CHS Middletown Staff Commences Employment with Year-Long, Fully Paid Training Program
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – September 5, 2024 – Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) hosted a convocation Thursday launching its third nearly year-long, fully paid professional development program. The event welcomed the teachers and staff of CHS Middletown, who will begin their full-time employment with the program and prepare for the Center’s opening in 2025.
“The professional development program is a vital aspect in integrating CHS staff into our mission, values, and approach with the goal of providing high-quality early childhood education that nurtures, educates, and empowers children and families,” CHS Executive Director Senate Alexander said. “This program has already made an extraordinary impact in equipping our CHS Hershey and Harrisburg staff for success, and we are confident we’ll do the same here in Middletown.”
To date, five CHS employees have earned and 17 are in progress of earning their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Over 50 employees obtained college credits at the University of Colorado Boulder through classes taken during the professional development program.
In preparation for each Center’s opening, the CHS professional development program further expands its teachers’ and staff’s existing skills and knowledge while leveraging best practices in early childhood education training. The program prepares the staff to serve children through coursework including early childhood education foundations, curriculum and assessment, family success, and health and safety. The program also enables staff to establish team dynamics and learn about the local community. The program is hosted at an off-site facility during the construction of CHS Middletown, where the final steel beam was placed in late June.
In addition to Alexander, the event included remarks from CHS and MHS President Pete Gurt, CHS Middletown Center Director Jessica Knaub, and keynote speaker Dr. Reuben Asempapa, an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the Penn State Harrisburg School of Behavioral Sciences and Education.
“This program is an amazing opportunity for the Middletown staff to build on the skills and knowledge they already have to provide top-tier early childhood care,” Knaub said. “We’ll also grow stronger as a team and be fully prepared to support our children and families once the exciting opening arrives next year.”
CHS Middletown is still hiring for key roles including Curriculum and Instruction Coach, Infant/Toddler Lead Teacher, Infant/Toddler Associate Teacher, Infant/Toddler Assistant Teacher, and Behavior Intervention Specialists. Open positions can be found in the careers section of the CHS website.
CHS is part of Milton Hershey School’s (MHS) $350 million initiative to initially develop six Early Childhood Education Centers (ECECs) in Pennsylvania. The locations include Hershey, which opened in 2023; Harrisburg, set to open this fall, and Lancaster County locations in New Danville, Lancaster City, and Elizabethtown, expected to begin opening in 2026.
ABOUT CATHERINE HERSHEY SCHOOLS FOR EARLY LEARNING
Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) provides non-residential, year-round weekday care and education to children from six weeks to age 5 from under-resourced and over-burdened backgrounds, with all costs covered for qualifying families. CHS is a subsidiary of Milton Hershey School (MHS) and is part of a $350 million initiative to develop six Early Childhood Education Centers in Pennsylvania. For more information, visit chslearn.org.
ABOUT MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL
Milton Hershey School is one of the world’s best private schools, where qualifying students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade live on campus and receive an exceptional educational experience—with all costs covered. For more information, visit mhskids.org.
