High School Early Childhood Development Pilot Program

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The field of early childhood is expanding as the need for quality child care increases. The community demands a professionally trained workforce to care for young children. The evidence is clear that knowledgeable, caring professionals create learning environments that impact children positively.

The High School Early Childhood Development Pilot Program at UA - Pulaski Technical College is offering an early college experience for rising juniors and seniors in Early Childhood Development. This program is for students who are interested in becoming teachers for children birth through age 5.

Certificate of Proficiency

Students in the program will complete the Certificate of Proficiency (CP) in Early Childhood Development. This includes the courses Child Growth & Development, Foundations of Early Childhood, Environments for Young Children and CDA Portfolio and Field Experience. The CP in Early Childhood Development meets the professional training requirements of the national Child Development Associate (CDA) credential issued by the CDA Council in Washington DC. Students in the program will complete 400 hours of field work (480 required for CDA).

In the Fall, classes will be offered on Monday/Wednesday mornings with field work on Tuesday/Thursday/Friday.

In the Spring, classes will be offered on Tuesday/Thursday mornings with field work on Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

Eligibility

• Junior or Senior in High School
• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
• Minimum reading score of 19 on the ACT or equivalent ACCUPLACER score dependent on course selection

T.E.A.C.H.

The T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Early Childhood® Scholarship Program is a national, evidence-based strategy that creates access to higher education for teachers, directors and family child-care providers (early educators) working with young children. The T.E.A.C.H scholarship covers 100% of tuition and fees and 90% of books (with the school district covering 10%). The student will receive an annual incentive of $350 for completion of course work and a stipend up to $1,440 each semester for completing required work experience hours. Additional benefits include $500 towards the purchase of a new laptop and, for those who choose to complete the CDA assessment, their $425 assessment fee will also be covered.

• T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Arkansas Scholarship Application

For more information on T.E.A.C.H., visit arkansasearlychildhood.org.

Questions

Contact Traci Johnston at [email protected] or call (501) 812-2817.