Honoring our Graduates—Several Teachers Earn Degrees!
Our teachers are the heart of Children’s Village—and central to our commitment to achieving the highest standard of excellence. Research affirms that program quality is directly linked to teacher compensation and education. Teachers must have the knowledge, skills, and values that foster children’s development, learning, and well-being.
”I am incredibly proud of our teachers, whose academic pursuits reflect their dedication to the early childhood education profession and to the young children entrusted to their care. Children’s Village has continued to achieve national accreditation because we have educators who truly understand the power of a high-quality learning environment and work tirelessly to provide it, “ says Mary Graham, Executive Director, Children’s Village.
We are especially honored to highlight teachers who have advanced their education and earned degrees this past academic year:
Adriana Estrella Perez - Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education*
Nancy Gerena Aponte - Bachelor of Arts plus Early Childhood Education Certification*
Mariecielo Gueco - Associate in Arts, Major: Ed Early Child-Birth-4th grade*
Jazmyn Lundy-Reid - Associate in Arts in Early Childhood Education*
Jha’Nyse Lundy-Reid - added 30 Early Childhood Education credits to her Associate in Arts*
Theresa Mettee - Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education**
Ann Ng - Associate in Arts, Major: Ed Early Child-Birth-4th grade
Alex Panea - Master of Arts in Education - Teaching, Learning and Curriculum*
Olivia Siegel - Bachelor of Arts in Music Therapy
Bernadette Sproul - Associate in Arts in Early Childhood Education**
Vivian Tai - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Childhood Studies Minor
*Earned degree through T.E.A.C.H.** Earned ECE Certification through T.E.A.C.H. ***Earned a portion of credits through T.E.A.C.H. To learn more about T.E.A.C.H., scroll down.
You can view the beaming faces of some the incredible recent graducates below!
T.E.A.C.H.—Increasing the Education, Compensation, and Retention of Early Childhood Teachers
To relieve the financial burden of pursuing a degree or credential in early childhood education, Children’s Village partners with T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) Early Childhood Pennsylvania.
T.E.A.C.H. helps pay for most of the cost of coursework at participating colleges/universities (toward a degree or credential in early childhood) during an individual’s part- or full-time service at Children’s Village (or other eligible child care program). T.E.A.C.H. also helps with tuition, books, travel, paid time off, and college counseling. Individuals become eligible for a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship after working 1,250 hours.
“Children’s Village invests in T.E.A.C.H. and the scholars—paying a portion of tuition, providing paid release time for classes and coursework, and issuing a stipend or raise at the end of each program year. And this investment pays important dividends. In return, our T.E.A.C.H. scholars commit to working with us at least one year after graduation. T.E.A.C.H. has helped Children’s Village diversify our teaching staff, including hiring several family members of students/former students,” says Mary Graham, Executive Director.