Lake Hamilton High School was recently awarded a $29,209.39 grant by the Arkansas Department of Education Division of Career and Technical Education for the addition of the Child Care Guidance and Management Program of Study.
The grant will allow Lake Hamilton High School to offer a new program of study in the family and consumer sciences department through the human and social services program. The program will consist of three courses: family and consumer sciences, life span development, and child care guidance, management, and services.
The program of study prepares students by giving them information and experiences in the occupational field of childcare guidance, management, and services. Students will complete a minimum of 40 hours of hands-on practicum in a childcare facility through the program. Other opportunities include early childhood education, foster care, family daycare, and teacher assistance. “The real-world experience will be invaluable to our students.” Melody Gilleran, LHHS Family & Consumer Science Teacher
Students in the program will also have an opportunity to earn industry certifications such as the Child Care Teacher Certificate, Child Care Assistant Certificate, and/or the Child Development Associate Credential.
“We began discussing the need for this program last year. During the fall of 2020, we researched the job market and opportunities this might afford our students. We completed our grant application in October with the assistance of April Shepherd with Dawson Educational Cooperative. Students who take all three courses in the program will be given concentrator status on their diploma, demonstrating that they have completed the program focused on industry standards. This could be very beneficial to them when applying for post-secondary programs or careers.” Melody Gilleran, LHHS Family & Consumer Science Teacher
Grant applicants went through a review process using rubrics that ranked them based on funds available, labor market data, learning opportunities, certifications offered, and student interest. The grant provides funds that can be used to purchase equipment, program-specific supplies, required training, and software to support technology related to the course. Lake Hamilton High School will use the funds to purchase industry-standard equipment and to give students technical, academic, and employability skills.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of childcare workers is projected to grow seven percent from 2016 to 2026. It is projected that working parents will continue to need the assistance of childcare workers. In addition, the demand for preschool and childcare facilities is projected to remain strong since childhood education is widely recognized as being very important for a child’s intellectual and emotional development.
“Another important part of this program is the community partnerships we’ve formed. These partners will provide work-based learning opportunities, guest speakers, internships, and job shadowing opportunities for our students.” Melody Gilleran, LHHS Family & Consumer Science Teacher
Lake Hamilton will have three teachers who will be teaching courses in grades 9 – 12: Lisa Stanley will teach Family and Consumer Science, Melody Gilleran will teach Life Span Development and Candace Mason will teach Family and Consumer Science and Child Care Guidance, Management, and Services.
Visit the following link for a complete list of schools that received a 2021-22 start-up grant: https://dcte.ade.arkansas.gov/docs/Resources//2021-2022%20State%20Start-Up%20Awards-Final.pdf