News

PAEYC believes all educators deserve to feel valued.

“Governor Tom Wolf today announced a $1.4 million grant to increase the quality of Pennsylvania’s early childhood learning professional workforce.

The Higher Education, Early Child Care, and Community-based Partnership Working to Implement Innovative and Sustained Pathways grant will enable early childhood education staff to participate in and complete a credit-bearing Child Development Associate (CDA), associate degree, bachelor degree, and/or Pennsylvania PreK-4 teacher certification.

‘My administration is committed to expanding access to quality pre-kindergarten programs so our children have a positive start to their education,’ said Governor Wolf. ‘Having educated and knowledgeable early childhood educators creates quality classrooms, supports positive relationships with children, and advances the argument for increased compensation – early childhood teachers make an average of $9-$12/hour, even with a degree.’

The competitive grant, made available through Pennsylvania’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant, will support currently employed early childhood educators pursuing higher education. Drexel University, Carlow University, and Shippensburg University were successfully funded to build cross-systems partnership opportunities to identify and reduce barriers to access early childhood education degrees for currently employed early childhood educators.”

To read the full release from The Office of the Governor, click here.