McClure Foundation Grant Supports Castleton University's Early Childhood Education Program

Castleton, VT (07/01/2019) — Castleton University was recently awarded a J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation grant to support the development of its new undergraduate Early Childhood and Special Education program. The University is one of nine Vermont educational institutions and organizations to receive a competitive grant from the McClure Foundation for the 2019-2020 year.

Castleton's Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood and Special Education will prepare students to facilitate high-quality learning experiences for children from infancy to grade three. The $25,000 grant will help Castleton address the critical need for high-quality childcare providers and early childhood educators in our region. Castleton University is working with the Agency of Education to have the program reviewed this fall through the Results Oriented Program Approval (ROPA) process to be able to recommend graduates for an Early Childhood Educator License and an endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education.

"We are extremely grateful to be partnering with the McClure Foundation on this program," said Castleton's Director of Grants Matthew Moriarty. "They do so much around the state to support education and creating educational pathways, especially with first generation students and other groups who face barriers to accessing higher education. For us, it's an important partnership."

The McClure Foundation, a supporting organization of the Middlebury-based philanthropic Vermont Community Foundation, promotes equitable access to college and career education for all Vermonters. The foundation envisions a Vermont where no promising job goes unfilled for lack of a qualified applicant.