Northland College received an innovative teaching and learning grant in September for $24,849 from the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association.

This is the second grant from this organization. Last year, Northland College received an articulation grant for $25,000.

Wisconsin institutions have been working to streamline how early childhood education credits transfer between two- and four-year colleges and universities. The grant dollars will help strengthen transfer agreements—also known as articulation agreements—between the schools in the University of Wisconsin System, tribal colleges, the Wisconsin Technical College system, and private colleges and universities.

Funds from both grants have been used to make it easier to transfer from two-year institutions into the educator preparation program at Northland College and to complete degree and teaching licensing. In the last year, Northland College has signed articulation agreements with Nicolet College, Gogebic College, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa College, and all the schools in the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College system.

In addition, seven students have received enhanced support and financial scholarships for the various state-required licensure requirements.

“Offering this type of support to students is essential to increasing the number of well-prepared and highly qualified early childhood educators in northern Wisconsin,” says Annette Nelson, educator preparation program director and associate professor at Northland College.