ElevatEd’s impact is only as strong as the people on the ground making it happen.

Joe Winner is a prime example of a professional making a profound difference.

Joe joined the Jewish United Fund’s (JUF) early childhood education team in August 2024, bringing an impressive blend of experience and passion to his role. With a background that includes three years working with Jewish teens through the Diller Teen Fellows program, Joe leads with a collaborative spirit at the Chicago-based organization. He works closely with Anna Hartman, Director of Early Childhood Initiatives and Jenna Turner, Director of Early Childhood Learning–both of whom are heavily involved in the Paradigm Project.

“There are five of us that support early childhood at JUF, which allows us to provide an immeasurable level of support to our schools and centers,” Joe said.

At JUF, Joe fosters a community dedicated to emotionally responsive teaching and continual growth. His hands-on approach is reflected in his frequent communication with directors across the region, as he works to support the needs of diverse schools, from burgeoning preschools to those that are struggling to keep their doors open. His interest in early childhood began in his own early years.

“My journey to becoming a Jewish Early Childhood professional began as a child at Beth Tikvah Early Childhood Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois,” he shared. “I have fond memories of playing at a sensory table full of dry beans, braiding challah, and being a “Shabbat helper” alongside my cousin Marlee, who also attended the school. When I learned about the opportunity to be Chicago’s ElevatEd community coordinator, I jumped at the chance!”

One of Joe’s key initiatives is managing JUF’s involvement with ElevatEd. Joe and his team provide essential support to directors, helping them navigate challenges ranging from staff turnover to the requirements of Illinois teaching certifications, and foster a supportive learning environment for emerging educators.

“Since joining the ECE department at the Jewish United Fund (JUF) in Chicago, I have been amazed at how much our team does to serve the community,” he reflected. “In addition to ElevatEd, our team runs the ‘Early Childhood Collaborative,’ bringing together directors from our 38 affiliated schools to discuss how we can support and enhance their work. We run learning fellowships and advocate on state-wide and city-wide levels to ensure that our government is doing everything it can for our schools. We provide customized professional development, visiting schools and giving teachers the tools they need to thrive.”
During his tenure, Joe has facilitated crucial partnerships, and even helped one school at risk of closure merge with another, safeguarding both its community and resources. Joe leverages grant funding and community resources to maximize impact, embodying the organization’s mission to elevate and empower educators, children, and families in the Jewish early childhood community.

Joe expanded on the impact of ElevatEd in Chicago. “It is amazing that our federation is able to do so much to support all of our local schools, but it raised the question: how could ElevatEd fit in amongst all the other work we do? My biggest local goal, alongside ElevatEd’s national goals of bolstering recruitment and retention of talented teachers, was to build community amongst our teachers. While our Early Childhood Collaborative has built a strong community amongst the directors and leadership in our schools, the opportunities for our teachers to meet and build relationships were fewer. Through ElevatEd, our teachers could learn from, validate, and support each other across schools.”
ElevatEd has been at work in Chicago for under two years, and the results are already showing. The relationships among educators in particular are deepening.
“We’ve already begun to see this! In a reflection session we held earlier this fall, one of our Emerging Educators talked about how welcome she felt as the only non-Jewish teacher in a Jewish school. She thought that her experience was unique. She was surprised and heartened to learn that she was not alone, and that there were many non-Jewish teachers not just in our program, but in all the schools represented. I hope she returned to school the next day feeling more confident in her identity, with an increased sense of belonging in her school community.”
Working hyperlocally makes a big difference for the schools Joe serves.
“To help build stronger relationships amongst our Emerging Educators and Mentors, we have emphasized hosting in-person programming. While this can sometimes be challenging as our schools are not all geographically close, ranging from the Duman Center in the far northwest suburbs to Akiba Schechter on Chicago’s south side, I see the in-person work as an important supplement to the meaningful learning our teachers do on Zoom. Meeting in-person allows us to dive a bit deeper.”
Fostering connections allows educators to learn from one another in new and meaningful ways.
“For example, in our last Reflection Session, while talking about their schools, one teacher asked if other schools were Reggio-inspired. We found ourselves on a tangent where each teacher talked about their school’s educational philosophy, and my colleague, Jenna Turner, helped them draw connections and highlight important differences in each school’s approach. It was a beautiful moment of learning.”
ElevatEd’s partners are also invaluable to Joe and his network.
“We also have the privilege of having Jonathan Schmidt Chapman, founder of the K’ilu Company—a curricular partner of ElevatEd—living within our community. Jonathan has been able to attend each of our in-person gatherings, leading activities and sharing knowledge.”
Joe’s journey with early childhood Jewish education, and with ElevatEd, is just beginning. We asked him what he’s looking forward to.
“As I look forward, I am inspired by all the good work we have already done with ElevatEd. I am eager to see the growth caused by the relationships being built within our cohorts and between our Emerging Educators and their mentors. Our community is full of brilliant, creative, caring teachers who have so much to give to each other. Having started my own educational journey within our Jewish preschool system, I am heartened knowing that the 2700 students in our schools are in such great hands.”