SC Endeavors presents funding to early childhood education program

SC Endeavors recently presented Aiken Technical College’s early childhood education program with $19,500 in funding to support program needs and professional development opportunities.

SC Endeavors is a professional development program in the South Carolina Department of Social Services Division of Early Care and Education.

“Our mission is to support the continuous growth and improvement of early education programs and professionals to create positive outcomes for young children and their families in South Carolina,” said SC Endeavors State Director Melissa Starker.

The total of $19,500 in funding includes:

• A $6,500 grant from the McDonald Early Education Support Fund;
• $3,000 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation Support Grant; and
• $10,000 in funding to support early childhood workforce development. The Division of Early Care and Education received additional funding authorized by the Biden Administration and Congress to administer the funds supporting such efforts. As a result, each technical college in South Carolina has been allocated $10,000 to support its early childhood education programs, said Starker.

 “We are extremely grateful for the assistance that has been provided to the faculty and students in the early childhood program at Aiken Technical College. SC Endeavors has been a true blessing to the early childhood program,” said Lynda Altman, lead instructor for the College’s early childhood education program.

The funding will benefit students and instructors in several ways, she added.

It will help purchase materials for students to use in lab activities and their field placements, bring in adjunct instructors to share their knowledge and experiences with students, and enable faculty to attend the NAEYC National Conference and accreditation seminars to ensure continued program compliance with national standards.

“Aiken Technical College has been a leader in this community for quality academic programming—the college’s early childhood department has achieved national recognition for its quality through NAEYC accreditation,” shared Starker during the presentation to Altman and campus administrators. “Your achievement of NAEYC accreditation has created more equitable access to education and to the readiness and competence of the graduates you are sending into the field.”

For more about Aiken Technical College’s early childhood education programs, please visit https://www.atc.edu/Study/Programs-of-Study/General-Education-University-Transfer/Early-Care and https://www.atc.edu/Study/Programs-of-Study/General-Education-University-Transfer/Childcare-and-Childhood-Development.