Early Childhood Education Scholarship

Early Childhood Education Scholarship

Blog Squad @ Kids Matter

The Child Care Council of Kentucky and KIDS MATTER® are pleased to announce two scholarships ($500 each) to students in the field of Early Childhood Education. 

One scholarship will be awarded to a student enrolled in college in the state of Kentucky and the other scholarship will be awarded to a student enrolled in a college outside the state of Kentucky. 

Applications are currently OPEN.

Applications will be accepted through January 18th, 2014.

Applications are available HERE.

Winners will be notified via phone or email.

KIDS MATTER® promotes education as one of its key components. 

Previous Winners: 

2012 KY - Jamie Hobbs, Other State - August Kummerfeldt (WA)

2011 KY - Marie Noble, Other State - No entries

2010 KY - Erin Wheatley, Other State - Melinda Emge (MO.)

Kids Matter® Invest Early, Invest Often

The Benefits of Early Childhood Education

“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.” – John F. Kennedy

We all know the earlier our children begin learning the better. Whether it’s listening to music in the womb, reading to your child before you tuck them in at night, or enrolling your child in preschool, the benefits of early childhood education are endless. But what are these benefits? Can you name them? When you hear of funding being cut, teachers losing jobs, school buildings being outdated, and resources being scarce, does it ever really hit home? Do you ever stop to think about the long term consequences of living in a society that does not place the highest importance on educating its population?

Evidence shows that early childhood education may reduce delinquency rates, dependence on welfare, and even arrest rates. Sure, it can be a costly investment initially, but the return on that investment can yield countless benefits. Evidence also shows that early childhood education improves a child’s social skills early on. These same kids also go on to do better in school and are more likely to pursue higher education. The United States Department of Labor reported that, in 2012, a person with a bachelor’s degree, on average, earned $1,066 per week. However, a worker with only a high school degree earned $652 per week. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for a person with a bachelor’s degree, in 2012, was 4.5% compared to 8.3% for a high school graduate (link). These statistics highlight the link between education and higher wages, but the benefits of early childhood education reach far beyond one’s own bank account. With drops in delinquency and arrest rates, we see prisons, often funded with tax payer money, become less crowded. And with a drop in welfare dependence, we may finally see a break in the cycle of poverty for families who have struggled for generations.

The consequences of an uneducated workforce can not only weaken our economy, but it can also diminish our role on the global stage as other countries produce educated workers qualified to do the jobs of the future. It all begins with access to early childhood education, so the next time you hear of decreased funding, call or write your state representatives and make your voice heard. It is only when people like you and I make education a priority that our government and society will do the same. 

Lynnsey @ Kids Matter

May to August Educational Bridge

“Woo-hoo, schools out!” A time for cheer and adventure, but also a time for “what they don’t know won’t hurt them”. Sneaking in a little learning won’t hurt them. Learning should not stop just because the school doors close for a few months. A child’s mind needs constant “food” to grow. As parents, we need to figure out ways to keep the child learning without making it seem as if they were swooped from one school into another. Sometimes, when faced with a task such as this, parents become unnerved and don’t know where to start. The task becomes work when it should not. The main thing we need to remember is keep it simple and fun.

·         Read a favorite childhood book – My son had a “very favorite book in the whole wide world.” It was Fox and the Hound. I have discovered while reading this book to his son that I can interject stories of my reading it to his Dad. He loves knowing he is doing something that his Daddy loves and it brings excitement to an already fun-filled book.

·         Have a book themed event – Let’s say you want to pull out the old classic, Cinderella. Oh, what a wonderful theme for a day that could be and how exciting for the child. Have the child pick a character from the book that they would like to be. Don’t automatically assume the child will pick Cinderella. The mice in the story add a lot of enthusiasm and adventure. Now the fun begins: you can play dress-up, create masks, eat cheese, grow a pumpkin, or even do chores like Cinderella. Your book themed day is only limited by your imagination, so think fun and exciting.

·         On the road word search – Learning is not only limited to a brick and mortar foundation, but also can be a traveling school on wheels. Take your education to the road on that trip to the grocery store. Choose a word to search for on the way. How about the word “sale” for starters. This activity inspires the child to read every day words they see in the community. The child will be reading signs all over town in order to find the word “sale”. You make the rules of the game. One possibility would be to see how many times the word could be found and the winner gets a small prize. Another possibility could be to choose another word after “sale” has been found. The trick is to keep them reading.

What tricks do you have for keeping your child learning and bridging the gap from May to August?

Belinda @ Kids Matter