Mid Michigan College participating in project to support Early Childhood Education students

Mid Michigan College’s Early Childhood Education program is participating in a project that will help students overcome barriers as they work toward a career in early childhood education. The Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (MIAEYC) Child Development Associate (CDA) Community Cohort Project will help provide Mid Michigan College early childhood education students with training opportunities, resources, and guidance to help them begin their education careers.

According to an article on Mid Michigan College’s website, Julie Ehle, who serves as the college’s ECE Program Coordinator, was quoted as saying of the school’s participation in the project, “This project has made a huge impact on the students involved. We’ve also been able to break down barriers and provide additional support to students. The CDA Community Cohort Project is supporting 12 students from a six-county area, all of whom were already working in early childhood education. This opportunity is playing a key role in enhancing their career development.”

The Community Cohort Project began in August 2024 and will conclude at the end of the Winter 2025 semester. The project provides early childhood education students with a workforce development opportunity that will cover their required 120 hours of CDA professional development training via the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. According to the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children’s website, “T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Michigan scholarships are available to cover most or all of the cost for college credits, books, and the CDA assessment fee for eligible participants.”

The project is intended to help better train early childhood educators to become qualified and competent teachers and carers for the state’s youngest children. By providing financial support for more people to receive such training opportunities, the project will improve the quality of early childhood education throughout Michigan.

For more information about Mid Michigan College, visit the school’s website.