Dogwood Health Trust recently awarded more than $8.3 million in grants to support organizations to help the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce. The grants were made to 10 nonprofit organizations and educational institutions across the region, including nearly $1 million to McDowell Technical Community College.
All projects seek to increase access to existing ECE credentials, attract new or career-changing adults into the ECE profession and improve working conditions for the existing ECE workers.
Grants were made in response to a request for proposals (RFP) from western North Carolina announced by Dogwood in July.
“The quality of proposals to address early childhood educator workforce challenges speaks to the deep understanding and innovative solutions that exist among our grantee partners,” said Dr. Ereka Williams, vice president—Education at Dogwood Health Trust. “I look forward to seeing the long-term impacts and transformational change in the ECE workforce as a result of these initiatives.”
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“Investing in the workforce behind the workforce — our Early Childhood Educators — is a win for everyone,” said Dr. Susan Mims, CEO for Dogwood Health Trust. “Our children, working families, employers and educators all benefit, resulting in a stronger, healthier and more economically viable region for western North Carolina.”
Grants awarded include:
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Foundation received $510,932 to support Project Blazing Trails: Early Childhood Collegiate Support. The focus of the project is to expand the current program by employing two early childhood education faculty to serve a cohort of at least 60 participants during the duration of the project.
Blue Ridge Community College Education Foundation received $1,000,000 over a five-year period to support the College’s ECE recruiting and success initiative. Funds will support the addition of two ECE recruiting and success coaches, additional adjunct faculty, professional development and Spanish translation of courses and teaching materials.
Children & Family Resource Center of Henderson County received $1,000,000 over a five-year period to support workforce development in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties. Working in partnership with Buncombe County Partnership for Children, funds will be used to recruit and train individuals to become early childhood educator substitutes, which are in incredibly high demand.
McDowell Technical Community College (MTCC) received $985,000 to support its project, A Model Community College Childcare Center: Developing a Playbook to Create More Equitable Workforce Solutions for Early Childcare. By partnering with Centro Unido Latino Americano (CULA) to employ a Latinx workforce coordinator, MTCC plans to triple the number of students of color in their ECE program.
Mountain Projects received $649,286 to support Head Start Workforce, which is responding to current ECE needs as well as the changing demographics of the families it services. Increasing wages and offering education incentives will help retain current ECE staff and recruit new professionals.
More than seven in 10 parents consider their children ‘mini educators’ at home, crediting them for changing attitudes and behaviour towards littering, use of plastic and food consumption. The detailed report, of 1,000 youngsters aged 6 to 12, and their parents, delves into children’s views and insights on how behaviours at home affect the planet as a whole. It found primary schools are influential on issues such as what can be done about climate change and whether the family should eat meat. Children revealed they’d consider recyclables being incorrectly thrown in the bin an illegal offence (33 per cent). And they’d like to see more meat-free meals served in a bid to help the environment, with 36 per cent wanting a way to have their say on government decisions around climate change. The findings were part of a comprehensive report produced by Birds Eye’s Green Cuisine [www.greencuisinegreenpaper.co.uk/], which has been backed by child clinical psychologist, Dr Elizabeth Kilbey. Dr Kilbey said: “I think it’s essential this generation’s voice is heard. “The research has highlighted how children have important views they’d like to be taken seriously by adults on everything from food to the planet. “However, there’s some really interesting insight on their opinions of doing things like cutting meat from their diets a little more to help protect the planet. “Recent stats from YouGov show that there is an increasing trend towards consumers adopting more flexitarian diets, with many believing this is healthier for them - with the added bonus that we know eating more plant-based foods could help to cut carbon emissions by up to 60 per cent. “This research is shining a light on how smart and clued-up kids are in a bid to bring them into the conversations that will impact their futures.” Further insight from the report also revealed over a third (34 per cent) of children have asked an adult if they could eat a meal that doesn’t include any meat - with 42 per cent reckoning they probably wouldn’t notice if meat wasn’t in their meals. While 45 per cent wished adults listened to them more about what food they want to consume. Children revealed they have taught their parents about why littering is bad, how everyone needs to stop using so much plastic - and the importance of trees and plants to the planet; with nine in 10 keen to learn more about how they can do their bit. When it comes to getting rid of waste, 61 per cent of kids have told an adult off for not recycling something they should have. Children also revealed they listen to teachers most when it comes learning about protecting the planet, ahead of TV shows, family and even activists like Greta Thunberg. In a sobering admission from kids, eight in 10 have visibly witnessed pollution like dirty smoke from cars or factories, with 92 per cent saying it’s everyone’s responsibility to look after the planet. While 65 per cent aren’t clued up on the meaning of climate change, according to the OnePoll data. Victoria Westwood, from Green Cuisine, which is launching its ‘love me or I’m free’ on-pack promotion in December, added: “It’s easy to write off what children say sometimes, however, it’s clear many are the mini educators of the household and parents are actually learning from them. “Children are hungry to learn and better the planet, whether that be through small and simple changes like eating less meat-based meals a week or more drastic changes linked to saving energy and reducing pollution. “Our recent study has shown plant-based frozen meals often have a smaller carbon footprint on average compared to red meat. “It’s these small swaps from meat to plant-based meals that we believe can have a really positive impact on our planet.”
Southwestern Child Development received $1,000,000 to support Pathways to Early Learning, which builds upon and advocates for an increase in teacher education leadership through scholarships and apprentice programs, supports bilingual and staff of color to attain credentials, including higher education and ensures racial equity training is required as part of coursework and ongoing professional development.
The Enola Group received $617,697 to support the project, The Three Rs: Recruitment, Retention and Reinforcement of Early Childhood Education. Working in partnership with Western Piedmont Community College, the project will recruit students into the ECE profession by providing them paid on-the-job experiences and retain current ECE teachers by providing them with professional learning opportunities to improve work conditions.
Verner received $748,497 to support the Center for Resilient Educators & Families, which will offer interventions to support ECE teacher mental health, in the form of group therapy services, to ECE center-based teachers and family childcare providers.
WNC Source, formerly known as Western Carolina Community Action, received $987,914 over five years to support Building Blocks for the ECE Workforce. The goal of this project is to increase access to jobs in the ECE profession for individuals who are primarily Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC), first-generation students, and/or live in rural communities by providing training, support and career advancement opportunities.
Western Carolina University received $868,885 to support LEAF in ECE: Leadership, Equity and Access Fellowship in Early Childhood Education. The project will increase the number of classrooms in the region, which are led by LEAF fellows by offering an accelerated licensure program.
Dogwood recently announced the availability of a comprehensive ECE landscape study in October. WNC Early Care and Education Landscape, conducted by North Carolina-based child care services leader and advocate, Child Care Services Association focused on both the early childhood education ecosystem, as well as a review of the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship program and its impact on the ECE workforce in western North Carolina.
