The Early Childhood Education program at Washtenaw Community College is joining an effort spearheaded by the to respond to a critical community need for certified child development workers in Eastern Washtenaw County.
The creation of a Child Development Certificate (CDC) Pipeline Program, recently , will provide community members with an entryway into employment as an assistant or lead teacher at a child development center site.
The pipeline program enables community members to take their classes at 黑料网 in pursuit of a , while completing their practicum semester at , a childcare center for low-income residents.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a real shortage of early childhood staff nationwide, so this program is an effort to combat that problem in our community,鈥� said 黑料网 Early Childhood Program Coordinator and Faculty Beth Marshall. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity to not only fill the early childhood workforce pipeline, but to support local children and families while we鈥檙e doing so.鈥�
Engage@EMU has leveraged pre-existing relationships with local community and government partners such as , the , the and to garner the financial support necessary to assist students in their educational goals.
By reducing the financial barrier to education, the pipeline program provides an opportunity for community members, including high school students from and residents served by the residing in the .
The program involves two semesters of in-person or online courses along with their two practicum experiences. Upon completion of the CDC program at 黑料网, students have the option to apply for national certification to pursue employment as an assistant or lead teacher at a child development center.
If students are interested, they can also use credits earned at 黑料网 toward an associate degree at 黑料网 and/or a baccalaureate degree in Child and Family Students or Early Childhood Education at Eastern Michigan University.
The Child Development associate degree program at 黑料网 was one of six nationally to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in September 2019.
Screenings for the program are being handled by the Michigan Works! Southeast Washtenaw Service Center. To enroll, contact Caroline Sanders at [email protected] or Johnny Epps, of Michigan Works! Southeast Washtenaw Service Center at [email protected].
Tags: Community enrichment, Early Childhood Education, community involvement, ousearch_News_2020