Los Angeles Mayor’s Office to Host Early Childhood Education-Student Advancement Program Commencement in Partnership with Sesame 3G Mentoring Program

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LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' Office of Economic Opportunity will host the commencement for participants in the Early Childhood Education-Student Advancement Program (ECE-SAP) on July 16, 2024 at 5 pm at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College. This event will celebrate the success and continuing growth of ECE-SAP - a program that recruits and trains early-childhood educators-and will additionally highlight the integration and expansion of the innovative Sesame 3G Mentoring Program (Sesame 3G).

"We are thrilled to celebrate the growth and success of the Early Childhood Education-Student Advancement Program," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. "This program has educated and inspired more than 200 community college students over the past two years. We're additionally delighted that a newer component of ECE-SAP-the Sesame 3G program-has proven to be an asset to our community, fostering deep connections across generations. These are innovative solutions that strengthen our community bonds and drive the recruitment of mentors and early-childhood educators."

"This is a wonderful opportunity," added Dr. Lewis Bernstein, Founder and President of Sesame 3G. "We are very excited that our collaboration with the ECE-SAP program has been so successful that it has led to this expansion. By adapting our overall goals of three-generation engagement and mentorship to meet Los Angeles' need for early-childhood educators, our Sesame 3G program helps build a community of support. This program addresses the needs not only of the preschoolers and fosters the development of a new generation of early-childhood professionals, but also provides an outlet for retired educators to give back and improve the field."

ECE-SAP was developed by the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Economic Opportunity in 2021, in partnership with the Los Angeles Community College District and the Child Development Consortium of Los Angeles. The program aims to increase the number of early-childhood educators through recruitment, coaching, and certification, specifically targeting students interested in working with infants and toddlers. ECE-SAP offers mentorship guidance, financial awards, paid internship opportunities and career workshops to support students throughout their educational journey.

The collaboration with Sesame 3G brings together experienced early-childhood professionals, community-college students, and preschoolers. The educators mentor community-college students, who in turn mentor preschoolers at various child-care centers throughout Los Angeles. Dubbed the Co-Generational Connection Program (CCPro), the 3G initiative began as a pilot with five triads in 2022. It will now be expanding to include 30 three-person teams in its next cohort, engaging 90 participants.

Research conducted during the 2023-2024 program has demonstrated positive impacts for all three cohorts. A preview of these results will be presented at the July 16 commencement, which will bring together participants, mentors, and community members to celebrate the shared journey of learning and connection. The event will provide an opportunity to showcase the program's achievements and future plans.

The Sesame 3G Mentoring Program has been conducted at several locations across the United States since 2021, including multiple New York City venues and at the University of Texas at Austin, and has plans to expand nationwide.