MDE Invests more than $2.3 million to Grow the Early Childhood and Family Educator Workforce
Funding will support those pursuing early childhood degrees and credentials with scholarships and stipends
MINNEAPOLIS – Today the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) announced that 13 organizations, colleges and universities, and school districts were awarded more than $2.3 million in Grow Your Own Early Childhood and Family Educator Grants to support those pursuing degrees and credentials to serve as early childhood and family educators.
Grantees will use the funds to provide scholarships and stipends to educators pursuing early childhood and parent education degrees and credentials. Schools and early learning programs will also provide programming and support for teacher candidates to help them be successful in their licensure, credential or degree program.
“The early years are some of the most important years for child development. Access to high-quality early learning opportunities helps young children to succeed in school,” said Commissioner Willie Jett. “Early childhood and family educators play an important role in supporting early learners and their families, and these grants will help to grow Minnesota’s early childhood educator workforce.”
Grantees include:
- Minneapolis Community and Technical College will support participants with tuition and wrap around supports for early educators with a focus on supporting Spanish speaking bilingual educators.
- Metropolitan State University will support participants with tuition and wrap around supports for early educators including participants in Head Start and child care programs.
- Regents of the University of Minnesota will provide tuition support for parent educators across the state.
- Faribault Public Schools will provide tuition and wrap around support for early educators in all early childhood care and education program types in the community, including licensed family child care and family friend and neighbor care (FFN)
- Parents in Community Action will provide tuition and wrap around supports for parents in the program interested in becoming early educators.
- New Horizons Child Care will provide tuition and wrap around supports for early educators in child care center programs.
- Shakopee Public Schools will provide tuition and wrap around supports for early educators in school based early childhood education programs, early childhood special education programs, YMCA, and Head Start programs in the community.
- Montessori Training Center of Minnesota will provide scholarships for participants to earn a Montessori Diploma.
- Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools will provide tuition support for parent educators.
- Inter-County Community Council will provide tuition and wrap around supports for early educators, partnering with local child care centers, Supporting the Child Development Associate (CDA) for high school students and community members.
- Parkers Prairie Independent School District 547 will provide tuition and wrap around supports for early educators, including high school students and child care centers with a focus on infant and toddler educators.
- Worthington Independent School District 518 will provide tuition and wrap around supports for early educators in centers and Head Start programs.
- West Central Minnesota Communities Action will provide tuition and wrap around supports for early educators supporting Head Start participants to earn a CDA, Associate of Arts (AA), or Bachelor of Arts (BA).
A second round of Grow Your Own Early Childhood and Family Educator Grant funding will open for applications in late summer or early fall.
Gov. Tim Walz and the 2023 Legislature passed Grow Your Own Early Childhood and Family Educator Grant last spring as an expansion of the existing Grow Your Own Program, which introduces high school students to the profession and supports adult learners who are pursuing an education degree.
Supporting Early Childhood Educators
The grants are part of an effort to support the early childhood workforce in Minnesota.
MDE’s Early Learning Division has developed a number of resources for supporting the early childhood workforce including videos and resource guide to provide information about career pathways, professional development, degree programs, funding resources and more. The Minnesota Knowledge and Competency Frameworks for Early Childhood Professionals include information about skills needed to work with young children and are available in English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong and Vietnamese.
MDE Early Learning Services staff collaborates across state agencies to provide support for the early childhood care and education workforce, including work being done on the Early Childhood Wage Scale, the Dual Training Pipeline, the TEACH Apprenticeship, The Mixed Delivery Actions Labs, and Great Start for All Minnesota Children Task Force.
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