Cama Cole

Background

About Cama Cole

With over 20 years of experience in education, I know that educators are THE key to equitable, quality learning opportunities for young children and families. As such, I am passionate about placing early childhood professionals at the center of systems change efforts impacting their work and the communities they serve. As the Associate Director of Professional Learning at Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, I lead the design, development, and evaluation of innovative, evidence-based and human-first professional learning opportunities for early childhood professionals. My work is informed by the principles of human-centered design, collective impact, and complexity theory. In my previous roles as an Education Facilitator and Manager of Early Childhood Workforce Initiatives at the same institute, I navigated across every level of the early childhood ecosystem to support the development and implementation of cross-cutting strategies for elevating Nebraska's early childhood workforce. I also supported school districts and community partners to implement the Superintendents' Early Childhood Plan, a comprehensive and innovative approach to improving outcomes for young children and families. I have a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from Doane College, and I have experience in project management, evaluation, financial stewardship, and collaborate closely with event planners and communications and marketing staff. Prior to coming to the Buffett Institute, I was an elementary teacher for 13 years. Those whom work and live in a community know best what is needed for that specific community to thrive. I enjoy walking alongside the change beneficiary to co-create the conditions for them to lead change efforts.