Invest in Your Future with an Early Childhood Endorsement
Published: February 25, 2025
Author: Laura Schaub, Early Childhood Professor and Program Coordinator
Healthy development in early childhood helps prepare children for the educational experiences of kindergarten and beyond. A strong foundation of quality care and learning is imperative, as research has proven that 90% of a child’s brain development occurs by age 5.
Invest In Your Future:
Because of the importance of quality early childhood development, Legislators recognize the need for increased early childhood care and education.
Therefore, the need for care and education is predicted to rise by 20,000 available seats for children in Illinois in the coming years.
Because there is such a great need for quality early childhood teachers in Illinois, Greenville University is partnering with the state of Illinois to offer scholarships through the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE).
The ECACE works like this:
If you work or have worked in early childhood education and you're seeking additional credentials and/or a degree in early childhood education, you could be eligible for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program. The program was created to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators by encouraging the pursuit of credentials and advancement of already-held degrees in early childhood education, aiming to build a strong, well-prepared workforce. If you want to connect to someone who can walk you through all the available educational opportunities, consider completing the Higher Education Navigator Interest Form. A Higher Education Navigator from your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency will reach out to you and can help you find and enroll in the college that best meets your needs.
Awards are available for undergraduate study at public and non-profit private 2- and 4-year Gateways-entitled and Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity member institutions, with priority given to renewal applicants. The scholarship will help pay the applicant's total cost of attendance for an academic year after receiving other financial aid. Please note that awards for the summer term are no longer available. Recipients of the scholarship are expected to continue or return to teaching or direct services in the early childhood care and education field in Illinois after they complete their program of study.
Looking Ahead:
Additionally, Gov. Pritzker signed a fiscal year 2024 budget that includes increased funding for Smart Start Illinois funding, a program aimed at eliminating preschool deserts, ensuring a stable childcare workforce, and expanding early intervention and home visiting programs.
