Benefits & Commitments

What are the Benefits to Participating?

  • Affords recipients the time and minimal expense for attending school and taking coursework leading to credentials and degrees
  • Increases knowledge and capabilities around early childhood education
  • Increases compensation
  • Increases professional status
  • Increases job satisfaction knowing your employer values your professional development
  • Provides academic and financial advisement

Who’s eligible?

  • Work at least 30 hours a week in an early childhood facility.  The facility must be licensed by DHS and rated by BrightStars, Rhode Island’s Quality Rating and Improvement System.
  • The employer must also be willing to sponsor the teacher on the scholarship program.
  • The teacher must be enrolled in an early childhood education program at a Rhode Island participating college.
  • Work in a non-State PreK classroom

What is the TEACH Early Childhood®
Rhode Island Scholarship Program?

  1. An opportunity to access a higher education curriculum that focuses on the academic, social, and cognitive skills that develop in children from birth through school-age and beyond.
  2. A unique scholarship program that may help you advance in your career and role in the profession by pursuing a degree and higher education opportunities in the field of early childhood education.
  3. An opportunity to further your leadership skills in early childhood education.
  4. TEACH Early Childhood RI currently supports programs of study at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), and Rhode Island College (RIC).
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What are the Employee's Commitments?

  1. Attend classes and successfully complete courses
  2. Pay a small portion of the tuition cost and books
  3. Agree to remain working for the sponsoring child care program for at least 1 year

What are the Employer’s Commitments? 

  1. Provide a small portion of the tuition cost
  2. Provide at least 3 hours of paid release time each week (reimbursed by TEACH) while classes are in session” to “Provide UP TO 3 hours of paid release time each week (reimbursed by TEACH) while classes are in session
  3. Award the scholarship recipient with a raise or bonus upon completion of contract” to “Award the scholarship recipient with a raise or bonus upon completion of annual contract