Springfield College School of Professional and Continuing Studies and Community Action Partnership Formalize Relationship

Springfield College School of Professional and Continuing Studies and Community Action Partnership have solidified a new agreement in which Springfield College will provide education and training opportunities for Community Action Agency staff enrolled in the College’s nonprofit leadership, human services, and early childhood education programs. In turn, Community Action Partnership will provide opportunities for School of Professional and Continuing Studies students, faculty, and staff to participate in special community projects and regional and national conferences.

Community Action Partnership fulfills its mission by strengthening, promoting, representing, and serving the nationwide network of nearly 1,000 local Community Action Agencies and state associations. Springfield College’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies will assist the organization by awarding experiential learning credit to its members for previous trainings and other professional experiences gained through the Community Action Partnership.

Under the agreement, staff from the Community Action Partnership member agencies have the opportunity to save time and money through the School’s experiential learning process. The School of Professional and Continuing Studies will award as many as 18 credits to members who have successfully completed Child Development Associate (CDA) courses and as many as 16 credits for members who have completed training such as the Certified ROMA Trainer and the Family Development Credential. Other training and development offered by the organization may qualify for additional credits going forward. To receive the experiential learning credit, the member must be enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in human services program at one of the School’s seven campuses.

Denise Harlow, Community Action Partnership’s CEO, said, “This mutually beneficial relationship will allow Community Action Agency and State Association staff to be recognized for the time and effort they have put toward their continuing education through Community Action-specific training. We are grateful to Springfield College for providing our members with this opportunity, and we look forward to welcoming the experience and expertise from the School of Professional and Continuing Studies’ faculty and staff at our conferences and other events.”

Announcing an alliance between the two institutions, John A. Eisler, PhD, dean of Springfield College School of Professional and Continuing Studies, said, “We are very excited about this partnership, which will expand the opportunities for Community Action Partnership members to achieve their academic goals and will strengthen Springfield College’s connection to the vital work being done around the country.”