CLC Launches New Program
The Community Learning Center is excited to announce the launch of the Early Childhood Education and Career Training Program, a newly created joint program of the CLC, the Cambridge Office of Early Childhood and the Office of Workforce Development. The purpose of the program is to provide top-notch training for early childhood educators, both to expand the field in general and to meet the staffing needs created by the City of Cambridge’s imminent rollout of universal Pre-K.
The Early Childhood Education and Career Training Program offers two tracks. The internship track, with 11 current students, offers 24 weeks of online classes; a 480-hour paid internship ($17/hr.) at one of seven internship sites in Cambridge (infant-toddler or preschool); weekly in-person classes at the CLC–for which participants are also paid; coaching; and assistance with resume and job search. There are also nine students in the scholarship track, for those already employed in childcare settings.
Participants who finish either program track earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, a national credential that allows holders to serve as either lead teachers or assistant teachers, depending on the state. Earning the certificate is no small task. On top of completing the 480-hour internship, candidates must complete a portfolio, earn pediatric first aid/CPR certification, complete 120 training hours, pass the CDA multiple choice test, and participate in a 2-hour classroom observation conducted by a specialist from the Council for Professional Recognition.
Sarah Figge Hussain, a past CLC volunteer and teacher, was recently hired as the Fulltime Trainings Advisor for the program. Sarah started at CLC as a volunteer classroom aide before joining as a part-time teacher in 2017. She has also been part of the Outreach Team since 2019. In her new role, Sarah conducts outreach to build the program, provides logistical support and coordination, and serves as the class advisor. Her main partner is content expert Rita Rzezuski, also a faculty member at Bunker Hill, who serves as the CDA Educational Coach and ECE Career Training Program class teacher. Rita oversees participants at their internship sites, ensuring that they are having a quality learning experience, and helps them prepare their CDA portfolio and get ready for the site visit.
The new ECE Career Training Program will help the CLC and its partners to elevate the work of the linchpins of healthy families and communities: early childhood educators.
