional relationships. Reliable worker with history of meeting company goals utilizing consistent and organized practices. Skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges to best enhance the organizational brand. Enthusiastic and eager to contribute to team success through hard work and attention to detail. Motivated to learn, grow and excel. Successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities and ready to achieve team and organizational goals.

Overview

23
23
years of professional experience

Work History

Adjunct Professor

Weber State University
Ogden , Utah
2019.08 - Current
  • Built relationships with students, mentoring on personal, professional and academic goals while providing coaching on effective habits for success in life and work.
  • Graded assignments and projects to provide students with timely academic progress information and feedback.
  • Encouraged class discussions by building discussions into lessons, actively soliciting input, asking open-ended questions and using techniques to track student participation.
  • Used assignments and classroom activities and discussion to assess student comprehension.
  • Used a variety of learning modalities and support materials to facilitate learning process and accentuate presentations.
  • Evaluated and revised lesson plans and course content to achieve student-centered learning.
  • Provided instruction to undergraduate, graduate and community students.
  • Worked with colleagues and administrators to create robust education programs.
  • Collaborated with faculty members in designing curriculum.
  • Organized, prepared and revised course material and applied technological options for online and course-work.
  • Developed curriculum standards, lesson plans and syllabi.

Program Specialist

Utah Community Action
Salt Lake City , Utah
2008.08 - Current
  • Taught a double session three year old classroom as a Lead Teacher for one year.
  • Supervised ten head start teaching staff for 1 year.
  • Supervised ten infant toddler teaching staff, 1 home base educator and five head start teaching staff for 1 year.
  • Provided regular, on-going, individualized coaching to head start and infant toddler teaching staff for 9 years.
  • Supervised, trained and mentored education coaches as the Lead Education Coach for 4 years.
  • Interviewed, onboarded and trained new teaching staff alongside the Professional Development Specialist for 1 year.
  • Maintained regular communication between departments via email and phone calls to coordinate program logistics.
  • Established goals and created action plans to achieve goals.
  • Collaborated with support staff to provide high quality professional development to head start and infant toddler teaching staff.
  • Developed and led large group trainings for head start and infant toddler teaching staff.
  • Developed and led trainings for UAEYC and NAEYC.
  • Evaluated program operations, successes and deficiencies to identify concerns and recommend strategies to enhance processes and elevate results.
  • Piloted and helped develop the coaching program within UCA.
  • Participated in grant writing and data collection.
  • Monitored employee work and developed improvement plans.
  • Interviewed and recommended team members for hire.
  • Spearheaded implementation of program rules, frameworks and toolkits to facilitate smooth change management process.
  • Developed, coordinated and administered the coaching program.
  • Entered and monitored data in the Child Plus, Teaching Strategies and ADP systems.
  • Organized and managed program development from conception through successful execution.
  • Orchestrated smooth and efficient program development by collaborating cross-functionally across departments.
  • Provided ongoing direction and leadership for program operations.
  • Scheduled and supervised staff meetings to discuss new ideas and update participants on program details and milestones.
  • Designed program implementation and maintenance plan.
  • Reserved meeting rooms for team activities, meetings and trainings.
  • Motivated and directed staff to align operations with organizational mission.
  • Oversaw various pilot programs including the implementation of Teaching Strategies GOLD, Studies, monthly trainings, the mentor teacher program, the coaching program and our summer kindergarten readiness program.
  • Pitched and built new professional development strategies.

Membership Chair

UAEYC
Salt Lake City , Utah
2012.08 - 2015.08


  • Aligned membership objectives with organization mission, increasing membership growth by collaboratively developing integrated strategies.
  • Developed innovative marketing strategies to facilitate membership expansion.
  • Developed program to promote new leaders from within.
  • Furthered brand awareness through regular, on-going communication and hosting membership tables at community events.

Government Relations Chair

UAMT
Salt Lake City , Utah
2009.08 - 2013.08


  • Monitored and analyzed policy, legislation and regulatory activities at local, state and federal government levels.
  • Supported internal strategizing regarding state level actions and broader strategic planning for campaigning and advocacy.
  • Engaged in professional networking to maintain strong relationships with community partners and legislators to drive partnerships and effective dissemination of mass communications.
  • Prepared for public relations presentations and plans by gathering information on business objectives, vision, brand strategy, competition and industry trends.
  • Studied objectives, promotional policies or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies influencing public opinion or promoting ideas.
  • Created unified messaging of public relations efforts.
  • Quickly learned new skills and applied them to daily tasks.
  • Demonstrated respect, friendliness. flexibility and willingness to collaborate.

Education

No Degree - Early Childhood Education

University of Utah
Salt Lake City

No Degree - ECE Coaching Certificate

Weber State University
Ogden, UT

Master of Arts - Music Therapy

The Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
05.2007

Bachelor of Arts - Music Therapy

Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
12.2004

Skills

  • Coaching, Mentoring & Training
  • Supervising & evaluating employee performance
  • Course development and instruction
  • Data collection, analysis & grant writing
  • CLASS, ITERS & ECERS reliable
  • NAEYC Accreditation & Licensing experience
  • Networking & marketing
  • Effective communication
  • System development & management
  • Forward thinking
  • Growth mindset
  • Innovative

Timeline

Adjunct Professor

Weber State University
2019.08 - Current

Membership Chair

UAEYC
2012.08 - 2015.08

Government Relations Chair

UAMT
2009.08 - 2013.08

Program Specialist

Utah Community Action
2008.08 - Current

No Degree - Early Childhood Education

University of Utah

No Degree - ECE Coaching Certificate

Weber State University

Master of Arts - Music Therapy

The Florida State University

Bachelor of Arts - Music Therapy

Duquesne University
Sarah Denson