AACTE ECIPC-Equity HOLMES Scholars Cohort 1

AACTE launched the program with an initial cohort of 11 doctoral students last fall, with applications for the second cohort now open.

ECiPC-E and Holmes Overview PPT

AACTE is partnering with the Early Childhood Intervention Personnel Center on Equity (ECIPC-E), to recruit into the Holmes Scholar Program.

More early childhood leaders and practitioners with the requisite skills and knowledge are required to meet the needs of children aged birth – 5 years old.  As a 5-year sub-awardee, AACTE will be directly addressing this issue, in part, by providing targeted mentorship, professional development, and financial support to doctoral students of color pursuing a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. in early childhood and early childhood special education.  AACTE will recruit a cohort of twelve Holmes Scholars pursuing doctorates in early childhood and early childhood special education.  If you are an active Holmes Scholar in a special education and/or early childhood education program, this cohort might be right for you! 

We encourage you to review ECIPC-E and Holmes Partnership FAQ before completing the Application for Holmes Scholars

If you have questions about the application, please contact Nicole Dunn at ndunn@aacte.org.

Congratulations to our first ECIPC-E Holmes Cohort including the following scholars:

Samira Bashiru

Purdue University
PhD (May 2026)

Concepcion Cummings

University of Florida
PhD (May 2026)

Ja'Toria Palmer

Indiana University Bloomington
PhD (2026)

Jingyuan Zhang

Purdue University
PhD (Fall 2024)

Jinwei Song

University of Connecticut
PhD (Spring 2025)

Kiana Njoku-Ibe

Texas Woman's University
PhD (Dec 2024)

Marlena Jenkins

University of North Florida
EdD (Spring 2024)

Nicole Hall

Texas Women's University
PhD (August 2024)

Catherine Restrepo-Widney

Florida Atlantic
PhD (Fall 2025)

Ashley Grays

University of Central Florida
PhD (Summer 2024)

Zutella Holmes

University of North Texas
PhD (Fall 2025)

For questions and inquiries about the AACTE Holmes Program: contact Nicole Dunn, at ndunn@aacte.org.

AACTE Holmes Scholar Newsletter March 2024