In this episode we hear Dr. Dawn Hendricks, Department Chair of Education and Human Services at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, discuss her department's first in the nation Spanish online Early Childhood Education program. From an initial idea to a grant funded opportunity to develop this unique program to best serve the needs of their community, the program offers an affordable way for Latinx students to positively impact the communities they live in. The initial cohort of 68 in Fall 2021 has now grown to over 250 students enrolled in these courses. The strength and success of the program has also resulted in partnerships with local Resource & Referral agencies, high school dual enrollment programs, early learning and Headstart programs in local schools, and funding from the Willamette Velley Wine Association. Another positive result is that Clackamas is now working on turning the original English language Early Childhood Education courses into online 5-week courses.
Dr. Hendrick's article Breaking Barriers: Creating College Pathway for Latinx, Spanish-Speaking Early Learning Providers also appears as a NACCTEP Now blog post.
