Mayor Karen Bass' office is setting the stage to honor the next wave of early childhood educators on July 16, as Los Angeles Trade Technical College gears up to host the commencement for the ECE-SAP program. In collaboration with the Sesame 3G Mentoring Program, the event marks not only the achievements of local college students but also the growth of an initiative that aims to bridge generational knowledge in education. "We are thrilled to celebrate the growth and success of the Early Childhood Education-Student Advancement Program," Mayor Bass said, as per the Los Angeles Office of the Mayor, emphasizing the positive impact of over 200 students trained over the past two years.
The program's unique structure is its three-tier mentorship, aligning the experience of retired educators with the vigor of community college students, who, in turn, impart their newfound knowledge to preschoolers. Dr. Lewis Bernstein, the mind behind Sesame 3G, expressed excitement at the program's success and expansion. With a clear nod to the benefits of intergenerational learning and mentorship, Bernstein noted, "This program addresses the needs not only of the preschoolers and fosters the development of a new generation of early-childhood professionals, but also provides an outlet for retired educators to give back and improve the field," as stated by the Los Angeles Office of the Mayor.
The Early Childhood Education-Student Advancement Program, initiated in 2021 by the Mayor's Office of Economic Opportunity, has targeted increases in certified early childhood educators. Through this initiative, students receive mentorship, financial support, and hands-on experience during their educational journey. This symbiotic relationship, fostered by the Sesame 3G partnership, has spawned the Co-Generational Connection Program—or CCPro—now in its second year and set to expand from five to 30 triads, involving 90 participants in total.
