Today we’d like to introduce you to Jocelyn Jones.
Hi Jocelyn , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am affectionately known as the “Knowledge Giver”. I am the sage of early education. I reach, teach, educate, share, and empower professionals looking to create and improve transformative learning spheres.
A Georgia Peach by way of Lithonia, GA, Jocelyn Dionne is the oldest of 3 siblings. Living the single life without biological children of her own, Jocelyn is an aunt of 5 nieces and 2 nephews whom she loves dearly. She is currently a longtime resident of Norcross, GA. The genesis of her passion to transform the lives of young children, families, and life learners began with her mother.
“Growing in Lithonia during the early 90’s, my mother was a community leader and early educator. She was a stay-at-home mom, home learning provider, and much more. She was a mother for mothers, a nurse for children in her care, a shoulder to cry on, a confidant, a friend, mom of 3, and dedicated wife. I can remember growing up having 15 kids running around in our yard playing plus younger children preschool age. The children in her care were like siblings and our best friends. Our house was the “house” everybody knew “Mrs. Diane and Mr. Joey”. Our home was where love, care, education, and restoration abided. Young teen moms, married mothers, and parents would just sit at my mother’s feet for wisdom and advice or just for good conversations. She was quite young herself, but her wisdom, love, understanding, care was beyond her years. I was amazed at her love and dedication in servicing the community. Early on, I knew that was the mantle I wanted to carry.”
About Jocelyn Dionne
Jocelyn Jones’ Academic Achievements & Membership Organizations
As a professional and expert, her interests range from early education to entrepreneurship.
Jocelyn Dionne Jones has taught and served on management in non-profit and for-profit childcare settings and organizations for over 20 years. Jocelyn is a family childcare provider in Norcross, Ga. She is very active in the early childhood field. Early childhood and sociology are two disciplines she loves and has contributed to her career accomplishments and goals. Miss Jones is an active member of Kappa Delta Pi National Honor Society in Education and a part of the Public Policy Committee for Kappa Delta Pi.
Jocelyn Jones is a Georgia state approved trainer certified by Georgia Professional Development System
for Early Childhood Educators a division of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Miss Jones is certified to teach professional development courses for early education teachers and professional in childcare sectors and public school. She specializes in teaching the Child Development Associate (CDA ) courses for a nationally and internationally recognized early education organization, National Council For Professional Recognition. Jocelyn Dionne has extensive experience as a Professional Development (PD) Specialist for the Council For Professional Recognition. She designs, writes, and teaches early childhood professional development trainings.
Alongside, Miss Jones has presented for national and international audiences for massive and long running organizations such as HighScope, National Council For Professional Recognition, National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), First Things First, Georgia Head Start, US Nanny Institute, RAINBOW Institute of Childcare Education, The Learning Project Network, and other media outlets. One of her most popular and culturally relative presentation that has been trending for the past six (6) years is a training called, Why Does She Wear a Hijab? Why is Her Hair So Kinky? The Importance of Cultural Relativism and Social-Identity In Early Learning Programs. This training is dynamic and very relevant. This training is a toolkit to help education professionals, teachers, and caregivers in all sectors of education and caregiving. This training helps people to understand social-emotional development and how culture, racial biases, ethnocentrisms, and the lack of promoting positive self-identity can affect young learners 0-8 years negatively.
Academic Success
Jocelyn Dionne holds a Technical Credit Certificate (TCC) in early childhood from Ellis College, received a B.A. in Sociology from Bethune-Cookman University a HBCU in Daytona Beach Florida, and a M.S. in Early Childhood Studies with a specialization in Teaching Adults Early Childhood Ed (gpa 4.0) from Walden University.
Alongside, Jocelyn is an adjunct professor in the Early Childhood Department at Ashworth College. The Early Childhood Department is one of the largest departments at Ashworth College with a 95% graduation rate. Alongside, she is an adjunct professor teaching early childhood courses and served on the Early Childhood Advisory Board at Ashworth. She is an online teacher on Outschool.com and KidPass for home learners for ages 3-18 years old.
