Early Career Resources
General Guidance for Early Childhood Care & Education Careers
Does the idea of having a professional career in the field of working with children excite you? How do you know if the field of early childhood education is really meant for you? The following links present opportunities offered for students studying in the early childhood field and professional development tools offered by NAEYC:
A description of the career and options for furthering education.
Professional Development Registry
A research-based professional development system that is available to all of Georgia’s early childhood educators to track their educational achievements, training and certification as they advance in their careers.
Financial Aid Resources
Searching for scholarships/financial aid can be a frustrating task! We’ve provided links for you to have access to available scholarships, financial aid, and information about incentives. These resources encourage early care and education (ECE) professionals to increase their level of education. Click on the links to learn more.
GAFutures.org provides information about state and federal financial aid programs, college planning, career resources, and other resources for students considering going to college.
DECAL Scholars provides educational counseling, scholarships for students who in ECE programs, and monetary incentives for ECE professionals who earn certain credentials or degrees.
The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old through the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.
Professional Conferences
If you’ve ever attended a conference for educators, then you know first hand how useful they can be in order to network, explore new ECE products, and gain valuable information on topics that best suit your needs. Here are some of the few that are offered and coming soon!
Additional Links
Early Childhood Education Salary Ranges
Find out what salary you could make with an associate, certificate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in early childhood education
Videos to Support Professional Development
Student Membership in GAEYC
Become a student member of NAEYC, GAEYC, & SECA. SECA provides a discounted student rate of $25. NAEYC rates are for everyone. Visit the membership page to learn about benefits.
“Being a Student Member of GAEYC has helped me gain a more complete understanding of all the aspects of the child development field. By receiving the email updates and reminders I stay current with what opportunities are available to me like upcoming conferences and trainings . . . I also enjoy having the membership because I receive and have access to newsletters, articles, and stories that help me broaden my own “tool box” to use with the children and youth I work with in the field.”
-Emily Rogers, Child & Family Development Major, Georgia Southern University