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Early Educator Investment Collaborative Awards $10.4 Million in Grants for Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs Across the U.S.
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Six partnerships between institutions of higher education and states or tribal nations will bolster early educator preparation programs, break down systemic barriers to higher education for people of color, and increase financial assistance and compensation for students studying to be early educators.
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Foundation for Child Development Grants in Action
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The Foundation for Child Development is pleased to share that today, the Early Educator Investment Collaborative (The Collaborative) announced $10.4 million in awards to support partnerships of institutes of higher education (IHEs) and states or tribal nations in transforming their early educator preparation programs. These grants will elevate the early care and education (ECE) workforce while breaking down barriers in higher education for students of color and achieving professional compensation.
“Innovative and collaborative partnerships between colleges, universities, and state and tribal nation partners are critical to ensure that the teacher preparation pathways designed at these institutions of higher education are effectively linked to state and tribal nation requirements for teacher preparation and compensation,” said Dr. Ola J. Friday, Director of the Early Educator Investment Collaborative. “Further, these institutions of higher education can help inform policymakers’ thinking about culturally responsive, competency-based, and community-designed equitable policies for the early care and education workforce.”
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People of color, primarily women, make up nearly half of the ECE workforce and yet are not provided equal access to higher education, ongoing professional development, or professional compensation, especially in comparison to their peers in K-12 and despite the inherent complexity of their profession. They face a patchwork of federal, state, and local programs that vary in purpose, funding, and quality. These structural insufficiencies affect the workforce overall and affect early childhood educators of color disproportionately. This has a direct impact on the learning outcomes of our nation’s children.
These grants support partnerships to catalyze transformative change in educator preparation and compensation. Grantees will strengthen programs that prepare ECE teachers through a competency-based bachelor’s degree. They also link to state or tribal nation efforts to increase funding for ECE students and compensation for teachers post-graduation.
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The Collaborative prioritized IHEs that are minority-serving institutions, those that partner with two-year community colleges, and applicants that offered detailed and viable plans. The grantees are as follows:
- California State University, Sacramento
- College of Menominee Nation
- Georgia State University
- North Seattle College
- University of Colorado Denver
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
“We hope that, through these grants and the innovations that emerge from them, we can provide models for other institutions of higher education, policymakers, and funders nationally,” said Dr. Sara Vecchiotti, Vice President of the Foundation and co-chair of the Early Educator Investment Collaborative. “We urgently need a systems-wide shift in how we think about and implement early childhood educator preparation in this country. The futures of our children depend on it.”
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ABOUT US Research, policy and practice—we connect these pieces to help build early childhood systems that enable children to reach their full potential. Founded in 1900, the Foundation for Child Development identifies needs, fills gaps and integrates knowledge for successful implementation and continuous improvement. Learn more about our focus areas and download resources by clicking these links.
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