Scholarship Guidelines

Honor the Past and Reimagine the Future Early Childhood Scholarship

The Honor the Past and Reimagine the Future Early Childhood Scholarship, available through AzAEYC, was renamed to acknowledge and honor the outstanding service of early childhood professionals, past, present, and future. Building upon the strong foundation created by leaders in our field, this scholarship recognizes the leadership qualities and commitment to equitable early education of future educators and advocates.

Award Description

For the 2026 scholarship cycle, AzAEYC will award three scholarships:

  • Two (2) awards of $1,250 each for college students or current early childhood professionals pursuing their education

  • One (1) $1,000 award designated for a graduating high school student pursuing early childhood education or a closely related field

This scholarship supports individuals committed to advancing high-quality, equitable early childhood education, public policy, advocacy efforts, and leadership on behalf of young children and families.

Scholarship funds may be used to:

  • Continue college education (undergraduate or graduate coursework)

  • Support credentialing or professional growth

  • Purchase professional learning resources

  • Assist with education-related expenses

An individual may receive an AzAEYC scholarship only once.

Award recipients may be asked to participate in at least one virtual interview with AzAEYC, collaborate on a blog post, or support an AzAEYC project, based on availability and capacity.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Be a resident of Arizona

  • Be a current member in good standing of AzAEYC or NAEYC

    • If selected and not currently a member, a one-year membership will be provided

  • Meet one of the following applicant categories:

    • Graduating high school student planning to enroll in an accredited Arizona college or university

    • Current college or university student attending an Arizona-based institution

    • Early childhood professional pursuing coursework, credentials, or professional growth

  • Be in good academic standing (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for college applicants)

  • Plan to enroll in at least 6 credit hours during the upcoming academic year (if applicable)

  • AzAEYC Board members are not eligible to apply

Selection Process

Completed applications must be submitted through the official online Google Form. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee of AzAEYC members using a 50-point scoring rubric that evaluates:

  • Commitment to equitable early childhood education

  • Leadership potential and professional engagement

  • Academic or professional readiness

  • Financial need and intended use of funds

  • Quality of written responses and recommendation

Recipients will be notified prior to the AzAEYC Conference in May, where awards will be formally presented.

Required Application Materials

All materials must be submitted through the Google Form.

Applicants must prepare the following before beginning the application:

  1. One Letter of Recommendation

    • Written by a faculty member, advisor, supervisor, or professional in the field

    • Must include signature, title, and contact information

    • Should address leadership qualities, strengths, and potential in early childhood education

  2. Brief Essay (Maximum Two Pages, Double-Spaced, 12-Point Font)
    The essay should address:

    • Your Path to Early Childhood Education
      Describe what drew you to early childhood education or a closely related field. For current professionals, describe what has kept you committed to this work. For high school or college students, describe what inspired your interest in working with young children, families, or systems that support them.

    • Equity, Advocacy, and Impact
      Explain how your education, training, or professional experiences prepare you or will prepare you to support high-quality, equitable early childhood experiences. This may include classroom practice, leadership, public policy, advocacy, community engagement, or systems-level change.
      Describe how you see yourself involved in this work now or in the future.

    • Barriers, Growth, and Resilience
      Identify any barriers you have faced or overcome in pursuing your educational or professional goals. This may include academic, financial, personal, or systemic challenges, and how these experiences have shaped your commitment to early childhood education.

    • Use of Scholarship Funds
      Explain how receiving this scholarship would support your continued education, professional growth, or career goals in early childhood education. Be specific about how the funds would help you move forward.

As you write your essay, please consider the AzAEYC Vision, Mission, and Values, as well as the NAEYC Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement.

  1. Unofficial Transcript(s) (if applicable)

    • Most current transcript showing cumulative GPA

  2. Completion of Online Form 

How to Apply

Step 1: Prepare your essay, transcript (if applicable), and letter of recommendation
Step 2: Complete the online application form
Step 3: Upload the required documents within the form
Step 4: Submit your completed application

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/kH6RBax2CNvX1spQ7

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application Timeline

Applications will open in May  2026.
The deadline will be June 20th.
Awards will be presented at the AzAEYC Summit in August of 2026.

Questions or Technical Assistance

For questions or special accommodations, please contact:
aflores@azaeyc.org

For Information on Other Statewide Scholarship Opportunities:

Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry or info@thearizonaregistry.org. 

Previous Awardees

  • Zoe Clyde, candidate for a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education at Northern Arizona University

  • Bianey Garcia, candidate for a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education at Northern Arizona University

  • Rachelle Skvarek, candidate for a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Administration at the University of Arizona Global Campus

  • Erin Butler, Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education & Early Childhood Special Education candidate focused on creating inclusive, culturally responsive environments for children with disabilities
  • Xue Xia, Doctorate of Education in Curriculum candidate whose research focuses on children’s play, educational equity, and teacher professional development
  • Cathryn Davidson, first year student at Northern Arizona University majoring in early childhood special education
  • Candi Running Bear, Doctoral student at Northern Arizona University in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on culturally and linguistically diverse early childhood special education
  • Jennifer Sullivan, Bachelor in Early Childhood Education at Northern Arizona University
  • Tori Mueller, Bachelor in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Northern Arizona University
  • Martha Esmeralda Carrillo, Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education at Paradise Valley Community College
  • Natalee Huguez, Early Childhood Special Education Scholar at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University interested in counseling families of children with disabilities or special needs
  • Catharine Danenhower
  • Eric Bucher, Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education at Northern Arizona University and current Chief Executive Officer of Arizona AEYC
  • Bianey Garcia, candidate for a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education at Northern Arizona University
  • Rachelle Skvarek, candidate for a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Administration at the University of Arizona Global Campus

History of the Arizona AEYC Early Childhood Scholarships

In 2021, Arizona AEYC revised the name of the Scholarship to the “Honor the Past and Reimagine the Future” Early Childhood Scholarship to acknowledge and honor the outstanding service of the many collaborative early childhood professionals in Arizona who contribute to the education, well-being, and health of young learners, their families, and the early learning workforce—past, present, and future. The Scholarship grew from one $1,000 award to two $1,250 awards thanks to the generous donations of community stakeholders, Arizona AEYC/NAEYC members, and philanthropic givers.

Arizona AEYC created the Rhian Evans Allvin & Joshua J. Allen Early Childhood Scholarship to acknowledge the outstanding service of early childhood professionals by recognizing their leadership qualities and commitment to early education and public policies that support the well-being of young children. Initially, the Scholarship totaled $500 for 1 female and $500 for 1 male early childhood student. The Scholarship was named after Rhian Evans Allvin, former Chief Executive Officer of Arizona’s First Things First and the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Joshua J. Allen, Chief Financial & Operations Officer of Arizona’s First Things First, both of whom were instrumental in ensuring the success of a voter approved initiative to invest state tobacco revenue into early care and education programs, creating Arizona’s Early Childhood Development and Health Board (First Things First). The award was combined in 2017 into one total amount of $1,000 thanks to the generous donations of community members and to reflect the board’s commitment to equitably distributing resources that directly benefit early childhood educators.

affiliate of NAEYC