Commonwealth University-Lock Haven is beginning the academic term with a fourth year of funding from the Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization at PASSHE (ECEPDO@PASSHE) to support professional development for early childhood educators.
Lock Haven is one of four pillar institutions within Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) that has received this mission-focused grant funding from Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), first announced by Governor Wolf in fall 2019.
The ECEPDO@PASSHE's primary focus across the 62 Pennsylvania counties it covers is to help students overcome traditional barriers to professional development. The ECEPDO@PASSHE offers tuition, technology, translation, and other flexible learning supports to qualifying students who work a minimum of 25 hours per week in a state-licensed early child care program.
By offering various learning constructs, including online classes that were essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, ECEPDO-sponsored students can transfer classroom theory into workplace practices that benefit young children. College credits earned are both stackable and transferable, as students successfully complete a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, an associate degree, or a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education.
Lock Haven offers the three courses that help students meet the professional education requirements for the CDA credential using an online format. This entry-level credential for infants through pre-K includes nine college credits that can be articulated to Lock Haven's early childhood education bachelor's degree and at other regional ECEPDO@PASSHE partnering institutions.
This fourth year of funding continues to support child care providers professionally and personally. More than 60 Lock Haven students sponsored by the ECEPDO@PASSHE have completed all coursework toward their CDA credential, and 12 are working toward a bachelor's degree in early childhood education at the Lock Haven campus. This is proof that the ECEPDO@PASSHE grant-funded educational supports can improve the quality of early child care for young children, as well as the earning potential and expanded career pathways of those in this economy-dependent occupation.
Aleesha L., a current ECEPDO-sponsored Lock Haven student who is balancing work, family, and professional development, explained that she already sees a significant difference in her teaching skills, especially in her ability "to problem-solve and to communicate with families more throughout the day. The best part about the program is learning how to become a more efficient teacher on the path to the full-time position I have been waiting for," she said.
Aleesha's "passion to be a toddler teacher," combined with the ECEPDO's financial support, provide her with the opportunity to further her education. "What makes it so exciting is to see what my future will hold with the children I work with. I can't see myself doing anything other," she added.
ECEPDO-sponsored Lock Haven student Kayla B. said she sees a difference in how she teaches her class. "The best part of the program is getting to learn new techniques and getting to apply them in your classroom," she said.
CDA student Erica E. further described these classes as making a big difference at work for her. "I have a toolbox of strategies and resources that I can turn to," Erica said. "The courses are showing me there is more than one way to teach. Teaching needs to be exciting and involve the children and families as much as possible."
"Through delivery of high-quality professional development, the recognized credential of a CDA and pathways to associate and bachelor's degrees are key steppingstones for early childhood teachers on their paths to career advancement," said Dr. Ann Elisabeth Larson, dean of the College of Education and Human Studies at Commonwealth U. "Early childhood teachers with these credentials know how to nurture young children's emotional, physical, intellectual, and social development. We are thrilled to be part of this important initiative."
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