Meet The Participants

Y’s Time Child Care Center @ Edmunds Elementary opened in 1987 as a cooperative effort between the Greater Burlington YMCA and the Burlington School District. As a corporate sponsored child care center for the school department, 25 of the child care slots are reserved for the children of school department employees, who enjoy benefits designed to meet the specific needs of school department professionals.

The YMCA offers a developmentally based, early childhood program for children ages 20 months to five years. The YMCA is the largest provider of child care programs in Vermont, serving more than 1300 children each day in child care, preschool and after-school programs.

Y’s Time Child Care Center @ Edmunds Elementary has been involved with child care apprenticeship since 2000 and returns to sponsor a new apprentice in 2005!

Apprentice Michael Rakowski joined the Registered Child Care Apprenticeship Program in October, after earning an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Community College of VT in May 2005. Mike has been employed with the YMCA since 1999 and has been at the Edmunds Program since 2003.

Mike writes, “The Apprenticeship Program appeals to me for many reasons. This program will further my understanding of kids, ranging from birth to eight years of age. This will enable me to teach this age group more appropriately. Lastly, this program relives the financial burden of pursuing education in addition to subsiding the low pay that preschool and early childhood educators receive, essentially allowing one to pursue higher education.”

Mentor Karen Rangel has worked for the YMCA for 18 years, joined the Apprenticeship Program originally in August 2001 and has returned in 2005 to mentor a second apprentice. Her first apprentice successfully completed her on-the-job training in 2003, working with Karen’s guidance to build the skills needed to work effectively with young children. Karen holds an Associates Degree from Champlain College in Early Childhood Education, successfully completed the training course offered through the Apprenticeship Program in 2002 and is currently working on her bachelor degree.