Services/Parent Companies
CUPCAKE BABYSITTING TRAINING™ COURSE (12 – 22 YEARS OLD)
“Here’s to Happy Families and Sweet Success”
Kappa Learning Group™ created a business for those who want to pursue babysitting and starting your own babysitting business. This is a youth empowerment and early education course for teens and young adults. This is our primary course students must take in order to participate in other trainings at Cupcake Babysitting Training™. Students will learn the fundamentals of early childhood and child development, marketing/branding, and other business aspects of starting your own professional babysitting business. After course requirements are met, students will receive a certificate signed and dated by me. It is a certificate of achievement and helps to bring value to their company and individual . It will state the students’ name and date of the completion the course. This certificate can be used when interviewing clients for babysitting jobs to come! This will bring a sense of trustworthiness to the students’ clients and stand out from the crowd! Currently, we offer classes on Outschool.com and on our own platform as well. We are a global company reaching youth from United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Canada, and here in the U.S. We’ve taught over 100 learners worldwide! Cupcake Babysitting Training™ has an auxiliary organization called, Young Educators Council which is an organization for teens and young adults ages 12-22 years old having a passion for caregiving young children, educating, and community leadership.
Learning Through Playdates Virtual Program™
Sustainable Early Education. Community. Family Partnerships.
Learning Through Playdates Virtual Program ™ is an virtual and in-person educational program that proficiently and effectively creates learning environments by promoting, supporting, and sustaining effective high quality teaching and learning through our 3 point system, Creating solutions. Transforming Lives. Making Life Better. Learning Through Playdates Virtual Program’s™ home office is Norcross, GA. Our program has been recognition and support by House District 99 Rep. Mr. Marvin Lim. This program serves childcare businesses and families providing sustainable education for young learners offering, non traditional home learning options, servicing as educare insurance for centers on COVID=19 lock down and quarantines to sustain enrollment numbers and workplace normality during turbulent times. Our program offers several different memberships such as Community Playdates groups, Playdates Online Learning Library, Playdates At Home, and our most popular program, PlaydatesLIVE.
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We service our children and families by:
-Creating new learning spheres for children, childcare businesses, and families meeting their needs and goals for academic success.
-Providing parents with structured education courses for preschool age children and afterschoolers via online or in person
-Providing Live Interactive, online e learning downloadable educational worksheets and lessons
-Family safety is first! We have safe online options (COVID-19 )or opt for home learning environments.
-Providing inclusive online learning environments, sharing spaces, and
-Provides social emotional learning and live interactions with teachers and other kids!
-Offering community based learning & family partnerships and parental mentorship teaching how to implement the program and customize lessons and small class sizes
We teach using technological advancements which are non-traditional ideas of teaching in the early childhood industry. When creating this model, we had ideas of reinventing learning spheres and advancing the early learning community globally. Currently, teach courses online for families in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and in the U.S. We are in the beginning stages with delightful and humble beginnings. Our core philosophy is learning through play and identity safe classrooms for positive hands on and culturally enriched learning experiences.
The early learning community is quite behind when it comes to technology. Every usage of technology in the classroom helps to push our industry towards the ideas of technology and Learning Through Play Dates Virtual Program does just that. Soon, we will be launching our playdate groups that meet face to face called Community Playdate Groups which we gather in central locations to offer courses in small groups and conduct Learning Through Playdates at Home where our certified teachers conduct customized lessons and perform duties of child caretaking. Learning Through Playdates Virtual Program™ anticipates serving more new and beautiful children, and families within Georgia.
The Learning Through Playdates Virtual Program™ certifies Playdate Learning Instructors teaching the curriculum online and the Community Playdate Leaders teach and implement the Learning Through Playdates Virtual Preschool Program for in-person meetings with students. Our professional development trainings and career opportunities add to the early learning workforce crisis in a positive way. This is an extension of the Learning Through Playdates Virtual Preschool Program founded by Kappa Learning Group™. Our aim is to serve all socioeconomics, diverse families, foster parents, and all families that opt for more virtual and home-based learning experiences or small learning environments. We aim to serve as the primary solution for childcare businesses needing a third party services.
Volunteer/Activism
Jocelyn Dionne is has created organizations such as Young Educators Council to reach youth and activate their passion in education and community leadership.
In February of 2021, Jocelyn Dionne created the L’amour de Soi Project: A Guide to One’s Heart.
