Early Childhood Education (ECE) Training Scholarship

The Durango Adult Education Center, with support from the Buell Foundation, provides scholarships and career/educational navigation support to early childhood educators in our five-county region (Archuleta, La Plata, San Juan, Montezuma and Dolores). This means we help ECE professionals to:

  • Find and apply to colleges and training programs
  • Access state and federal financial aid
  • Provide financial support for courses and trainings
  • Offer education about ECE career pathways and credentials
  • Advocate on behalf of the ECE community.

Our scholarship priorities are to support the certification of teachers and the qualification of directors by providing funding for ECE specific courses.

We also support those seeking associate and bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education when possible. We support ECE professionals taking courses at any accredited college or university including online as well as certificate programs such as:

  • Child Development Associate (CDA)
  • Expanding Quality in Infant/Toddler Care (EQIT)
  • Pyramid Plus

The scholarship typically funds 70%-90% of courses depending on individual financial need and the number of applicants.

For More Information:

Contact Amy Benson, Career Advisor at 970-259-2094 or abenson@durangoadulted.org.

Amy’s role is to facilitate scholarships AND help early childhood educators understand educational and licensing requirements to navigate the systems necessary to complete courses.

Please reach out with any questions and feel free to share my contact information with other early childhood educators.

The scholarship is now open. The deadline to apply for Summer classes is June 1st, and for Fall classes is August 1st.

Fall 2022 Early Childhood Training Scholarships

We are excited to announce a new scholarship program for early childhood educators starting this coming fall. We are creating a cohort of ECE professionals to complete college coursework to become Lead Teacher Certified. Those accepted into the cohort will receive a three-semester scholarship for all 6 required courses as well as support and career navigation along the way. This is an opportunity for educators to learn as part of a community and increase their credentials.

SW Colorado ECE Teacher Certificate Cohort

Cohort FAQ

1. Register on our website. This is a one-time registration so if you have ever completed this in the past, do not fill it out again.
Be sure to select Early Childhood Training Scholarship as the program.

2. Complete our scholarship application.

ALL of the steps must be completed in order to be considered for a scholarship, you will be notified when you application is complete

  • Scholarship check list for FIRST TIME APPLICANTS:
    1. Complete the Durango Adult Education Center online registration form.  Select Early Childhood Training Scholarship as the program. This is a one-time registration so if you have ever completed this in the past, do not fill it out again.
    2. Choose a school, apply and register for classes (see info about schools below)
    3. Complete the 2022-2023 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  It is free and there is no penalty for declining aid that is offered. Students will not receive complete financial aid information until they enter the school they will be attending. I am happy to help anyone through this process but it must be completed and processed for a complete scholarship application (you will need to start this at least 1 week before).
    4. Complete the first-time scholarship application. The application requires the following:
      • A screenshot of your FAFSA summary
      • Acceptance of the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF)- your school should ask if it is okay to accept these funds on your behalf, you are required to do so for this scholarship, this is free money for Colorado Residents! The COF can take several weeks to be reflected on your bill after you accept these funds
      • A screenshot of your student bill (showing the Colorado Opportunity Fund)
      • A screenshot of your student schedule (showing the courses you’re enrolled to take)

  1. Choose a school, apply and register for classes (see info about schools below)
  2. Complete the 2022-2023 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) It is free and there is no penalty for declining aid that is offered. Students will not receive complete financial aid information until they enter the school they will be attending. I am happy to help anyone through this process but it must be completed and processed for a complete scholarship application (you will need to start this at least 1 week before).
  3. Complete the renewal scholarship application.

The application requires the following:

  1. A screenshot of your FAFSA summary
  2. Acceptance of the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF)- your school should ask if it is okay to accept these funds on your behalf, you are required to do so for this scholarship, this is free money for Colorado Residents! The COF can take several weeks to be reflected on your bill after you accept these funds
  3. A screenshot of your student bill (showing the Colorado Opportunity Fund)
  4. A screenshot of your student schedule (showing the courses you’re enrolled to take)
  5. A screenshot of your most recent transcript (showing previously funded courses). If you are currently in classes and don’t have a transcript available, please submit a screenshot of your current grades. If awarded funding, you will be responsible for submitting a transcript when it becomes available.

School Options and Course Offerings 2022

Students in our area typically enroll at Pueblo Community College (PCC) or Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC). Many also take courses through Colorado Community Colleges online (CCC Online). These colleges have an easy and free application process and student can expect to hear back within a few days.

Below is information about these three options. Fort Lewis College (FLC) also has an ECVE program and course available to degree and non-degree seeking students.

Please reach out if you would like to discuss the pros and cons of these options or are considering another school. For first time college students, I always recommend in-person courses or virtual classroom because there is face-to-face contact with instructors and other students. However, I understand that the online model is the only option for some folks because of work, family and other commitments.

Pueblo Community College

  • Offers numerous online (asynchronous, meaning are no class times, but online modules to complete by due dates) and virtual (courses attended remotely through an online platform). https://www.pueblocc.edu/

Colorado Northwestern Community College 

  • Offers a virtual classroom model meaning classes meet live online and there are assignments to complete throughout the week on your own time.  Their courses are typically accelerated so they are 8 weeks instead of 16 weeks. This is the most affordable option. https://www.cncc.edu/

CCC Online

  • Courses offered from the Consortium of Community Colleges, but you must register and enroll through one specific community college. Therefore, students can register for these classes through either PCC or CNCC. CCC Online courses are asynchronous (no class times just assignments and discussion boards with due dates)

Fall 2022 ECE course offerings