State Licenses and Certifications

* Massachusetts EEC

    * Lead Teacher – Preschool

    * Lead Teacher – Infant/Toddler

    * Director I

    * Director II

* Family Child Care Assistant (FCC Assistant)
Authorized to care for up to 10 children in a regulated home-based setting

National Certifications

*  Child Development Associate (CDA) – Council for Professional Recognition

*  ServSafe Food Protection Manager (2022‑2027) – National Restaurant Association

* Mental Health First Aid (2025) – Mental Health First Aid & National Council for Mental Wellbeing

 Specialized Certifications

* Cooperativism – Centro Cooperativo de Desarrollo y Solidaridad (CCDS), 2019
Training in cooperative management and development applied to educational and community programs

*  Significant Learning in Cooperativism – Coopera, Puerto Rico, 2020
Training on applying the 5 pedagogical principles in educational and community programs

Areas of Expertise

* Cooperativism and Solidarity Economy

* Early childhood education focused on social-emotional development

* Leadership and management of childcare centers

* Training, mentoring, and professional development for educators

* Integration of music, arts, and children’s literature into learning

* Promotion of social justice, cooperation, and community awareness

* Emotional health and trauma support

About Liliana Avendaño

Originally from Colombia and a Boston resident since 2013, Liliana Avendaño is a woman of faith, a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, educator, and community leader. Her life and vocation are deeply rooted in early childhood education grounded in love, cooperation, socio-emotional development, and social engagement.

Graduating with the “Marty Walsh” Honors from Urban College of Boston (2020) and earning a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Administration and Leadership from UMass Boston (2025), Liliana has been recognized for her professional excellence and her commitment to child care, including her nomination for the John F. Kennedy Award for Excellence and recognition from UMass Boston for her dedication to teaching and educational leadership.

As cofounder of the Centro Cooperativo de Desarrollo y Solidaridad (CCDS) in East Boston, Liliana worked for seven years as Education and Community Outreach Coordinator, promoting cooperativism and the worker-owned business model. Her passion for this philosophy has deep roots: she was educated in cooperative schools and university programs in Colombia, where she learned that solidarity, equity, and mutual aid are pillars for transforming communities.

While supporting the development of cooperatives, Liliana also worked as a nanny—an experience that deeply connected her to the world of childhood and education. From the union of her cooperative vocation and her love for children, the idea for Resplandor Co-op was born: a cooperative child care center inspired by the school her daughter Camila attended, a place that valued teamwork and care for the environment.

Liliana, together with Catalina Rojas—cofounder and the first woman who believed in her vision—has inspired many other women to train, take on leadership, and become worker-owners of the cooperative. Today, three of them (Gisselle, Carmen, and Irma), who remained, believed, and helped create this dream, take on the challenge of guiding the “little giants” of Resplandor to work as a team, move beyond individualism, and apply cooperative principles and values to their learning and daily lives.

Thanks to this commitment, the City of Boston recognized the work being done and awarded Resplandor Co-op LLC the Space Grant, which allows the center to open its doors and make an impact in the community. In her role as Director and Worker-Owner, Liliana promotes an education that forms human beings who are compassionate, empathetic, and aware of their role in building a more just society.

In addition, Liliana is a music teacher in various early childhood programs, a member of the Community Advisory Board (CAB) for the Restore program at Boston Medical Center, a member of the President’s Advisory Council at Urban College Boston, and cofounder and director of educational projects at L&R Consulting LLC, where she supports the training of educators, leaders, and entrepreneurs.

She is also the author of the bilingual children’s book “El Señor Libro y el Pececillo de Plata / Mr. Book and the Silver Fish” (2020). Through music, writing, and cooperativism, she creates experiences that awaken empathy, creativity, and resilience. Her purpose is to empower teachers, children, families, and communities to educate with love and social awareness, helping every child shine with their own light.every child shine with their own light.