Early Childhood Education Career Fair at SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start
From scholarship opportunities, to enrolling in early childhood education courses to getting a tuition-free degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, would-be teachers were treated to a collaborative preschool education career fair on Monday, April 17 in the Multipurpose Room at the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus.
“We want potential teacher candidates to see what our SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS), SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) and Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) have to offer,” said Carolyn Jason, HS/EHS interim program director. “We are excited about this collaboration and how it will benefit the community.”
“The School of Education, Health and Human Behavior has scholarship opportunities available through their ECHOS (Early Childhood On-Site) program,” continued Jason. “SWIC offers an associate’s degree in early childhood. And if you work for our SIUE Head Start program, you can get your bachelor’s degree in early childhood education for free.”
The fair was an informative and comprehensive way for those invested in the community who want to become early childhood educators, according to Natasha Flowers, PhD, SEHHB assistant dean for anti-racism, equity, and inclusion, and faculty liaison for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) initiative.
The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program serves more than 860 families and children birth through age five, including children with special needs, throughout St. Clair County. The program also provides services to expectant mothers. The program is housed in 12 early childhood centers, seven managed directly by SIUE staff and five collaborations. The program includes a rigorous school readiness program and provides comprehensive services, such as health/ dental screenings and family engagement and support activities.
Photo:
(L-R): Lisa Tate, SIUE HS/EHS assistant program director/center operations; Jennifer Cummings, SIUE SEHHB students services; Sara Seitz, of Children’s Home & Aide; Stacie Kirk, PhD, SEHHB professor of early childhood; Yvette Schultz, SWIC ECE student success coordinator; Carolyn Beal, SWIC program coordinator/instructor in early childhood education; Michelle Wright, SIUE instructor in early childhood; Flowers and Jason.
