T.E.A.C.H.

Are you a teacher working in early childhood? Are you interested in advancing your education? Pediatrics Plus is a sponsor center for Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.), a licensed scholarship program through the Arkansas Early Childhood Association. This program is a national, evidence-based strategy that creates access to higher education for early childhood teachers. T.E.A.C.H. provides comprehensive scholarships to enable early educators to take coursework leading to advanced credentials and degrees. Details of the program are listed below:

• Provides scholarships to take coursework for early childhood educators while working in a child-care facility.

• Agreement between sponsored employer, university/degree program, and T.E.A.C.H.

• T.E.A.C.H. pays for 80% of tuition and books, $200 travel stipend each semester, $500 reimbursement for new laptop, and $700 in bonuses for teachers who complete their contract with sponsored employer.

• Employee/Student pays 10% of tuition and cost of books.

• Sponsored employer pays 10% of tuition, $300 in bonuses for teachers who complete their contract, and 3 hours/week of paid release time to complete coursework.

• T.E.A.C.H. provides administrative and counseling support while in the program.

• Recipients must attend classes and complete at least 9 semester hours towards a certificate or degree in early childhood education during the contract year.

• Must maintain a "C" or higher in required classes.

• Must work 30 hours/week in early childhood with sponsored employer.

• Must agree to work one year in return for a bonus after completion of scholarship year/program at sponsored employer site.