Shippensburg grant to enhance early-childhood education

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — Shippensburg University is the lead institution for an $11.8 million statewide initiative to increase student learning outcomes.

Jennifer Pyles, assistant professor of teacher education with Shippensburg’s College of Education and Human Services, is spearheading the grant, which combines the services of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

The goal is to enhance the preparedness of educators working with students from birth to 5 years old.

The grant, which provides $5.9 million annually for two years, will fund six early-care and education-professional-development organizations.

The goal is to standardize certification for early-care and education workers in Pennsylvania that will lead to a child-development-associate certification, with opportunities to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees.

Shippensburg will partner with East Stroudsburg, Edinboro and Lock Haven universities to design, deliver and coordinate credentials for child care professionals across the state.

“This is a significant achievement for the state system. It unites us in a new and holistic approach to meeting the early-childhood-education needs of communities throughout the state,” Shippensburg Provost Tom Ormond said in a news release. “I applaud the vision of Dr. Pyles in creating a statewide, collaborative approach to the field of early-childhood education. ... We are proud to play a leadership role in preparing the next generation of students.”

The universities will customize the delivery of coursework to meet the needs of working students in each region.

Courses will be offered face to face and online, as well as through convenient venues such as community colleges and community organizations.

Other plans include apprenticeships and tuition packages. All courses will meet requirements through the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The initiative invests in and supports early-care and education professionals, a field that experiences high turnover, Pyles said.

“Early childhood is a crucial period of life during which children learn so much about themselves, their world and others,” Pyles said in the release.

“Early care and education can provide one of the most effective economic-development tools for states, and Pennsylvania is leading the way in major funding streams for the professionalization of the field through apprenticeship and the professional-development organizations that will give the ECE workforce the skills and knowledge they need to offer high-quality early-childhood programs for Pennsylvania’s children and families.”