Ajia Trotter, a junior at Arsenal Technical High School, is eager to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher, with a future interest in working with students with disabilities. When she learned that her school offered early childhood education classes, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I took the class and thought, ‘OK, now that I’m learning, it makes me want to do this even more,’” Trotter said.
Through the program, Trotter is gaining valuable skills such as creating lesson plans, designing activities for young children, and learning how to engage students. These lessons are all part of the new Early Childhood Education Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, which connects students to real-world apprenticeships and helps them earn career certifications before they graduate high school.
Jenny Berry, Director of Career and Technical Education Pathways for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), explained that the goal of the program is to give students the chance to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world settings. “We want them to understand how to apply what they’ve learned and develop the confidence to enter the workforce,” she said.
The program is supported by a federal Preschool Development Grant and is a collaboration between the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. Arsenal Tech is one of seven schools participating in the initiative, which also includes Lawrence Township’s McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology.
Students in the program will spend time working directly with mentors at early childhood centers, gaining firsthand experience in caring for children and interacting with parents.
With an increasing focus on career and technical education, Indiana officials are highlighting the need for more programs that offer high school students work experience in fields like early childhood education. The Indiana Career Explorer projects that nearly 8,500 jobs will open in this sector by 2030.
Apprenticeships Offer Real-World Experience
Merari Gonzalez, a senior at Arsenal Tech, didn’t initially plan to take early childhood education classes. She had hoped to enroll in a law course and ultimately pursue a career as an ultrasound technician. However, after learning about childhood development in her early education class, she decided to stay with the program.
“I never thought I’d be interested in this field, but learning about how children develop and how to engage them has really caught my attention,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve learned about the stages of intelligence and how children develop empathy.”
One of the highlights of the program for Gonzalez has been the field trips to local preschools, where she observed children and interacted with early childhood staff. “I had no idea what age children could start daycare, so I asked the teachers and learned that some centers take babies as young as six weeks old,” she said.
In the coming weeks, Gonzalez and two classmates will begin their apprenticeships at Shepherd Community Center, where they will apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world situations. For Gonzalez, these experiences have also reinforced the importance of patience, a skill she hopes to carry with her in her future career.
“I have a newborn nephew, so I’ve already learned a lot about what parents go through. I would tell expecting families to prepare for sleepless nights and get as much rest as possible,” Gonzalez said.
A Head Start on College and Career
Ollie-Rosa McMahan, also a junior at Arsenal Tech, is still figuring out her career path. While she’s developed a passion for working with young children, she’s also interested in dentistry. Her mother has encouraged her to combine the two interests by becoming a pediatric dentist, but McMahan knows it won’t be easy.
No matter which path she chooses, McMahan is confident she’s gaining a head start. The early childhood education classes she’s taking are dual credit courses, meaning she’s already earning college credit while still in high school. A teacher from Indiana University and an IPS instructor work together to teach the classes.
At the end of the program, students will have the opportunity to take an exam to earn a Childhood Development Associate (CDA) certificate, a credential that allows them to work in preschool settings.
“These experiential opportunities are crucial for building the confidence and skills needed to become a successful teacher,” said Jenny Berry.
For McMahan, the program has been empowering. “It feels good to have something with my name on it — a certificate. It gives me confidence in what I’m doing,” she said.
The Early Childhood Education Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program offers students like Trotter, Gonzalez, and McMahan a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience, earn credentials, and start building a future in a high-demand career field.
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