Volunteer or Paid Opportunity for Older Adults 50+ in Early Childhood Education

Are you 50 or older and looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community and potentially make a supplamental income?

Join us at ECSC and explore exciting opportunities to make a positive impact in the lives of young children while enhancing your own skills and building new connections.

At ECSC, we empower older adults to train, volunteer, and work in person at Early Childhood Education sites through free virtual training. Never worked with children ages 0-5? No problem! We welcome everyone and encourage you to apply. Our main goal is to facilitate meaningful intergenerational connections between older adults, children, and Early Childhood Education staff. If you're looking for community, exciting new experiences, and are a lifelong learner, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

What You'll Do

ECSC corps members serve in the following roles:

• Classroom Volunteers assist with activities like reading, crafts, and small-group learning.
• Encore Substitutes complete our training to become early teacher certified, qualifying them to teach and run classrooms (paid opportunities).
• Volunteer Business Advisors help childcare centers strengthen their operations and reach their goals.

With over 200 corps members already creating meaningful change, ECSC proves that intergenerational partnerships benefit everyone involved. Children receive the care, consistency, and support they need to thrive, while older adults find renewed purpose, joy, and opportunities for meaningful paid work in their communities.

How It Works

We are currently recruiting with training beginning in August! Our training is completely free and conducted remotely for accessibility and convenience:

• Classroom Volunteers complete 21 hours of training.
• Volunteer Business Advisors complete 7 hours.
• Encore Substitutes seeking early teacher certification can earn their credentials in as little as 2-4 months, depending on prior experience.

Once training is completed, we will match you with an Early Childhood Education site near you!

Choose Your Path:

• Volunteer in the Classroom: Share your time and talents with children through activities like reading, arts and crafts, and play-based learning.
• Encore Substitute (Paid Opportunity): With additional free training, you can become an early childhood certified substitute teacher and receive compensation for your work.
• Volunteer Business Advisor: If you're a retired business professional, use your expertise to help Early Childhood Education Centers with business operations, strategy, and sustainability.

A Program for Everyone

ECSC is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). We strive to ensure participants from all backgrounds feel welcome and supported. If resources like computer access are a barrier, let us know-we’ll help remove obstacles so you can fully participate.

How to Get Started: Visit our website and sign up using our interest form!

We recruit for Volunteers and Encore Substitutes twice a year:

• Late Spring/Early Summer (April - June) with coursework beginning in July and August
• Late Fall/ Early Winter (September - December) with coursework beginning in January and February

Watch our video to learn more: Finding Purpose & Connection - Volunteer Interview