Abstract
Maricopa County’s Human Services Department (HSD) partnership with the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) to provide an innovative approach to address the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education. Through the program, high school students pursuing early education are allowed to complete internships in Head Start model classrooms located on the EVIT campus. By offering hands-on training, the program enables students to acquire essential skills and experience in early childhood education.
Not only does the program benefit participating students, but it also contributes to the local community by creating a highly skilled and talented workforce capable of delivering quality education and care to young children. The program's collaboration with EVIT represents an innovative and targeted approach to addressing the needs of the local community, ensuring that the future workforce is equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality education and care to young children.
Need Addressed by the Program
The pandemic created an unprecedented shortage of education staff across the country, particularly in the early education and childcare industry. The partnership between Maricopa County's HSD and the EVIT offers a solution to this problem by creating pathways toward careers in early education. By providing high school students pursuing early education with the opportunity to complete internships in Head Start model classrooms on the EVIT campus, the program offers valuable hands-on training, equipping students with essential skills and experience in the field. Not only does the program benefit participating students, but it also addresses the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education in the local community. This partnership represents an innovative and targeted approach to addressing community needs, while also promoting workforce development and creating opportunities for the next generation of early childhood education professionals.
Program Description
The partnership established between HSD and the EVIT offers an innovative approach to addressing the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education. The program's objective is to prepare 11th and 12th-grade high school students for employment in early childhood settings by providing hands-on training and mentorship opportunities.
HSD provides Head Start classroom environments for EVIT students to observe HS care and instruction, promoting child growth and development through exposure to evidence-based curriculum and developmentally appropriate teaching practices. Students also participate in the delivery of nutrition services and learn about maintaining safe classrooms. Additionally, the program offers opportunities for students to participate in family engagement activities that promote parent-child relationships, potentially leading to social work pathways. HSD staff also provides mentorship to students, and they learn about vulnerable populations.
The program's time frame for development and implementation is ongoing, with students pursuing early education given the opportunity to complete internships in Head Start model classrooms located on the EVIT campus. This partnership contributes to the local community by addressing the unprecedented shortage of education staff across the country, particularly in the early education and childcare industry. By equipping students with essential skills and experience in the field, the program creates a highly skilled and talented workforce capable of delivering quality education and care to young children.
Maricopa County plays a crucial role in implementing the program by providing Head Start classroom environments for EVIT students to observe and participate in. Additionally, HSD staff offers mentorship opportunities to students, providing valuable insights into vulnerable populations and the challenges of early childhood education.
The contributions of EVIT cannot be overstated, as they provide the campus where the Head Start model classrooms are located and collaborate with HSD to ensure that the program meets the needs of the local community. By providing hands-on training to students pursuing early education, EVIT contributes to the development of a highly skilled and talented workforce that can provide quality education and care to young children in the future.
In conclusion, the partnership established between HSD and EVIT represents an innovative and targeted approach to addressing community needs, promoting workforce development, and creating opportunities for the next generation of early childhood education professionals. By providing high school students with valuable hands-on training and mentorship opportunities, the program prepares them for employment in early childhood settings, addressing the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education in the local community.
Responding to Economic Downturn
The partnership between HSD and the EVIT was established to address the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education. However, the partnership has also played a critical role in responding to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the pandemic spread across the country, many early childhood education centers and schools were forced to close, exacerbating an already-existing workforce shortage in the field. This shortage made it difficult for parents to find quality care for their children, further impacting the economy.
The partnership between HSD and EVIT helped respond to this crisis by expanding access to high-quality models of care and early education. By providing students with hands-on training in Head Start model classrooms located on the EVIT campus, the program offers valuable experience in the field, enabling them to enter the workforce as highly skilled professionals.
Through this program, HSD and EVIT are creating a pipeline of qualified early childhood education professionals who can help meet the growing demand for quality care and education for young children in the community. This not only benefits families who need access to reliable care but also helps to support economic growth by enabling parents to work and contribute to the local economy with the assurance that their children are receiving high-quality care.
Furthermore, the program's collaboration with EVIT represents an innovative and targeted approach to addressing the workforce shortage in the early education and childcare industry. By working with EVIT, the program ensures that students receive hands-on training in Head Start model classrooms, where they can observe and participate in the delivery of nutrition services, maintain safe classrooms, and observe developmentally appropriate teaching practices. This approach is effective in preparing students for the workforce and ensuring that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality education and care to young children.
In summary, the partnership between HSD and EVIT has played a critical role in responding to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By expanding access to high-quality models of care and early education, the program has helped to address workforce shortages in the field and create opportunities for the next generation of early childhood education professionals. This, in turn, benefits families who need reliable care and supports economic growth by enabling parents to work and contribute to the local economy.
Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This partnership advances diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing expanded access and opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in early education and childcare. By offering internships and a range of career pathways, students can choose a career that best aligns with their interests and talents. Additionally, by providing high-level professional development at no cost, the partnership removes financial barriers for students who may not have access to similar opportunities elsewhere. This helps to ensure that the early education workforce is diverse and inclusive, with individuals from a range of backgrounds and experiences contributing to the field.
Program Cost
The implementation of this program is cost-effective and efficient, as it utilizes pre-existing early education classrooms and modifies the space to elevate service delivery. This approach allows the program to be implemented without adding any additional cost to either partner, making it a sustainable solution for addressing the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education in the local community. Additionally, the program provides students with expanded access to complete internships and opt for a range of career pathways while earning a range of certificates, and EED provides high-level professional development at no cost to students. This ensures that the program advances workforce development and promotes equitable access to educational and career opportunities.
Results/Success of the Program
The partnership between Maricopa County's HSD and the EVIT to provide an innovative approach to address the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education has been a resounding success. By offering high school students pursuing early education the opportunity to complete internships in Head Start model classrooms located on the EVIT campus, the program has provided students with invaluable hands-on training in early childhood education.
The program's success lies not only in the benefits it provides to participating students but also in its positive impact on the local community. By creating a highly skilled and talented workforce capable of delivering quality education and care to young children, the program has contributed to the community's economic growth and development. Furthermore, the program's collaboration with EVIT represents an innovative and targeted approach to addressing the needs of the local community.
The program's success is evident in the positive feedback received from participating students, who report feeling more confident and prepared for future careers in early childhood education. Moreover, the program's success is reflected in the quality of education and care provided to young children, which has improved significantly as a result of the program's emphasis on hands-on training and skill acquisition.
The success of the program is a testament to the value of collaboration and innovation in addressing community needs. By working together, HSD and EVIT have created a program that not only benefits students but also contributes to the growth and development of the local community. The program's continued success bodes well for the future of early childhood education in Maricopa County and beyond.
Outcomes
The partnership established between HSD and EVIT is aimed at providing high school students pursuing early education with the opportunity to complete internships in Head Start model classrooms located on the EVIT campus. This collaboration provides hands-on training for students, enabling them to acquire essential skills and experience in early childhood education.
The program not only benefits the participating students but also contributes to the local community by addressing the growing demand for high-quality early childhood education. By allowing students to train in Head Start model classrooms, the program helps ensure that the future workforce is equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality education and care to young children.
The partnership between HSD and EVIT represents an innovative and targeted approach to addressing the needs of the local community. By working collaboratively with EVIT, the program creates a highly skilled and talented workforce capable of delivering quality education and care to young children.
This program demonstrates a commitment to innovative and targeted approaches to addressing community needs, builds a pathway to employment in high-quality early education settings and higher educational attainment while also promoting workforce development and creating opportunities for the next generation of early childhood education professionals.