Get Started

Who Qualifies

If you’re a Boston resident between 17 and 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED/HISET, and meet the income eligibility requirements, you may qualify.

Get paid while you train to be an early ed teacher!

If you’re looking for a rewarding career working with children and making a difference in their lives from the get-go, Get Started!

In this 12 week paid internship, you’ll be placed at an early childhood education center and will learn everything you need to know to get your teaching career off the ground. For instance, you’ll learn about creating a safe and healthy learning environment; effective teaching methods; how to support children’s social and emotional development, and much more.

Along with the paid internship, Get Started participants can enroll in up to two early education college courses.

A foot in the door

ABCD’s Get Started is more than a paid internship; it’s a serious advantage. When you successfully complete the program, you’ll have the opportunity to interview for a job at ABCD Head Start.

What is Head Start?

Head Start is an exemplary early education and family development program that offers comprehensive education, health, dental, nutrition and related services for children from birth to age five, as well as for pregnant mothers.

It is a federal program that each year serves more than a million disadvantaged children nationwide. ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development) has been successfully operating the Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Greater Boston for more than 50 years.

We strive to meet each child’s needs while reflecting the community’s ethnic and cultural values. Learn more about Head Start and Early Head Start at ABCD.