College scholarships available for future Illinois teachers

Photo: Janko Ferlic/Pexels


Do you like working with young children or have an interest in pursuing a degree in the education field?

The Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) is offering college scholarships to students and daycare professionals that plan to teach or become administrators in the early childhood care and education field in Illinois once they have earned their degree. The scholarship is available for students studying at any one of 63 colleges and universities in the state.

If you currently work or have worked in the early childhood education field and want additional credentials like a 2- or 4-year degree, you may be eligible for the scholarship. The award is designed to help cover college costs for an academic year - including a summer session - after financial aid from other sources has been received by the applicant.

"The program was created to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators by encouraging the pursuit of credentials and advancement of already-held degrees in early childhood education, with an aim toward building a strong, well-prepared workforce," according to scholarship announcement on the isac.org.

The application deadline for the upcoming academic year is March 1. For more information and to apply, follow this link: ECACE Scholarship Program.

Memory Monday | Spartan wrestlers suffer home loss to Falcons

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Spartans' Jordan Hartman pins Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Jeremy Smolek during their match on November 27, 2012. Before the Spartans fell in their home match 54-30, Hartman took just 40 seconds to stick Smolek for his first win of the season.


Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden's David Trewyn fights to stay in a neutral position in his match against Falcon's Dylan Donner during their 126-poound match. Trewyn was later pinned by Donner.


Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Matt Knipfer tries to take down GCMS' Austin Dill during their 132-pound match. Dill prevailed with at a third-period pin.


Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Going at it hard in their 145-pound match SJO's Gage Haga vs GCMS' Aaron Carter maneuver for position to score points. Carter pinned Haga in the second period for a win.


Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Austin Hedrick tosses Falcon's Austin Rosenbaum to the mat during their 160-pound match during the SJO's home opener in 2012. Despite Hedrick's first period pin, St. Joseph-Ogden lost their season opener to Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.


Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Spartans' Austin Upton sticks Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Michael Cler during their 170-pound match. Except for the three forfeits, every match ended in a pin for the Falcons or the Spartans. It took Upton just 55-second to earn his first win of the season.


Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Future state champion Wesley Kibler pins GCMS's Jacob Franklin in the first match of his prep wrestling career. Kibler won his 195-pound match in the first period at 1:47.


Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
After the varsity contest, St. Joseph-Ogden's Gunnar Meeker wrestles Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Will Donner in a junior varsity match.



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