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Dr. Shelley Rouser
The answer isn’t just about better classrooms or more seats in pre-K programs, although these things certainly matter; it’s about people, especially the educators, shaping the first formal learning experiences of our youngest people. That’s why, in Delaware, we’ve taken a bold, focused step to invest not just in early childhood education programs, but also in the professionals who power them.
A Strategic Decision
Delaware’s Early Childhood Innovation Center (www.ecic.desu.edu) is a $31 million, five-year initiative designed to reimagine and streamline our state’s early education system of supporting early learning professionals. The state’s Department of Education could have placed this hub anywhere, but they chose to anchor it with us at Delaware State University (DSU), the state’s only Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
Dr. Kimberly Krzanowski
Removing Barriers, Supporting the Whole Educator
ECIC is not a traditional top-down initiative. Instead, it’s grounded in meeting educators where they are — literally and figuratively. Through programs like DE RISE, we provide direct support to aspiring and current educators, including:
- Tuition and fees (up to 13 credits)
- Stipends to help cover books, childcare, and transportation
- On-site and virtual coaching
- Career counseling and mentorship
- Access to flexible educational pathways leading to credentials like the Child Development Associate® (CDA) and college degrees
Our approach is holistic. We know that many early childhood educators face a host of layered challenges: economic insecurity, family obligations, language barriers, and more. That’s why we support the whole person, not just the professional.
Real Impact, Real Stories
The results speak for themselves. Take Patrice Jones-Cornish, for example, who earned her bachelor of science degree through DE RISE and then moved on to be promoted to a leadership role at Children and Families First. “ECIC at DSU has opened my mind,” she says. “It made me want to pursue other opportunities and to help people who want to major in early childhood education, education, or special education follow their career path.”
Patrice’s story isn’t an outlier. It’s proof that when you invest in educators — especially from underrepresented backgrounds — you elevate the entire system.
Why HBCUs Matter
There are also broader, national implications to our strategy. Analysts have documented a $12 billion disparity in funding between land-grant HBCUs and their non-HBCU peers, despite legal mandates for equal funding. Placing the ECIC at DSU is a step toward addressing these inequities, both in symbolism and substance.
Moreover, research shows that young children — particularly Black and Latino students — demonstrate better learning and problem-solving skills when taught by teachers who share their racial or ethnic background. This is a call to action: let’s support our already diverse early childhood education workforce, and let’s do it by supporting institutions that have long championed diversity, inclusion, and academic excellence.
A Model for the Nation
Delaware’s approach to early childhood education doesn’t just benefit those working in the sector. It also strengthens our entire educational pipeline, ensuring that more children arrive in kindergarten ready to learn and thrive throughout their educational pathways. This is what a smart investment looks like: Strategic, inclusive, evidence-based, rooted in community, and poised for scalable success.
Dr. Shelley Rouser and Dr. Kim Krzanowski lead the work of the Early Childhood Innovation Center at Delaware State University. They work closely with the Department of Education and all other higher education institutions in the state of Delaware to improve access to quality early learning credentials and degrees to early childhood professionals across the state.
