Get Free Early Childhood Courses and Training
MWCC has been awarded a grant for Massachusetts residents that allows us to help interested students and early childhood educators advance their careers. Students receive free courses, books, and the Child Development Associate (CDA) verification visit and exam required to earn the CDA credential. You will also receive free English-language tutoring support and one-on-one advising.
Bonus – as funding allows, we can offer students stipends, free professional training, and college courses for early childhood educators. The amount of the annual Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathways grant is determined by the MA Department of Early Education and Care (EEC).
How to get free courses in Early Childhood Education
MWCC ECE Career Pathways has a dedicated Career Coach/Outreach Counselor to work with students who are eligible for the grant. The ECE Counselor helps new students enroll and continues to be the first line of contact with MWCC as students take grant-funded courses. The ECE Counselor also helps students to re-apply if they have not taken any courses at MWCC in over a year.
Who is eligible for the ECE Career Pathways Grant?
This is not a grant based on financial need. It is a grant to help alleviate the early childhood educator shortage and increase the education levels of educators who are already in the field. If you meet the criteria below, you will most likely qualify. (Elementary education, Early Intervention specialists, nannies, and ABA assistants are not eligible.)
MWCC Education tracks must be Child Development Associate Credential (CDA), Early Childhood Education Certificate (ECE), Early Childhood Education Career degree (ECC), and Early Childhood Education Transfer Degree (ECT for Early Childhood).
Participants must be currently either:
-
- employed in a paid position at an EEC licensed or license-exempt program,
- intend to secure paid employment in an EEC licensed or license-exempt program of at least 20 hours per week, within 6 months of beginning the grant-funded program and with the assistance of job placement support from the college; or
- be a recent or near future graduate of Chapter 74 or other high-school-based programs with the goal of a career in early education or out-of-school time
We can help with placements for applicants who want to work with children in family childcare, center-based childcare, Headstart programs, public or private preschool, out-of-school-time (OST) care, or other EEC-licensed or licensed exempt programs who are not yet employed.
What are the Requirements for each of our Education Programs
Click here to view the pdf version.
