Early Education Leaders, an Institute at UMass Boston, announces today that 15 students have been selected as Early Childhood Fellows who will receive full scholarships to earn their bachelor’s degree in early education from UMass Boston. The Fellows are a mix of experienced early educators working in family child care, early care and education centers, out-of-school time programs, and preschool settings as well as those who are new to the field. The Fellowship is funded with a grant from the city of Boston to develop a pipeline of racially, linguistically, and culturally diverse early educators. All of the Fellows have committed to work in the city of Boston as early educators for at least three years after graduating with their degree. The Fellowship currently has 57 students enrolled and has graduated seven since its launch in late 2022.
“We are thrilled to welcome these students to UMass Boston. They are a talented group who come from a range of culturally diverse backgrounds. But what they all have in common is a deep curiosity to learn, expand their knowledge and skills, and work with young children,” said Kori Lantas, MA, Interim Director of the Early Childhood Fellowship.
The Fellows were formally welcomed to UMass Boston during a dinner reception held on campus August 2.
Speakers included Lantas, Kristin McSwain, a Senior Advisor to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Director of the City’s Office of Early Childhood, Paula Gaviria Villarreal, Child Care Analytics and Program Director, in the City’s Office of Early Childhood, Anne Douglass, PhD, founder and executive director of Early Education Leaders and a professor of early education at UMass Boston, Natalie Calixto, Mentor for the Early Childhood Fellowship, and Carolyn J. McFadden, Education Advisor, and Carmen Peneda, Senior Education Advisor, of MassEdCo Boston Area Education and Career Planning Center.
Steve Gross, CEO of Playmakers University, which teaches educators how to use play to help young children heal from trauma resulting from homelessness, abuse, and/or community violence, gave a keynote welcome to the students. He emphasized the importance of the work of early educators by comparing it with brain surgery.
“People think this work is easy. They say, ‘Hey, it’s not brain surgery,’” Gross said. “They’re right. It’s not brain surgery. It’s harder! Brain surgeons only deal with one brain at a time and it’s under anesthesia. You’re responsible for a bunch of brains that are developing in very young, active, curious children.”
Pausing for laughter, Gross continued in a more serious vein. “Your work could not be more important. Working with children is one of the most important jobs out there,” said. “You make a difference. You change lives. In some cases, you save them.”
Douglass noted the contributions the Fellowship will make to the city’s pool of qualified, experienced early educators by removing many of the obstacles faced by early educators seeking their bachelor’s degree, the most significant of which are the financial costs of an undergraduate degree.
“We value our partnership with the city of Boston. We’re thrilled to collaborate on this initiative to cultivate, sustain, and retain the early educator workforce in Boston,” said Douglass. “The Fellowship not only removes financial barriers, but it also meets the needs of students who must balance academic demands with professional and family responsibilities.”
UMass Boston’s Bachelor of Arts program in early education serves approximately 300 students overall and graduates approximately 70 each year. Courses are offered during the day, at night, and online, making the degree program accessible to experienced educators already working in the field who are seeking to upskill as teachers and leaders as well as those who are new to the profession. The program is intentionally structured to be welcoming to those who have historically faced barriers to higher education such as immigrants and first-generation students. Programmatic supports, such as dedicated academic and writing tutors, and relational supports, such as mentor and cohort connections are built into the program. As a result, UMass Boston’s education BA program has the most racially and linguistically diverse student body of any institution of higher education in Massachusetts and two-thirds of UMass Boston’s early education graduates are BIPOC women.