For Professional Educators & Caregivers. This was a month long project celebrating educators and caregivers during the month of love. It served as an outlet for her own personal conflicts using this project to heal and overcome personal obstacles. As a body positive activist, the first week focused on “Big Bodies in Workplaces” it included special guest and a panel of educators and a body positive activists. . She has been featured on Fairen Harris’ Love Thy Belly organization, modeled merch for Instagram body positive influencer, Jae Bae The founder of Fab Fat Fierce and Thunder Thighs.
WHAT I ENJOY DOING?
When Jocelyn is am not teaching, she enjoys shopping. She is a fashionesta loves fashion. She enjoys traveling, listening to music from different genre. She loves listening to artist such as Alex Isley, Ari Lennox, Moonchild, Hiatus Kaiyote, Jill Scott, Gwen Bunn, Erykah Badu, Summer Walker, PJ Morton, Tweet, Chaka Khan, Kierra Sheard, Clark Sisters, John P Kee, opera, classical, late great Aretha Franklin and other great artist. Her mother and father were singers and musicians. Her godfather is Mr. Eric “Ricky” McKinnie the drummer of the world renown Blind Boys of Alabama. “Music makes me happy! Music speaks when sometimes we can’t express our own thoughts and feelings—what a great connection”. She enjoys cooking brunch and having close friends and families over for memories over a home cooked meal and meeting new and exciting people.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been obstacles and challenges in my life. I’ve experienced a lot of hardships and downfalls. I lost my father at 19, my family experienced great financial loss during periods of recession during 2000s. I was in college and had to drop out because of my personal and family hardships.
Currently, COVID-19 has shifted my business and I’ve experienced hardships as well.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My specialty is in the area of early education. I am grounded in transforming lives and creating spaces that aim to meet families and children at their needs. My philosophy for teaching is to create a community of learning. I believe it is important to support students in their academic achievements. I believe in supporting the student and meeting them at their level. Thus, providing resources to help students achieve great academic success.
Moreover, building a space of trustworthiness, respecting diversity, and being creative in her teaching methods is very important in the learning environment.
I specialize in creating sharing spaces that are high quality learning spheres to transform education professionals through education courses, trainings, workshops, and conferences. I am dedicated towards the transformation of lifelong learners to help them create learning spheres they desire to manifest. When I see a issues I create solutions to fulfill a deficient. Creating Solutions. Transforming Lives. Making Life Better.
My guild is to educate, share, and empower those who are passionate about educating and caring for students in essential ways. I am a professionals using research-based information to improve the knowledgebase, skills, attitudes, and practices in education and child caregiving. I specialize in training and consulting for the early education and Nannyhood.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Mentorship and coaching is so important. Finding someone who plays a role in both mentorship and coaching is a gain. I really started exploring that in depth this year, especially because my business was hit with hardship and erecting a new found business. What I did was sign up with micromentor. org. It is a platform of business experienced entrepreneurs that volunteer their time to mentor small business owners both private and non=profit owners. It is free! I have two business coaches, Mrs. Stacey Ames, the owner of Leading With Behavior Balance is a powerhouse. She is one of the most influential women in business that I have personally encountered and I am so glad to say she is my coach and mentor. My other mentor is Valeria Alarcón Founder & CEO of VIA Consulting LLC. She is so amazing and she is my confidant.. I am surrounded around powerful I aspire to be. I am so thankful for these ladies and so thankful for Micromentors.org!
Pricing:
- Cupcake Babysitting Training $55.00 for individuals/ Group Rates call for pricing
- PlaydatesLIVE $279.99 USD per month with Free Parent Coaching/ Available for third-party services and program licensing. Playdates Learning Library Membership $119.00 per quarter, Community Playdate Groups $179.99 a month
- Professional Development Training $20.00-$450.00 individual courses. Group rates and contracts for large companies and customized trainings call for consultation and pricing
- Individual Coaching and Training $1,000 and up
- Home Learning Business Start up and Technical Assistance Consulting $1200 and up
Contact Info:
- Email: info@kappalearninggroup.com
- Website: https://www.learningthroughplaydates.org/
- Instagram: educate_share_empower
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educateshareempower
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCus1iT6wMql267lhpTnTflw
- Other: https://kappalearninggroup.wixsite.com/kappa-learning-group
Image Credits
Jonathan Graham
