Cheers and applause filled the room on June 6 as Every Child Has Opportunities (ECHO) celebrated its first class of teacher aides graduating in York County.
Surrounded by family, friends, and local leaders, each of the 12 graduates spoke about the impact of the program’s three key pillars: hands-on Child Development Associate (CDA) training, practical classroom experience, and one-on-one mentorship.
Over 10 months, participants go from having little or no early childhood education (ECE) experience to working as teacher aides, ready to complete their CDA and step confidently into the classroom. For many, the program has opened the door to a long-held dream of working in education or even pursuing a college degree.
“It’s amazing to see the transformation of our early learning professionals, from where they started in August to now,” ECHO Director Katie Caples says. “What they’ve learned, what they’ve experienced, and how they’ve used it to make a difference in the classroom is truly inspiring.”
Pillar 1: In-person CDA training
The backbone of the program is a weekly in-person CDA course, delivered in partnership with Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) at the Community Progress Council in York. Running from August 2025 through May 2026, participants complete up to 10 college credits through HACC free of charge.
Stipends help support attendees, and ECE employers can receive up to $10 per hour in wage reimbursement for their teacher aides.
Pillar 2: On-the-job learning
Classroom integration is an equally critical component of the Teacher Aide Program. Each aide works on-site at an early learning center at least 20 hours a week, applying their classroom learning directly in an early education setting.
During those hours, they engage with children, use developmentally appropriate activities, and help improve child-to-teacher ratios.
“I love working with children,” says Corrina Greer, a program graduate. “I love helping, I love to see them grow and prosper, and I love knowing I’m part of their journey, especially in education.”
Pillar 3: Formal mentorship
Each aide was also paired with a mentor teacher. These mentors are skilled CDA holders, typically from the same center, with at least five years of experience. Mentors complete specialized training before supporting their teacher aide throughout the year.
Like the teacher aides, mentors receive a stipend, which will increase with the next cohort starting in August 2025.
These three pillars — training, classroom experience, and mentorship — work together to attract and retain quality educators in early childhood education.
“The ECHO Teacher Aide Program is an apprenticeship-like workforce development program to attract individuals who are new to the ECE workforce,” says Kim Hengst, ECHO Workforce Development Coordinator.
Outcomes that matter
The ECHO York Teacher Aide Program targets people new to early childhood education, often those with no prior credentials or education beyond high school.
Through training and mentorship, aides like program graduate Abena Ashley have found a deep passion and sense of purpose in the classroom.
“It just gives you that support system, you know you are not in this alone, because early childhood can be challenging,” she says. “Coming to class every Friday and meeting fellow teachers with good energy builds you up for the weeks ahead.”
With teacher aides onboard, many centers have also improved teacher-to-child ratios, classroom quality, and teacher retention rates. Ultimately, this allows them to expand and welcome more children into early learning programs.
New Graduates
Congratulations to the first round of York County Teacher Aide Program graduates: Kayla Moore, Nathaniel Rudy, Nixmary Matos, Tatiana Rosado, Cori Kanwischer, Anna Godfrey, Jereshia McGhee, Riley Smith, Crystal Brown, Abena Ashley, Corrina Greer, Susan Smith.
How to Apply
Applications for the next cohort are open now until July 7, 2025, with CDA classes scheduled to begin August 1, 2025.
Early learning center leadership must submit applications through the Community Connections for Children Grant Portal by 5 pm on July 7.
For full program guidelines, eligibility details, and the Grant Portal link, visit EchoYork.org or contact ECHO Workforce Development Coordinator Kim Hengst at khengst@cccforpa.org or 717‑870‑6387 with any questions.