December 17, 2024 PACCA Releases Report on 2023-24 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) released its annual report on the scholarships it provided to early learning professionals during the 2023-24 Fiscal Year. Learn More The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarship Program offers early learning professionals a debt-free higher education. The scholarship aims to raise the quality of care and education that teachers provide to children in their classrooms. In the 2023-24 Fiscal Year, PACCA provided scholarships to 910 early learning professionals who were employed in 560 child care programs in Pennsylvania. Recipients earned 13 to 15 credits last year, with an average 3.34 GPA (for associate degrees) and 3.6 (for bachelor’s degrees). Associate degree scholars increased their salaries by 14.6%, while bachelor’s degree scholars increased theirs by 12.6%. Sponsoring employers experienced a 95% retention rate of scholarship recipients. The full report on the impact of the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship on early childhood education professionals and programs is available on PACCA’s website.
October 15, 2024 PACCA Accepting T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Applications for Spring Semester The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) is accepting T.E.A.C.H. scholarship applications for the spring 2025 semester. Learn More Early childhood education professionals who are interested in attending college for the spring semester that begins in January should apply to T.E.A.C.H. as soon as possible. Interested applicants should also begin the college admissions process now and contact an early childhood education advisor at their intended college or university. This helps to ensure that scholarship applicants are admitted to their school and can register for courses if/when they receive a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. T.E.A.C.H. can provide contact information for advisors at partnering institutions. Applicants must complete and submit all required documentation by Friday, Nov. 15 to be considered for the spring 2025 semester. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and those received after the November date will not receive priority for consideration. New scholarship awards for the spring semester will be dependent upon funding availability at that time. More information on eligibility or program requirements can be found – and applications can be downloaded – on PACCA’s website. Counselors can be contacted on T.E.A.C.H.’s website.
September 11, 2024 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships Now Available at Alvernia University The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) will hold information sessions for T.E.A.C.H. scholarships that are now available at Alvernia University. Learn More PACCA has established a new partnership with Alvernia University to offer T.E.A.C.H. bachelor’s degree scholarships. The school offers a full online, accelerated, Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree program with PK-4 teacher certification. Information sessions will be held to provide information on the degree program and scholarship. Sessions will be held on: Friday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Registration is now open for the Sept. 13 and Sept. 18 events.
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships Now Available at Alvernia University The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) will hold information sessions for T.E.A.C.H. scholarships that are now available at Alvernia University. Learn More PACCA has established a new partnership with Alvernia University to offer T.E.A.C.H. bachelor’s degree scholarships. The school offers a full online, accelerated, Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree program with PK-4 teacher certification. Information sessions will be held to provide information on the degree program and scholarship. Sessions will be held on: Friday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Registration is now open for the Sept. 13 and Sept. 18 events.
July 8, 2024 Child Care Openings in Pittsburgh Are you looking for open child care positions? Early learning programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area are hiring! See featured jobs for this week. Child Care Positions in Pittsburgh MASTER TEACHER The Kinder Academy is looking for a master teacher, who will be responsible for developing a cohesive teaching team, coordinating the curriculum, and managing the day-to-day operational activities of the classroom. Teachers must understand children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development to ensure a safe and stimulating classroom environment where children are actively engaged and encouraged to succeed. Most of all, the teacher must seek strong connections to children, families, and coworkers. Those interested should send a resume to twalzer@kinderacademy.com. ASSISTANT TEACHER Heritage Community Initiatives is seeking a flexible and qualified assistant teacher for its 4 Kids Early Learning Program. This educator would establish and create a safe, nurturing environment where children can learn and play. They would assist in designing weekly lesson plans that align with Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards. Those interested should visit HeritageServes.org/Careers. PRE-K COUNTS ASSISTANT TEACHER Heritage Community Initiatives is offering an exceptional opportunity for an education professional to utilize their talents and expertise at its highly-respected, Keystone STAR 4-accredited, NAEYC-affiliated program – Heritage 4 Kids Early Learning Center. The teacher would assist in designing weekly lesson plans that align with Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards. Two years of experience in an early childhood setting is mandatory. For more information, visit HeritageServes.org/Careers. TEMPORARY FULL-TIME TEACHER Heritage Community Initiatives is seeking a temporary full-time teacher at its Keystone STAR 4-accredited, NAEYC-affiliated program – Heritage Out of School (HOST). Summer session educators will play a major role in the implementation of age-appropriate experiential learning initiatives for school-age students throughout the summer months. Educators will be a part of planning, facilitating, and engaging in a number of hands-on activities and experiences. Visit HeritageServes.org/Careers for more information. ASSISTANT TEACHER The University of Pittsburgh’s Child Development Center is seeking a part-time assistant teacher to work with children ranging in age from six weeks to five years. The assistant teacher is responsible for supporting daily activities and programming in the classroom, interacting with and supervising a group of children, and maintaining daily communication with families. Please submit a resume and cover letter for the position online. ASSOCIATE TEACHER The University of Pittsburgh’s University Child Development Center is looking to hire an associate teacher to support the Head Teacher in the planning and implementation of an early childhood program for a class of children. Associate teachers support the Head Teacher by maintaining the classroom, assessing and maintaining care, programming, and ensuring safety. Please submit a resume and cover letter for the position online. LEAD/ASSISTANT TEACHER London Bridges Child Development Center is seeking an early childhood lead or assistant teacher. The ideal candidate will be responsible for creating a nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment for young children. The teacher will develop and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum, foster positive relationships with children and their families, and ensure compliance with regulations. Applicants should develop and implement lesson plans and activities that promote physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. Candidates should submit their resume and cover letter to londonbridgescdc@yahoo.com with the subject line: Assistant or Lead Teacher Application. Submit a Job Trying Together highlights employer-submitted jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Submit a Job: To make it into next week’s post, submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form. All jobs submitted after Tuesday each week will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included. For questions, contact Heidi Winkler at heidi@tryingtogether.org. Other Jobs in Early Childhood ECE HIRE Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood education job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. SUBMIT A JOB TO PACCA Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org. Receive Jobs in Your Inbox To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
June 6, 2023 T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania Graduate Recognition Event The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA), in partnership with Start Strong PA, is hosting the third annual virtual Graduate Recognition Event of T.E.A.C.H. Scholars! This year’s event will honor graduates from the Summer 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023 semesters. Join to help celebrate these scholars! Event Details Thursday, June 8 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Child Care Association website.
