Meet The Participants

 CONGRATULATIONS!  

Beginning with the pilot phase of the Vermont Registered Child Care Apprenticeship Program in 2000, Mary Johnson Children's Center has sponsored 5 successful apprenticeship teams in Middlebury!

From the Mary Johnson Children’s Center Identity Statement “In 1970, a group of concerned Middlebury residents decided that the community needed a safe, supportive program for the children of families who needed to work outside the home. They wanted to ensure that children, particularly the children of struggling single mothers, were well cared for. The Middlebury Day Care Center was created as one of the earliest full day, full year programs for working parents in Vermont. Now known as the Mary Johnson Children’s Center, the Center also houses several other programs, which support children and families; remaining true to the goals of its founders. The renovated and expanded building reflects our belief in the importance of beauty, light and natural materials in the surroundings and lives of young children. The families who use the center represent the range of economic diversity found in our community."

"The programs are not conventional or fixed but support the importance of play and evolve depending on the interest of the children, teachers and families. We believe all parents are the experts on their children and want what’s best for them. We believe that teachers are collaborators, researchers and nurturers who are dedicated to supporting children and parents. We believe in the extraordinary capability and intelligence of children. We believe in a child’s ability to construct their own knowledge.”

Apprentice Jacquelyn Deering joins the Apprenticeship Program in June 2005. Jackie worked with children during her high school years and graduated in 2003. Jackie began working at Mary Johnson Children’s Center in February 2005.

Jacquelyn writes: “I see the Apprenticeship Program as a wonderful opportunity to achieve my career goals; including achieving my CDA and eventually my Associates in Early Childhood Education. The idea of having a mentor that I strongly admire as a support and critic makes the program even more appealing. My hope is to come away with a more concrete sense of myself as a teacher and be a better advocate of my thoughts and feelings as a teacher. I hope to become more educated in problem areas and better prepared to professionally handle every issue that may arise.”

Mentor Kristen Dunne returns to the Program in 2005. Kristen graduated from Champlain College with a Bachelor Degree and dual Vermont Certification in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. Kristen has worked at Mary Johnson Children’s Center since her graduation from college.

Kristen writes: “I was recently a supervisor in the Program and found it to be a very rich experience. Jackie recently joined our staff as an individual assistant and we try to make her an integral past of our teaching team, as well. She has come with a passion for the field of early childhood and is continually investing her time and energy into learning all she can. Although we are already working closely together, I believe the Apprenticeship Program will provide the coursework that Jackie seeks, as well as to give our professional relationship a strong framework.”

Co-Director Ilana Snyder writes: “Mary Johnson Children’s Center participated in the first cycle of the Apprenticeship Program with four apprentices and four mentors on site. All four have now completed both the apprenticeship program and attained a CDA credential. As a Center director it was gratifying to watch the growth in each of these participants and to see the impact this program had Center-wide. I saw increased team building and collaboration and a striking change in self-confidence as an educator. Communication skills were also marked by a terrific change-teacher to teacher, teacher to parent and teacher to child."

[The Apprenticeship Program] has helped us move our agenda for high quality early childhood education forward. Our approach is more thoughtful and intentional, our teams are stronger than ever, our partnerships with families have grown and the classrooms are a wonderful and exciting place.”

Vermont Child Care Industry & Careers Council. All rights reserved.
Revised: 1/5/10