Global Education Center
Executive Director
| Executive Director | Ms. Ellen Gilbert |
|---|---|
| ellen@globaleducationcenter.org | |
| Term Start | February 1997 |
| Ellen's Experience: Ellen is an anti-bias, multicultural education specialist working with teachers and students, aged three through young adults, in the Middle Tennessee area. She founded Global Education Center in 1996 with the encouragement of educators in Tennessee and other states in which she has facilitated professional development for teachers. In her 45-year career in the field of education as an administrator, a teacher and a parent volunteer, she increasingly saw a need for developing intercultural understanding and respect and for exploring ways in which to create classrooms which are safe havens for all children. With a background in early childhood education, elementary education, therapeutic recreation and dance, Ellen combines both the aesthetic and the academic in her quest for creative solutions to confront cultural and religious intolerance, stereotypes, misinformation, lack of information and the many negative 'isms' of American society which make harmonious living difficult. Her work with area educators and youth has been greatly enhanced by her experience with the many minority, immigrant and refugee families that are active participants in the Center's programs. Ellen has served on many community and education boards over the last 40 years, including West Nashville Community Education Board; Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children as chairperson of the Anti-Bias Concerns Committee and editor of the journal Tennessee's Children; UHURU Dance Company; Nashville Children's Theatre; and Nashville Institute for the Healing of Racism, for which she served as a facilitator for Dialogue Racism. She has served in the past as a volunteer consultant for Cheekwood Education Department and the former Cumberland Science Museum. Ellen is often asked to serve as a consultant to schools and other nonprofits on best practices in creating and facilitating multicultural programming, creating diverse boards and staff, and working with diverse communities. | |
Senior Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Mr. Charles Gilbert | Director of Music |
| Mr. Luis Rivera | Director of Dance |
Staff
| Full Time Staff | 3 |
|---|---|
| Part Time Staff | 3 |
| Volunteers | 20 |
| Contractors | 100 |
| Retention Rate | 90% |
Plans & Policies
| Does your organization have a Fundraising Plan? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Does your organization have a Strategic Plan? | Yes |
| Years Strategic Plan Considers | 5 |
| When was the Strategic Plan adopted? | May 2021 |
| Does your organization have a Management Succession Plan? | Yes |
| Does your organization have a Policy and Procedure Plan? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Whistle Blower Policy? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Document Destruction Policy? | Yes |
Evaluation
| Is there a formal evaluation for... | Frequency (if applicable) | |
|---|---|---|
| CEO/Executive Director | Yes | Annually |
| Senior Management | Yes | Annually |
| Non-Management | Yes | Annually |
Affiliations
| Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|
| Metro Arts Commission | 1997 |
| Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | 2010 |
| Nashville Arts Coalition | 2012 |
| PENCIL | 2015 |
| Sister Cities International | 2012 |
| Tennesseans for the Arts | 2000 |
| Tennessee Arts Commission | 1997 |
| Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition | 2014 |
Awards
| Award / Recognition | Organization | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Arts Antiracism Transformation Team | Metro Nashville Arts Commission | 2017 |
| Arts Leadership Award | African Heritage Foundation | 2013 |
| Arts Leadership Award | Nashville Hispanic Heritage Award | 2014 |
| Best Practices Initiative on Diversity | Tennessee Arts Commission | 2012 |
| Cadre Member of first cohort of Racial Equity in Arts Leadership | Metro Nashville Arts Commission | 2015 |
| Education Award | The Atlantic Institute | 2018 |
| National Model for Professional Development of Teachers in the Multicultural Arts | Tennessee Arts Commission/NEA | 2006 |
| Selected for 30-minute promotional episode | NECAT | 2017 |
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
| Some members of our small staff have been in place since the Center's inaugural year, most of them starting as contracted artists, and we work together as a family unit. Should funding ever enable us to hire additional staff, we would be in a better position to serve additional families and schools as well as increase our technology and capacity building skills. We work hard and accomplish much for a small organization with only three full time staff and three part-time staff; however, we feel we could do even more with one or two more people. However, through the dedication of our staff, contracted teaching artists and volunteers, we continue to get the job done with our limited numbers and budget. |
