Fourteen people recently graduated from a local early childhood educator training program.
EC LEARN was established last year to provide early childhood education resources to families, early childhood professionals, and employers in eight Northern Kentucky counties.
The first cohort of fourteen graduates participated in the nonprofit’s preparation course for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credentia.
On June 30, twelve of the fourteen graduates gathered to celebrate the completion of the EC LEARN CDA preparation course along with their instructor, Barb Herron, Child Care Aware support staff member Hallie Barth, and EC LEARN support staff Paige Downing, Andrea Heil, Bridget Jackson, and Jennifer Malicoat.
This was the first time the group had met in-person after ten months of virtual learning.
“(I’m) so proud of all of us, we nailed it even through the challenges of a pandemic,” said Carol Hannah, who teaches one-year old children at Aunt Kathy’s Child Care and Preschool, Inc. in Highland Heights. “The children will absolutely benefit from the great training by our awesome instructor and the motivation we got from the amazing coaches and support staff.”
“Obtaining a CDA credential proves dedication and commitment to the demands of working in early childhood education. In our industry, working with young children is incredibly rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges,” said Sandra Woodall, EC LEARN’s founder and executive director. “Our CDA graduates leave our program better prepared to meet the dynamic needs of families and children in the Northern Kentucky community and beyond.”
A second cohort of nineteen early childhood professionals began the CDA preparation program this past February and are expected to graduate on November 17. A third cohort of educators will begin their program in August.
-Staff report