EMPOWER TO EDUCATE
Support for Beginning a Career in Child Care
Do you love working with children? Are you interested in a meaningful career in child care and early childhood education? Empower to Educate is here for you. You will receive personal support from a local Workforce Advisor who can help guide you on your path. Our program also offers financial support, free training options, job placement support, and an opportunity to be mentored by an experienced early childhood educator.
Our 14 workforce advisors around the state have already assisted over 200 aspiring early educators, with another 500 currently in the program. We have 14 current mentor-mentee pairs (as or March 2024). Seventy-nine percent of surveyed participants reported that they were very satisfied with the program; another 19% were satisfied.
Empower to Educate is helping me become the best early childhood teacher I can be by providing me with resources and trainings I need and want! Having someone else help guide me in the right direction is the kind of help and gentle push I needed being a busy teacher and busier mother!
– Taylor
Empower to Educate has provided me with resources I didn’t even know were available throughout my learning journey! I always knew I wanted to work with children but didn’t know where to start. Empower to Educate has paved the path for me and is there to answer any questions I have!
– Chelsea
Empower to Educate helps current and aspiring early childhood educators begin, advance, and sustain their child care careers.
We offer:
- Personal support from a local Workforce Advisor.
- $300 to help you complete training requirements.
- $600 after working in a Minnesota child care program for six months.
- A free training package in English, Spanish, or Somali.
- Job skills training like resume writing and interview coaching
- Help accessing and navigating technology
- Connect to low- to no-cost college classes and early childhood certificate programs
- The Empower to Educate Mentorship Program
Be part of an exciting and supportive Empower to Educate community as you begin and advance your child care career. We are here to support you every step of the way!
Empower to Educate Participants must:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Be able to pass a background study
- Be interested in a career at a licensed or certified child care program in Minnesota
- Complete and sign an Empower to Educate Participant Agreement Form
Empower to Educate participants are:
- New to the field educators, people interested in beginning careers at licensed or certified child care center programs or family child care programs
- Educators recently working in the field, aides, substitutes
- People with some college-level education but have never worked in the child care or early education field
- Educators recently working in the field with some professional development and are interested in beginning a career path with additional coursework or training
- Reach out to your local Workforce Advisor through the Empower to Educate interest form to connect and get started.
- Attend a Empower to Educate information session in-person or online.
- Along with your Workforce Advisor, complete the Empower to Educate onboarding process including:
- Completing the Empower to Educate Participant Agreement Form
- Creating an account with Develop
- Registering for training
- Completing the Empower to Educate Participation Questionnaire
Questions or concerns? Reach out to us at EmpowerToEducate@childcareawaremn.org. We’re here to help!
