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RCC’S Early Childhood Education Program selected to participate in national project with UNC

By Staff Report, posted Feb 27, 2024 on BizFayetteville.com

Photo provided by RCC

The Early Childhood Education program at Robeson Community College has been selected to participate in a national project to better prepare early childhood education professionals.

The project, supported by a one million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, will be guided by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (FPG). 

FPG and RCC colleagues will work together on Supporting Change and Reform in Preservice Teaching in North Carolina (SCRIPT-NC), focusing on helping early childhood professionals with associate degrees to better meet the needs of all young children, including children with diverse cultures, languages and abilities, and their families.

“We are excited to be able to work collaboratively with the Franklin Porter Graham Child Development Institute to refine our curriculum content and practices,” stated Dr. Phoebe Harris, program director of the education program at Robeson Community College, in a press release. “These efforts will help us as we continue to work to meet the needs of the young children of southeastern North Carolina.”

Harris added in a press release, “Additionally, our program desires to offer our stakeholders a quality workforce that is able to provide developmentally appropriate experiences to our future generations. This project will support us in those efforts.”

The SCRIPT-NC team will provide intensive professional development and share evidence-based practices and content to better prepare RCC students to meet the diverse needs of children, and their families, in their community. Work will get underway this Spring.

“We are thankful that Robeson Community College was chosen to participate in this national project, alongside the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,” stated RCC President Melissa Singler in a press release. “This is a great honor for Robeson Community College and our Early Childhood Education program.”

“Our children are the future,” Singler continued in a press release. “Early Childhood Education is such a vital program that prepares our students with the ability to teach the next generation, to interact with them, to help them learn, develop and grow. This endeavor with UNC is an excellent opportunity for our college, as well as our faculty and staff who will benefit from the training. Just imagine the amazing impact that this will have on our students going forward, as they work to meet the needs of children in our community.”

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