Road to Success

Throughout 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) will share “Roads to Success,” a collection of stories from professionals and higher education institutions. Stories from professionals feature achievements from people working in childhood programs such as home visiting, early intervention, child care, Head Start, preschool, and afterschool. Stories from higher education institutions highlight colleges and universities who are using innovative methods to support and grow the early childhood workforce. There are many roads to success, it is important to highlight the varying and unique pathways that professionals take and how higher education programs can pave the way.  You can view previous editions of the Road to Success as well. 

This month’s Road to Success is the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL), a public research university located in the St. Louis region.

UMSL is creating pathways into early childhood education for a variety of aspiring early childhood educators. They offer a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in Special Education. They also offer a Bachelor of Educational Studies with an Early Childhood Education emphasis that does not require teacher certification. For high school students interested in an early childhood career, UMSL offers their Future Teacher Leader Academy (FTLA) which is designed to increase recruitment of quality teachers across Missouri. UMSL brings in high school students for two weeks in the month of June to take two courses as dual credit.

Another pathway for aspiring educators is the Finish Line Teaching Apprenticeship from the Missouri Department of Labor and UMSL. This apprenticeship provides students with the opportunity for a paid position, work-based learning, mentorship, classroom learning, Missouri teacher certification, and the national apprenticeship certificate. Students are in the apprenticeship for three years and during this time they complete required coursework through UMSL while maintaining a position with a school district partner. Currently this apprenticeship serves students seeking certification in Elementary Education, but in Fall of 2025, UMSL will be adding an Early Childhood Education opportunity. Contact UMSL at 314-516-4970 for more information about these opportunities that support careers in early childhood.