Abstract

The grant proposal for the Reach Program for Early Childhood Educators will help early childhood education teachers continually increase their knowledge and skills, focusing on children's individual needs and resources for their own classrooms. It is evident that a lack of professional development resources remains an ongoing problem. According to an article by Harvard, "preschool teachers and daycare professionals are among the lowest-paid educators in the field, often receiving few resources for professional development" (Bauld, 2019). The findings regarding education in early childhood are always evolving. Therefore, early childhood educators should be provided with the funding necessary to increase their skills and knowledge and keep themselves updated in current research, especially regarding individual needs in their classroom and students. The lack of resources in the field has been shown to affect motivation and engagement among teachers; however, when they are provided the right resources in their Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDP), they "were more likely to have consistent quality in their classroom environments, to remain in the field of early care and education, and to pursue their educational goals" (MacDonald, 71).

With this grant, teachers will have funding to increase their IPDP opportunities and experiences. The grant will help ECE teachers afford accessible courses and training depending on their needs in their own classroom and students. This grant will provide teachers and help the program to:

1. Provide funds for professional development opportunities for teachers such as "coaching, mentoring, workshops, conferences, visits to other schools, and courses" (MacDonald, 76),

2. Increase flexibility for teachers in choosing professional learning opportunities related to their needs in their classrooms and students,

3. "Enhance educators’ skills to meet best the needs of every child in their care" (MacDonald, 68),

4. Provide high-quality education that is based on current research and findings.

Citations

Bauld, A. (2019). Making professional development work for early educators. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/19/10/making-professional-development-work-early-educators

Karges-Bone, L., & Krueger, B. (2011). The educator's guide to grant$: Grant-writing tips and techniques for schools and non-profits (2nd ed.). Dayton, OH: Lorenz Educational Press.

MacDonald, Susan. Inspiring early childhood leadership (p. 109). Gryphon House Inc. Kindle Edition.