Designed to empower first-generation, non-traditional college and immigrant apprentices through an Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce development pipeline, this groundbreaking initiative provides comprehensive support services tailored to meet the unique needs of this workforce.
Officially launched in January 2023, Felton’s Workforce Development and Success initiative is designed to support new and incumbent ECE workforce. Under the umbrella of this program is ECE REACH (Early Care and Education, Realizing Employment and Creating Hope), an Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program and a collaborative effort between Felton Institute, MEDA (Mission Economic Development Agency), Foothill College and EDvance College.
Our Program Objectives
Our goal is to address the early childhood educator crisis in San Francisco County by creating a new pipeline of trained educators and by supporting the existing workforce through education and career advancement opportunities.
We are dedicated to ensuring that the Felton Institute Early Care & Education programs effectively meet the linguistic and cultural needs of the children we serve. Our aim is to affirm their identities by offering education and employment opportunities to individuals from the same communities as the children under our care.
Program Overview
Our Services
Our program offers enrolled participants:
- A supportive cohort learning community
- A learning environment built on Asset-Based and Competency-Based Education approaches
- Work placements and internships
- Mentoring by experienced mentor teachers
- Related and contextualized instruction
- Access to enhanced support services and financial incentives
- Financial literacy and wealth-building skill development
- A pathway to earning a nationally recognized credential and/or degree
Who We Serve
Participant demographics include individuals who are:
- Members of a new and incumbent workforce connected via services and/or employment with Felton Institute, MEDA, or other Early Learning San Francisco programs
- Latina identified, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color)
- Youth (in high school and/or 18-24 years old)
- Primary caregivers (24 and above)
- Low-income individuals with household earnings below the poverty line
- Immigrant, foreign-born individuals
- English Language Learners (ELL)
- Experiencing housing insecurity, and/or unemployment, or underemployment
ECE REACH Apprenticeship Model
- Two-Generation Approach
- Financial Literacy & Wealth Building
- Enhanced Supports and Incentives
- Asset-Based, Competency-Based and Practice-Based
- Accessible, Diverse, and Inclusive
- Cohort Learning Community
Select the Level that Suits You Best!
Participants of all ECE REACH Levels earn:
- $1000 educational stipend per semester
- CPR/First Aid Training certificate
- Mandated Child Abuse & Neglect Training certificate
- Academic tutoring and support
ECE REACH Tier 1: The Teacher’s Assistant Apprenticeship
- Earn 18 ECE college credits in three semesters
ECE REACH Tier 2: Teacher Apprenticeship (AA degree)
- Earn 60 college credits an Associate of Arts (AA) degree, including 24 ECE units and 3 supervised field experience units.
ECE REACH Tier 3: The Lead Teacher Apprenticeship (BA Degree)
- Earn 60 additional college credits (120 total) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, including 24 ECE units, 6 units in administration + 2 units in adult supervision.
Program Benefits for Participants
Through a collective impact approach, ECE REACH offers accelerated ECE degree attainment and career pathways, tackling historical barriers to employment and career advancement.
After ECE REACH program completion and graduation, the academic, work-based learning, professional, and career development leads to:
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Entry points into birth-to-eight professional roles and career advancement in the Early Care and Education field.
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Foundational core knowledge and competencies in child development.
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Core knowledge and competencies for early care and education professionals.
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Access to career opportunities with a starting rate of $28 per hour for an entry-level position in an ECE setting or a higher rate depending on the role.
Apply For Our Next Cohort
Are you a first-generation college student or immigrant interested in pursuing a career in early childhood education? Join us in our mission to empower the ECE workforce and break down barriers to employment. Apply now to start your journey towards a rewarding career in ECE!
Click the “Apply Now” button below to submit your application. After your application is received, an ECE REACH program staff member will contact you about the next steps.
We encourage applicants to prepare by collecting the following information/documents:
- Immunization record, including COVID-19 Vaccination
- Health Screenings
- Unofficial transcript(s) for any college coursework (as applicable)
- Driver’s License, Passport, or other form of identification
Success During Pilot Year (2023)
- 34 Participants Enrolled & Completed the Pre-Apprenticeship
- 80% retention rate
- 100% earned 18 child development college units
- 100% earned Associate Teacher Credentials
CONTACT INFORMATION
Service Area: The City and County of San Francisco, with a focus on the Mission, Excelsior, Bayview and Visitation Valley neighborhoods.
Early Care and Education, Realizing Employment and Creating Hope (ECE REACH)
Address: 2730 Bryant Street, 1st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94110
Program Email: ecereach@felton.org
Main Office Phone: (415) 282-1090 ext. 509
Fax: (415) 282-1735
For more information, please contact:
Gigi Munoz, Workforce Development and Success Director
Office Phone: (415) 282-1090 ext. 516
Email: ecereach@felton.org
Yohana I. Quiróz, Ed.D., Felton Institute Chief Operations Officer (COO),
Division Director, Children, Youth, Family and Transitional Age Youth Services (CYFTAY)
Email: yquiroz@felton.org
Felton Institute’s ECE REACH (Early Care and Education, Realizing Employment And Creating Hope) program is operated in collaboration with MEDA (Mission Economic Development Agency), Foothill College, and EDvance College.
ECE REACH is funded by the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood (SFDEC).
We are grateful to the California Workforce Development Board’s (CWDB) Workforce Accelerator Fund (WAF) and Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) for their support and an 18-month grant to launch the inaugural ECE REACH apprenticeship program.