MassBay Receives More Than $1 Million for Early Education and Care

Early Education and Care Career Pathways Grant to Provide Educators Skills Training and Credentials to Improve Educational Outcomes for Young Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
781-239-2636
ecooper@massbay.edu

MassBay Community College Early Childhood Education programs are housed on the Framingham campus, Framingham, MA, August 2019 (Photo/MassBay Community College).

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (January 12, 2023) — MassBay Community College has been awarded $1,078,216 as part of a Massachusetts Early Education and Care (EEC) Career Pathways grant to provide free courses to educators and future educators, aiming to improve young children's educational outcomes. This grant award marks the fifth consecutive year the College has received EEC grants, totaling $2,654,678. The grants have enabled MassBay to provide almost one thousand individual educators with tuition-free classes towards all levels of EEC certification (Teacher, Lead Teacher, and Director) and Child Development Certificate (CDA) options in English and Portuguese. This latest funding is the largest gran amount so far and will provide 1,000 class seats for students with no cost tuition, fees, and books.

“We are extremely grateful for the partnership and support from the Department of Early Education and Care,” said MassBay President David Podell. “We know that essential, foundational learning occurs at young ages, and this grant provides educators in the field with the learning support to advance their teaching skills and their careers. MassBay is proud to be a leader in the development of the essential early childhood educators of MetroWest.”

The EEC grant provides early education courses in English and in Portuguese to support the needs of the multicultural MetroWest community. Student educators enrolled in the CDA program and other certification classes will have access to an English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructional Assistant, who helps students with their coursework, along with a dedicated Success Coach/Advisor, who works with students on academic and career planning. In addition, funds to cover the CDA application fees and supplies for creating a portfolio are provided.

“This grant provides a pathway for early childhood educators to advance their careers,” said MassBay Professor of Early Childhood Education and EEC Career Pathways Grant Coordinator Linda Romero. “These critical funds enable educators in our community to earn national credentials, hone their skills, and to stay in the field of early childhood education. This will, in turn, improve educational outcomes to our youngest learners and will ultimately help to create a pipeline of engaged and skilled citizens throughout MetroWest.”

Through this EEC grant, MassBay offers tuition-free courses towards all levels of EEC certification, including teacher, lead teacher, and director. Enrollment is now underway for the MassBay EEC certification programs, with spring semester classes beginning on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. For more information on the EEC courses and how to enroll, prospective students can contact Linda Romero lromero@massBay.edu or visit the MassBay Early Childhood Education Program Information Page.

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs, with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes, in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online. MassBay students receive an unmatched educational value by earning stackable credits that transfer to bachelor’s degree programs, and workforce-ready skills necessary to advance careers in high-demand fields such as health and life sciences, automotive technology, engineering, business, cybersecurity, and the humanities. MassBay’s Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs were both ranked as the #1 Nursing Program in Massachusetts in 2020-2021 by national nursing advocacy organizations RegisteredNursing.org, and PracticalNursing.org. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and remains firmly committed to its mission of meeting the needs of the diverse local communities it serves. We value the intrinsic worth of all individuals, collectively in pursuit of inclusiveness and prioritize our work towards achieving equity within our community and beyond.