March 3, 2023 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships – Supports for ECE Professionals to Earn a Degree Debt Free! Are you an early childhood education professional interested in furthering your education? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) for this information session, and learn more about the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Program. T.E.A.C.H. is a unique opportunity that provides financial and other supports to help ECE professionals enroll in college, earn their degree debt free, and earn more money. Session Details Tuesday, March 14 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania is supported by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE). Join us for this information session to hear from T.E.A.C.H. Director Laurie Litz and learn more about: Higher education options and selecting a degree program, Next steps to enrolling in college, Timelines for enrolling in Summer or Fall 2023 semesters, How to access a variety of financial supports, including the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Program, and Time for Q&A to help attendees develop a personalized plan for next steps. To learn more, visit the PACCA website.
August 22, 2022 Recording of 2022 Market Rate Survey Available A recording of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association’s (PACCA) 2022 Market Rate Survey and YOU webinar is now available for child care providers. Webinar Recording The webinar, which was held on August 17, 2022, includes information about the importance of the Market Rate Survey, the elements of the survey, and how the information may be used. The team from Penn State Harrisburg, Institute of State and Regional Affairs, coordinators of the survey collection and evaluation, shared the new complementary study in progress to assess the Cost of Care. Watch the recording. About the Market Rate Survey Every two years, the federal government requires that states conduct a Market Rate Survey of child care. Information from the Market Rate Survey provides the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) with important data to compare private pay prices with the Child Care Works (CCW) base rate reimbursements. Rather than pulling information from Provider Self-Service as conducted in 2016 and 2019, this year the Market Rate Survey requires child care providers to fill out a survey form. The final deadline to complete the survey is October 11, 2022.
March 7, 2022 Summer 2022 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Application Are you interested in attending college in Summer 2022? The Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H) Scholarship application period is now open for summer semesters beginning in May or June! About T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a variety of T.E.A.C.H. scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce in center and home-based settings. The scholarship: Pays for a percentage of the cost of tuition and books. Provides a travel stipend each semester. Reimburses child care centers for a percentage of the release time given. Provides counseling and administrative support for the child care program. Eligibility To be eligible, applicants must: work a minimum of 25 – 30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program, make $19 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors), and be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood. Apply T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/ information by Friday, April 8, 2022, to be considered for the Summer 2022 semester. The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. To be considered for the Summer 2022 semester, completed applications must be submitted to PACCA through one of the following methods: Email: teachinfo@pacca.org Fax: 717.657.0959 Mail: 20 Erford Road, Suite 302, Lemoyne, PA 17043 For questions about scholarship eligibility or requirements, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717.657.9000. Watch the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships: Financial & Other Supports to Help ECE Professionals Earn a Degree Debt Free! webinar for more information.
January 26, 2022 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships for STAR 1 and 2 Providers Available Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL) has provided Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) with additional funds to support approximately 100 more T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarship Program scholarships in this fiscal year. These scholarships are specifically for staff employed in STAR 1 and STAR 2 programs. About T.E.A.C.H. The program works with early childhood providers, colleges and child care staff to offer scholarship programs and support systems that improve the education and compensation of child care workers. The scholarships will provide additional supports including: A $200 completion stipend to scholarship recipients upon successful completion of their first semester Increased release time reimbursement rates to employers ($15 per hour) Training and technical assistance for employers (see webinar information below) Enhanced counseling sessions (day and evening) for staff related to the college application/admissions processes and T.E.A.C.H. application Many colleges have late start spring semesters in which staff can still enroll. This additional funding is available for this fiscal year only (through June 30, 2022). Apply T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/information. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. Completed applications for late start Spring or Summer 2022 semesters must be submitted to PACCA through one of the following methods: Email: teachinfo@pacca.org Fax: 717.657.0959 Mail: 20 Erford Road, Suite 302, Lemoyne, PA 17043 For questions about scholarship eligibility or requirements, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717.657.9000 or teachinfo@pacca.org.
