MCC to Offer Free Early Childhood Education Courses this Spring

Middlesex Community College provides students with opportunities to set them up for success. For the Spring 2021 semester, Middlesex is offering free courses to Early Childhood Education (ECE) students who are working in the field and want to start their academic pathway. Classes are offered online and are funded through the ECE Career Pathways grant and the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC).

“MCC’s ECE department’s programmatic mission is to provide students with the educational background and supervised training needed to work with young children,” said Nancy Pynchon, MCC’s Coordinator of the ECE Career Pathways Grant. “With a child-centered focus, program emphasis is on developmentally and culturally appropriate practices as set forth and recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.”

Lowell-native Bernadette Baird is hoping to graduate from the program by Summer of 2021.

“MCC is helping me to achieve my goal of being a certified lead teacher by providing classes and programs designed to meet that goal,” she said. “The classes I was interested in were offered online, tuition is affordable, and I was fortunate enough to qualify for an EEC grant which helps immensely.”

Working full-time as a preschool teacher, Sovannara Tommy Reth – from Lowell – chose to come to Middlesex because of the college’s flexible course offerings.

“I wanted to grow and expand my education within the early childhood field,” Reth said. “MCC is offering a grant funded program and helping me with my professional development and allowing me to move up slowly and gradually.”

The grant provides students with funding toward college tuition, course materials, fees, tutoring services and career and college advising. The courses go towards completion of an associate or certificate program. ECE now offers two new certificates in addition to the currently offered Child Development Associate Plus (CDA+) credential – which qualifies students to apply for an Early Childhood Teacher certification.

Students are prepared to provide classroom support for children and other teachers in the Assistant Teacher certificate program, and are encouraged to apply if they are new to the field and want to gain knowledge and experience. In the Leadership certificate, students who have at least six months of lead teacher experience hone their leadership skills and gain research-based best practices, professional standards and competencies, and licensure requirements.

The ECE Career Pathways grant is available for eligible students who are pursuing their CDA and coursework towards their EEC certification. Registration is ongoing and fills up quickly.

For more information, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/education/pathwayspg.aspx or contact Nancy Pynchon at pynchonn@middlesex.mass.edu or 978-226-8256.

MCC’s Spring semester starts on January 26. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration or call 1-800-818-3434 to register for courses.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!