Kei’lah Brown-McGee, of Belleville, has wanted to help, love and educate young children for some time, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center’s (ESLC) Workforce Development Program has helped place her in the front of the class.
“The ESLC’s Childcare Training Program helped me achieve one of my goals in an astonishing amount of time,” said Brown-McGee, teacher’s assistant at the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start’s Discover Center for Little Scholars. “I never thought that I would be able to achieve this much in such little time.”
Brown-McGee is part of a two-year Child Development Associate (CDA) Apprenticeship program, which is one of the few in the U.S. The apprenticeship program is offered by the Lume Institute, in partnership with ESLC.
To be able to participate in the program, Brown-McGee received tuition assistance through St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants. She is currently receiving on the job training funded by St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act Funds.
“Within one year, this program helped me obtain my CDA certificate and allowed me to become a teacher’s assistant at the Discovery Center,” said the 21-year-old. Brown-McGee works with lead teacher Jatona Skinner.
“The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is widely recognized in early childhood education,” said Vera Jones, Workforce Development career counselor and Brown-McGee’s mentor. “The program highly equips participants to work in a Head Start Center and provides career opportunities in early childhood education.”
“Keilah is a great example of what happens when agencies work together to coordinate resources to benefit the community,” according to Johanna Jones, director of Workforce Development and Strategic Partnerships at the ESLC. “SIUE’s collaboration with the Lume Institute and St. Clair County means that we can offer more comprehensive support to ensure that individuals receive credentials and training for careers.”
“Keilah is now working in Head Start and pursuing her associate’s degree in early childhood,” added Jones. “Her future is so bright! I am looking forward to her continued success.”
At the Discovery Center, Brown-McGee works with children ages 3-5 and helps in supporting the implementation of developmentally appropriate lesson plans, promoting individualized classroom instruction and assisting with classroom behavior management. She also supports the completion of developmental screenings and assessments and participates in home visits and parent-teacher conferences.
“I met Kei’lah at the age of 14 through a school youth program,” reflected Jones. “She has always expressed an interest in becoming an educator, was great at building relationships and resolving conflicts, and was creative in teaching children.”
“When I graduated high school in December 2014, I applied to AmeriCorps through East St. Louis School District 189,” added Brown-McGee. “I worked in the district’s middle schools and East St. Louis community after school programs. I knew then that being an educator was what I wanted to do. It has become my passion.”
“Kei’lah demonstrates maturity and confidence, while providing a loving and supportive environment for children,” said Jones. “She has the aptitude to not only relate well to the children, but also to the parents and staff.”
“The children are more excited to see Kei’lah enter the room than they are me,” said Skinner.
“I’m very lucky to be where I am today, and it’s all because of SIUE’s Workforce Development Program,” interjected Brown-McGee. “I want to become a lead teacher in my own Head Start classroom, then work in East St. Louis School District 189 and eventually become a college professor teaching early childhood education.”
With a focus on empowering people and strengthening communities, the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals - from pre-school through adult - in the Metro East. Head Start/Early Head Start and a charter high school are among the programs that offer the community renewed hope and an opportunity to reach educational, career and life goals. The Center also assigns first priority to encouraging, supporting and improving the educational success of the residents of East St. Louis and surrounding urban communities. The Center provides comprehensive programs, services and training in the areas of education, health, social services and the arts.
Photos: Working in a job she loves, Kei’lah Brown-McGee is a teacher’s assistant at the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start’s Discover Center for Little Scholars.
Brown-McGee (right) learned about the SIU East St. Louis Center’s Workforce Development’s Child Development Associate (CDA) program from Vera Jones (left) Workforce Development career counselor.