ECE REACH and EDvance College: Creating Meaningful Impacts for Latina Women

Felton Institute’s ECE REACH (Early Care and Education, Realizing Employment and Creating Hope), is a groundbreaking Latina-focused workforce development initiative that elevates opportunity in the Latino community and beyond. The early childhood apprenticeship program in San Francisco offers an accelerated career pathway, tackling historical barriers to employment for Latina women. ECE REACH is a lifeline for first-generation college students, immigrant Latinas, and other underserved adults and transitional-aged youth. Building upon these objectives and goals, ECE REACH partnered with EDvance College, a newly accredited institution of higher education that serves the early childhood education workforce by providing a remote, affordable and accessible bachelor’s degree program for early care and education (ECE) educators working full-time. This unique collaboration empowers Latina women and future generations. ECE REACH Program Director Gigi Munoz emphasized the value of fostering a supportive and collaborative environment with EDvance College that meets participants where they’re at in their personal and professional journey. “We empower them in their growth and give them a vision of what a successful journey will look like,” she said.

ECE REACH and EDvance College elevates Latina women and demonstrates their capacity to create meaningful impacts on economic mobility and professional advancement in the early childhood education sector. Dr. Lygia Stebbing, President and Founder of EDvance College explained, “typical early childhood educators make minimum wage and you’re asking them to go back to school, get a degree while working full time, and juggling family life.” EDvance College provides a multidimensional, remote bachelor’s program that works with students so that they graduate and successfully enter the early care and education workforce. In addition, the college is also focused on elevating native Spanish speakers. “We have a commitment to supporting dual language learners in the classroom,” Dr. Stebbing explained. Ms. Munoz said of ECE REACH’s partnership with the college, “they understand what the barriers are and understand the needs of what’s happening in the field.” Dr. Stebbing added, “Everything we do is in collaboration and alignment with Felton Institute and the ECE REACH program.”

ECE REACH graduate Lesvia Morataya is currently enrolled in EDvance College. “Education is always a goal,” Ms. Morataya said of her continuing commitment to early care and education. Her enrollment at EDvance has inspired her to “increase my levels of achievement for my children, so they know they can accomplish it as well.” Ms. Morataya commends ECE REACH for providing her with the skills she needed to work in different classroom settings prior to attending EDvance College. Describing the benefits of this preparatory phase, she shares, “I learned how important it is to work and build relationships with families and children, especially children with different capabilities and support.” Working with children in an inclusive setting, Ms. Munoz said of Ms. Morataya, “She naturally has that nurturing understanding of children with different capabilities.” Ms. Morataya ultimately said of the program, “I felt empowered.”

ECE REACH’s partnership with EDvance College is a groundbreaking endeavor that uplifts Latina women by creating pathways to educational success and economic mobility. Ms. Munoz said, “We’re doing something that is new and innovative. I look forward to continuing to contribute to meaningful change.”

If you would like to know more about ECE REACH (Early Care and Education, Realizing Employment And Creating Hope), please visit our program page, email us at ecereach@felton.org, or call (415) 282-1090 ext. 509.