The grant, named “Project SEED: Increasing the Diversity, Quality, and Quantity of Our ECE Workforce” aims to eliminate any barrier that would prevent students with diverse backgrounds from applying and successfully completing a degree in birth through five education. It ultimately intends to prepare a more diverse set of educators who will create fair learning environments for Georgia’s youngest children.
The project will provide culturally and linguistically diverse students pathways to earn a four-year degree in birth through five education.
Through this opportunity, French-Lee and Durden will collaborate with several partner schools and organizations, such as Atlanta Public Schools, the Black Child Development Institute-Atlanta, Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, the Technical College System of Georgia, United Way of Greater Atlanta and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta.
The grant recipients hope this project will provide a model for other states to adopt and give beneficial impacts for students and teachers in Georgia.
French-Lee said that the grant provides an important opportunity for Georgia State University and partners to professionalize birth through five early-care and education via formal teacher preparation and professional development. He added that professionalization of the field positively impacts the quality of early learning experiences for children and families and strengthens their advocacy efforts for better wages for birth through five teachers.
For more information about Project SEED, please visit https://education.gsu.edu/ecee/academicsecee/support-for-project-seed-scholars.