Every Step Counts: A Partnership Supporting the Early Childhood Workforce
Krystel Sanchez has worn two hats:: she’s APRENDE Program Director and Early Childhood Networks Regional Connector, working directly with educators who move between the two programs. Santa Fe Community College’s APRENDE Early Childhood Teacher Apprenticeship Program and the Early Childhood Networks Mentor Network are working together to support early childhood educators across the state, and Sanchez describes career growth less like a ladder and more like a staircase, one educators can climb, pause on, or step back down without losing their footing.
APRENDE supports the state’s incumbent early childhood workforce, pairing apprentices and pre-apprentices with seasoned “journey worker” mentors. According to Sanchez, the mentors are there to “explain the why behind behaviors” and support newer educators “through anything they get stuck with.” In APRENDE’s model, the journey workers are the mentors, and in the past, the program has run largely on its own. The Mentor Network has added another layer of support, giving mentors training “in understanding adult learning theory” and helping them “articulate what they have internalized as best practices.”
The partnership follows a progression: pre-apprentices earn a Child Development Certificate, then move into a registered apprenticeship toward an associate degree and lead teacher roles, and eventually into the Mentor Network itself, often while pursuing licensure or a bachelor’s degree. But the path isn’t always a straight line. There are, Sanchez says, “all kinds of on and off ramps,” and educators may take a detour into a different role entirely before returning to the stairs.
Sanchez sees that back-and-forth as a strength, not a detour from the plan. “Whether someone is drawn to an infant-toddler classroom, home-based care, or a director’s role, ‘there’s a place for them,’ she says. For her, it’s about more than collecting credentials. “It’s important to come back to the why we’re here — for children and families,” she says. “Being able to grow your own skills, grow your network, all has a net positive for children and families in New Mexico.”
