Alabama TEACH CDA Application Scholarship

Alabama TEACH CDA Application Scholarship is sponsored by Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

TEACH – Alabama Partnership for Children A program of the Alabama Partnership for Children TEACH Early Childhood® Alabama is a scholarship program that helps early learning professionals increase their level of education and effectiveness in the classroom by making the educational process more attainable and affordable, and by increasing their potential to earn higher wages and reduce staff turnover. What does TEACH stand for?

TEACH stands for Teacher Education and Compensation Helps. TEACH works step-by-step with early childhood educators and child care workers who wish to increase their level of education and effectiveness in the classroom. TEACH provides scholarships, one-on-one counseling, and connections with the best available resources to help remove any barriers to finishing their education.

What Scholarships are Available? Currently, there are three scholarship models available: CDA Assessment Fee, Associate Degree, & Bachelor Degree. What are the goals of TEACH?

To increase the education and effectiveness of early learning professionals To enhance the quality of early learning settings throughout Alabama To promote professionalism and ongoing professional development To decrease the turnover rate in early learning settings More training and education leading to higher professionalism, confidence, and self-esteem Increased compensation and reward for increased education Professional contacts and networks are developed To promote professionalism and ongoing professional development To decrease the turnover rate in early learning settings Enhancement of the quality of their early learning programs Increased compensation encourages providers to stay at their program Increased support for higher education levels for their staff with minimum investment Trusting, caring, and consistent relationships are formed Their provider has early childhood knowledge and experience and knows about their important developmental milestones Higher quality programs better prepare children for school success, and lead to better outcomes overall What do the scholarships cover?

Associate Degree Scholarship: Release time – when applicable Educational bonus and incentives Bachelor’s Degree Scholarship: Release time – when applicable Educational bonus and incentives CDA Assessment Fee Scholarship: 85% of Assessment Fee ($376) $200 bonus upon receipt of credential Who is eligible for TEACH?

You may be eligible for a CDA Assessment or Associate Degree scholarship if you: Work in a DHR licensed child care facility or an Office of School Readiness funded First-Class Pre-K classroom Work a minimum of 30 hours per week Meet wage requirements ($18 or less per hour for child care center teachers and family home providers; $20 or less per hour for child care center directors) Work for a child care center or family child care home that agrees to sponsor you You may be eligible for a Bachelor Degree scholarship if you: Work in a DHR licensed child care facility or an Office of School Readiness funded First-Class Pre-K classroom Work a minimum of 20 hours per week Work for a child care or Pre-K program that agrees to sponsor you Have a minimum of 55 hours of transferable college credit or a previous college degree We currently offer early childhood education associate degree scholarships, bachelors degree scholarships, and CDA Assessment scholarships.

Download the application below for the scholarship in which you are interested: Application for CDA, Associate, and Bachelor’s Degree Scholarship – English Application | Spanish Application for Child Care Center Directors, Child Care Center Teachers, Family Child Care Home Providers, Child Care Center and Preschool Teachers Application for Retention Incentive Program for Child Care Center and Preschool Teachers (TEACH Graduates Only) TEACH Early Childhood® Alabama is a licensed program of Early Years, and is a program of the Alabama Partnership for Children.

TEACH is funded by the Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.

Bevill State Community College Bishop State Community College Calhoun Community College Central Alabama Community College Chattahoochee Valley Community College Coastal Community College Drake State Community College Enterprise State Community College Gadsden State Community College Jefferson State Community College Lawson State Community College Lurleen B.

Wallace Community College Northeast Alabama Community College Northwest-Shoals Community College Reid State Community College Shelton State Community College Snead State Community College Southern Union State Community College Trenholm State Community College Wallace Community College (Dothan) Wallace State Community College (Hanceville) Auburn University – HDFS Program Auburn University at Montgomery Jacksonville State University – FCS Jacksonville State University -ECP The University of Alabama The University of Alabama – HDFS Program The University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama at Huntsville University of Mobile (Tuition Price Agreement) University of North Alabama University of South Alabama University of West Alabama Digital Course Approval Form Tuition/Books Reimbursement Claim Form Bachelor Degree Model Matrix Associate Degree Model Matrix 2024 - 2026 TEACH Advisory Committee Sandra Little – Advisory Committee Chair Child Development Program Director, Southern Union State Community College Ebony Bell – Owner of Jump Start Academy, CDA PDS Specialist, TEACH Recipient Dr. Trellis Calloway – Director, Head Start Collaboration Office Tara Carr – Director of Early Learning, Montgomery Public Schools Arlean Cole – Arlean’s Little Treasures Owner/ CDA Mentor Lindsey DeMarco – Help Me Grow Alabama Director Cristy Dothard – Alabama Early Childhood Association President School Readiness Specialist, Huntsville City Schools Tracy Fuller – Program Manager, Child Care Services Division, Alabama Department of Human Resources Virginia Frazer – Program Assistant Leadership in Child Care Scholarship, Alabama Community Colleges System Sharon Jackson – Owner of Array of Light Childcare, CDA PDS Specialist, Advocate for Family Childcare, TEACH Recipient Delyne Hicks – Director, James Rushton Early Learning Center Dr. Marcie Hill – Child Development Program Director, Wallace State Community College Karen Jared – Partnership Liaison & ECE Apprenticeship Mentor, Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Katie Jeter – Executive Director, Children’s First Foundation Dr. Johnnie Lundin – Faculty/ Associate Professor, Elementary Generalist, Department Chair, Athens State University Dr. Ashley Milner – Dean, School of Education, University of Mobile Dawn Owens – Director, Bold Goals- Montgomery Education Foundation Catrice Pruitt – Director of Programs, Childcare Resources William Seldon – Mentor, Family Child Care Partnerships Dr. Salina Washington – CDA Program Manager, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education Christa Wesley – Head Start Director, Cheaha Regional Head Start TEACH Early Childhood® Alabama and the Alabama Partnership for Children are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all personal information collected.

Any personal data provided to us will be securely stored and used solely for the purposes of program administration, scholarship processing, and related support services. We do not share, sell, or disclose personal information to unauthorized third parties. All staff are trained in data protection practices and are required to uphold strict confidentiality standards.