{"id":6788,"date":"2026-03-12T15:28:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nyceducationnews\/cuny-chancellor-visits-bmcc-class-highlighting-free-college-pathways\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T15:28:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:28:46","slug":"cuny-chancellor-visits-bmcc-class-highlighting-free-college-pathways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nyceducationnews\/cuny-chancellor-visits-bmcc-class-highlighting-free-college-pathways\/","title":{"rendered":"CUNY Chancellor Visits BMCC Class Highlighting Free College Pathways"},"content":{"rendered":"

F\u00e9lix V. Matos Rodr\u00edguez, chancellor of the\u00a0City University of New York, recently visited a child development class at\u00a0Borough of Manhattan Community College\u00a0to spotlight the university\u2019s expanding early childhood education programs and promote the state\u2019s tuition-free\u00a0CUNY Reconnect\u00a0initiative.<\/p>\n

Details about the visit were outlined in a press release published on\u00a0NYC Newswire<\/a>. The program allows eligible adult learners to enroll in CUNY community colleges at no cost while pursuing degrees connected to workforce shortages in fields such as education, nursing, technology, and other high-demand sectors.<\/p>\n

During the visit, Matos Rodr\u00edguez observed a class titled\u00a0Psychological Foundations of Early Development and Education<\/em>, which takes place inside BMCC\u2019s early childhood teaching laboratory. The lab is designed to resemble a functioning early learning center so students can practice hands-on activities commonly used in early childhood education settings.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am proud our students are learning child development skills at BMCC as they prepare to pursue a wide range of careers serving children,\u201d said Matos Rodr\u00edguez. He added that CUNY remains ready to \u201cmeet the needs of the city and state\u201d while helping ensure there are well-trained educators as leaders work toward expanding access to free child care for young children in New York.<\/p>\n

The course is offered through BMCC\u2019s Teacher Education Department and is part of the Child Care and Early Childhood Education associate degree program. Students in the program can follow either an infant and toddler track or a preschool and early elementary track as they prepare for careers working with young children.<\/p>\n

Anthony E. Munroe, president of Borough of Manhattan Community College, said the program is designed to prepare the next generation of educators while giving adult learners a pathway back to college. \u201cBMCC is a launch pad for the next generation of early-childhood educators,\u201d Munroe said, noting that the tuition-free pathway created through CUNY Reconnect helps many students \u2014 including parents \u2014 enter the field.<\/p>\n

Students participating in the class took part in breakout activities focused on sensory development, including creating scent jars, making Play-Doh, assembling sensory boxes, and building small fidget tools used in early childhood learning.<\/p>\n

Some students said their personal experiences motivated them to pursue careers in early childhood education. Rosalinda Rodriguez, a 25-year-old returning student and parent, said she wanted to build new career opportunities while also strengthening her understanding of child development.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a single mom and I feel like a teacher every day for my son. I really wanted to give myself better work opportunities and expand my knowledge,\u201d Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n

First-year student Allison Carino said her interest in the class was influenced by a family member. \u201cI wanted to learn about how to help children with disabilities; how to have patience. I\u2019m learning how to see children in a different way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Copy of photo credit: BMCC President Anthony Munroe and CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodr\u00edguez with students – 1<\/p><\/div>\n

CUNY Reconnect Expands Access to Community College<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Since launching last summer, CUNY Reconnect has helped nearly 6,000 New Yorkers between the ages of 25 and 55 enroll tuition-free at community colleges across the CUNY system. The program supports degree programs connected to workforce needs, including fields such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering, health care and green energy.<\/p>\n

As part of her FY2027 executive budget proposal,\u00a0Kathy Hochul\u00a0has proposed expanding the initiative to include additional career pathways such as emergency management, transportation, and air traffic control, while also allowing adults who already hold a degree to pursue nursing through the program.<\/p>\n

Prospective students interested in the program can learn more at the CUNY website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Building the Early Childhood Workforce<\/strong><\/h2>\n

CUNY officials say the university is expanding early childhood education programs to support broader efforts to improve access to affordable child care across New York under Governor Hochul and New York City Mayor\u00a0Zohran Mamdani.<\/p>\n

Across the university system, more than 3,600 students are currently enrolled in early childhood education programs offered at 13 CUNY colleges. These programs span multiple degree levels and include specialized training in bilingual education and special education.<\/p>\n

The university also operates the\u00a0CUNY New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, a statewide partnership that provides training resources and career support for individuals pursuing credentials in early childhood education.<\/p>\n

In addition, the institute launched the NYC Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program with support from the city\u2019s Office of Talent and Workforce Development. The program provides job training and connects apprentices with assistant teacher positions while they earn a tuition-free Child Development Associate certificate through the CUNY School of Professional Studies.<\/p>\n

Education remains one of CUNY\u2019s largest academic fields. In the 2022-2023 academic year, one out of every 20 undergraduate degrees awarded across the university system was in education. The university also prepares more than one-third of incoming teachers for New York City public schools and more than 40 percent of teachers of color statewide.<\/p>\n

CUNY also plays a key role in the\u00a0NYC Teaching Fellows<\/a>\u00a0initiative, which recruits college graduates to teach in high-need subject areas in New York City public schools. Last year, the university placed 526 fellows into master\u2019s degree programs, more than triple the number enrolled at CUNY the year before.<\/p>\n

Beyond academic programs, the university operates 17 campus-based child care centers serving student-parents, faculty, and staff, as well as families in surrounding communities. A new child care center is also planned at Queensborough Community College following a $3.1 million federal allocation secured by\u00a0Chuck Schumer\u00a0and\u00a0Grace Meng.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

F\u00e9lix V. Matos Rodr\u00edguez, chancellor of the\u00a0City University of New York, recently visited a child development class at\u00a0Borough of Manhattan Community College\u00a0to spotlight the university\u2019s expanding early childhood education programs and promote the state\u2019s tuition-free\u00a0CUNY Reconnect\u00a0initiative. Details about the visit were outlined in a press release published on\u00a0NYC Newswire. The program allows eligible adult learners […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5756,"featured_media":6789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[175,72,164],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-students","category-news","category-nyc-school-news","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nCUNY Chancellor Visits BMCC Class Highlighting Free College Pathways - NYC Education News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nyceducationnews\/cuny-chancellor-visits-bmcc-class-highlighting-free-college-pathways\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CUNY Chancellor Visits BMCC Class Highlighting Free College Pathways\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"F\u00e9lix V. Matos Rodr\u00edguez, chancellor of the\u00a0City University of New York, recently visited a child development class at\u00a0Borough of Manhattan Community College\u00a0to spotlight the university\u2019s expanding early childhood education programs and promote the state\u2019s tuition-free\u00a0CUNY Reconnect\u00a0initiative. Details about the visit were outlined in a press release published on\u00a0NYC Newswire. 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