(Monaca, PA) – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) is among several elite education partners teaming with the Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization (ECEPDO) at the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to provide a free training opportunity, which allows Pennsylvania’s early childhood educators who work at least 25 hours per week providing care to infants and pre‐school aged children in a licensed facility advance their careers through education and professional development. Through a grant funded by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of
Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS), early childhood educators throughout the region can now earn a no-cost Child Development Associate (CDA) micro-credential at CCBC.                                                                                                                                        CCBC’s award comes on the heels of Governor Tom Wolf reaching another milestone that expands early education to more than 3,200 additional young children, including a $30 million increase in state funding so more children can attend a quality pre-k program and the $655 million in federal funding available to help childcare providers stabilize during the pandemic, allowing more parents to return to work.
“Receiving this grant and offering high-quality training programs to early childhood educators, is an investment in our community now and in the future,” said Dr. Katie Thomas, Dean of the School of Business, Arts, Sciences, and Technology. “We are strengthening and building the pipeline of teachers and ensuring that high-quality early learning programs are available to set our children up for success.”
The grant also provides participants with individualized virtual assistance and tuition, fees, and books free of charge.
Instruction is offered in a variety of flexible formats, including face-to-face, online live, and fully online. Courses include Introduction to Early Childhood, Child Development, Health and Safety, Observation and Guidance, and Caring for Infants and Toddlers with all credits transferable towards associate degrees in Education PreK-4 or Early Learning and Development.
This fall, CCBC will also launch its sixth and newest High School Academy for students in grades 11 and
12 interested in careers as educators. The Education Academy provides students at participating schools
the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in diverse educational settings while learning how to prepare developmentally appropriate lessons and learning environments. CCBC’s Education Academy students can earn up to 28 college credits while still working towards a high school diploma.
CCBC is one of 43 institutions nationwide able to offer high school students access to Pell Grant funding
and the High School Academy program is the recipient of the Carnegie Science Award for Leadership in
STEM Education.
For more information, visit dhs.pa.gov and education.pa.gov.
To enroll, contact Jacqueline Black, Professor of Education, at jacqueline.black@ccbc.edu or
724‐480‐3477.