Enhancing Early Childhood Education: How UH Mānoa and Honolulu CC are Strengthening the Workforce Together

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Person helping kids in a garden

The Hawaiʻi Early Childhood Educator Excellence and Equity (ECE³) Project at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is on a mission. They want to break down the barriers in early childhood education and create better opportunities for those who want to enter the field. For too long, things like low pay and limited training have held back potential educators.

To tackle these challenges, they are introducing new training programs to support students. This effort involves collaboration with local colleges and organizations.

Person helping kids in a classroom

One major initiative is a new apprenticeship program launched in partnership with Honolulu Community College and Keiki O Ka ʻĀina Family Learning Centers (KOKA). This is the first registered early childhood education apprenticeship program in the state.

The program is designed as an “earn while you learn” opportunity. Apprentices can work full-time while studying for a three-year associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECED). With each new milestone they achieve, their pay increases.

Meet Chenelle Christian, one of the program’s first apprentices. She works as an aide at KOKA’s Ka Pua Preschool in Māʻili, Oʻahu. Chenelle dreams of becoming a lead preschool teacher or even starting her own daycare.

With the support of her husband and their four sons, ages 5 to 14, Chenelle enrolled at Honolulu Community College in the 2023–24 academic year. She believes that the combination of work and study has been a game-changer for her.

“This apprenticeship fits my learning style perfectly. I get to use what I learn from my mentors and teachers while working with kids,” Chenelle shared. She feels grateful for her supportive instructors and is on track to complete her first milestone, a Child Development Associate credential, by May 2025.

This apprenticeship initiative truly reflects the commitment of the University of Hawaiʻi to prepare students for current and future career opportunities in early childhood education.

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