Foundation to Co-host Webinar on Higher Education and Early Childhood Educators.

Higher education programs that prepare early childhood educators are at a critical inflection point as new policy and accountability pressures threaten the strength and sustainability of the early educator pipeline. On January 22 from 3:30–4:45 pm ET, AACTE, NAEYC, and the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation will co-host Education Bookends: Threats to Higher Education and the Impact on the Early Educator Pipeline and Profession, a timely webinar bringing together national leaders from higher education, philanthropy, and early childhood to examine what’s at stake. The conversation will explore forthcoming federal accountability measures tied to graduates’ earnings—set to take effect in July 2026—and their potential consequences for early childhood preparation programs, while also highlighting concrete actions faculty, advocates, policymakers, and funders can take in response. With perspectives from leaders at community colleges, national organizations, and foundations, this webinar offers an essential opportunity to better understand emerging challenges and identify practical paths forward for the profession. Register here to join the conversation.