WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont college is spearheading the push to draw more men into early childhood education, a field made up predominantly of women.
According to national data, men make up an average of 3.2% in early childhood education. The Community College of Vermont is trying to change that, saying it’s important for children to have role models of all identities.
“It has a lot of fun moments, but it’s also very, very important to help mold and expand our early children,” said Tyler Bracey, who is in his final semester of CCV’s early childhood education program.
Bracey says starting the courses made him realize his passion for the role.
“Our newer generations coming, getting them ready for the big world and I think it’s just great,” he said.
Bracey is the only man at the child care center he works at in Colchester. He says he’s never had any problems related to his gender and believes men do have a play in the industry.
“For men to be in the field is very important to give the children a sense of security both physically and emotionally from both men and women,” he said.
Leslie Johnson, the associate and academic dean of education and behavioral science at CCV, says that’s why the school wanted to encourage more men to join the program.
“Having strong male role models from this early age, in the role of a teacher in an early childhood setting, it teaches children about the world, it teaches them about themselves, and it opens up possibilities for children who maybe don’t have role models in those ways in others places in their lives. It gives them ideas about what they can do with their lives as they get older,” Johnson said.
She says the school is working to encourage more students to join the program by breaking down the financial barriers of classes with scholarships and aid available for certificates and associate degrees.
“We think that it’s really important that we ensure that students of all diverse identities realize that education is a career they can pursue,” Johnson said.
But even after men join the field they don’t always stay with 44% leaving the field after five years.
Johnson says CCV encourages retention through the various achievement levels from certifications to a path to licensure.
Bracey says the work can be tough but there are ways to ease into it and reap long-term benefits.
“Give it a couple of tries and then kind of digest it and let it simmer, and then you can make your decision because we do really need teachers and it’s a lot of fun once you get into it,” he said.
The push comes at a time when the state is still in dire need of early childhood educators of any gender.
Johnson and Bracey suggest those who are interested give it a shot.