RCTC’s Early Childhood Care and Education program prepares students for meaningful and rewarding careers working with children from birth through age eight. Early childhood educators promote children’s healthy development through positive respectful relationships that involve a high level of communication and interpersonal interaction. Young children are competent, curious, and powerful learners. This makes the practice of teaching young children very complex. Early childhood educators observe, listen, communicate, reflect, analyze, make decisions, and plan as they promote children’s learning through a play-based curriculum.
Program Options
RCTC’s Early Childhood Care and Education programs offers a 16-credit certificate in Child Development and a 60 credit AS degree in Early Childhood Education. The Child Development certificate is embedded in the AS degree. The 16-credit certificate in Child Development meets the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) educational requirement for assistant teachers and teachers in child care centers. DHS Rule 3 requires additional work experience to be hired as an assistant teacher or teacher. Students are encouraged to seek employment as a program assistant or child care assistant in a licensed early childhood program upon entrance to RCTC.
RCTC’s Early Childhood Care and Education programs offers a 16-credit certificate in Child Development and a 60 credit AS degree in Early Childhood Education. The Child Development certificate is embedded in the AS degree. The 16-credit certificate in Child Development meets the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) educational requirement for assistant teachers and teachers in child care centers. DHS Rule 3 requires additional work experience to be hired as an assistant teacher or teacher. Students are encouraged to seek employment as a program assistant or child care assistant in a licensed early childhood program upon entrance to RCTC.
Paula Carlsen, Program Advisor
SS 130 • paula.carlsen@rctc.edu • 507-535-3791
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