BHCC’s Early Childhood Education Gets Financial Boost From Career Pathways Initiative
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) has received nearly $594,000 in grants from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) Career Pathways initiative. This program was developed by the EEC to make it possible for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce, and those interested in joining the field, to receive the classes and support needed to attain a credential. BHCC is using this funding to provide classes, free-of-charge, as well as professional development activities, for local students. The grants were dispersed over two fiscal years with $296,904 to use from March-June 2019 and $296,904 for July 2019-June 2020.
Through the Career Pathways initiative, BHCC offered four Early Childhood Education courses during the spring and summer, all of which can be applied to the requirements for an ECE certificate or associate degree at the College.
Curlette White, a current early childhood educator, enrolled in three courses in the Spring and Summer 2019 semesters. “After working in childcare for a while, learning new teaching philosophies and practices from these courses reignited the ‘student’ in me,” said Curlette. “Having these classes available in my community made it much easier for me to participate.”
Three classes were held at the Epiphany School Early Learning Center in Dorchester with support from its partner, Neighborhood Villages. The fourth course was offered at BHCC to a cohort of students who had recently completed the Transitions to College program (bhcc.edu/adulted/transitions). Students received ESOL support throughout this class.
In the 2019-20 academic year, and in partnership with Neighborhood Villages and Epiphany School, BHCC will use Career Pathways funding to offer additional early childhood education classes at the College, the Epiphany School and at the East Boston Social Centers. The grant will provide early childhood education-focused professional development activities, and necessary Continuing Educational Units (CEUs). The students in the program will receive scholarships for tuition and textbooks, as well as a small stipend upon successful completion of courses.
This program is intended for current early education teachers and individuals interested in early education careers. Information sessions for this program will be held on Wednesday, September 18 in room G-139, and Thursday, September 26 in room G-138 at 6:00 P.M. at BHCC’s main campus, 250 New Rutherford Avenue. For more information about Early Childhood Education courses offered under the grant and to sign up for an information session, please email careerpathways@bhcc.mass.edu.
About Epiphany School:
Epiphany School is an independent school for children of economically disadvantaged families in Boston, with scholarships for all. We admit children of diverse faiths, races, cultures, and cognitive profiles, believing in the Episcopal tradition that we find God in and through each other. In close partnership with families and community partners, we are an innovative learning community. We offer structured support to enable children to discover and develop the fullness of their individual gifts and to help their families thrive.
Our Early Learning Center serves infants, toddlers and preschoolers through a rich, child-centered curriculum and whole-family program model to ensure kindergarten readiness and family self-sufficiency. Our Middle School offers small classes, individualized curricula, and extended hours providing rigorous academic, moral and social instruction to children in grades five through eight. Our Graduate Program provides abiding education, personal and career guidance and assistance to our graduates, ensuring they are prepared to contribute intelligently, morally, and actively to the society they will inherit. Our teacher training programs supports aspiring urban teachers, including many of our own graduates. Our Impact Center shares best practices to improve educational outcomes on a broad scale. Together we are a school that never gives up on a child. www.epiphanyschool.com/
About Neighborhood Villages:
Neighborhood Villages is a Boston-based non-profit organization that envisions a future in which all families have access to affordable, high quality child care; in service of this vision, Neighborhood Villages advocates for child care policy change and pilots strategic interventions that promote policy reform and lay the foundation for its implementation. www.neighborhoodvillages.org/
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About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).