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ECE Administration – Fieldwork

Introduction

Welcome to the Field Guide for the ECE Administration graduate certificate program. The instructions below will walk you through the process of preparing for fieldwork.

We advise all students to bookmark this page so you always have access to the most current information.

Program Overview

The final requirement of the ECE Administration part-time graduate certificate program is the Fieldwork course. This course is designed to provide you with an opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that you have learned throughout the prerequisite courses in a project-based capstone.

The ECE Admin Fieldwork course is not a traditional placement, the majority of students complete the course in their current positions while following the director or site supervisor as a mentor. It is project–based and allows students to focus on the role of an ECE Administrator in the context of their current position. The course is not organized by weeks or hours to be completed, but by modules that must be completed within AC Brightspace while working collaboratively with a mentor in the field. 

If you are the most senior person in your current place of work, you are not currently working in the field, or you are not working in a setting with a director or site supervisor (such as full day kindergarten) you will have to find a mentor outside of your organization. Your eligibility to complete this course in your current workplace will be evaluated after submitting the Intent to Complete Fieldwork Form and you will be contacted to confirm the next steps.

Important Deadlines

In order to complete the Fieldwork course for this program, students must:

Task Deadline
Submit the Intent to Complete Fieldwork Form (all students)

July 31 for Fall
November 30 for Winter
March 31 for Spring
For students completing Fieldwork outside of their place of work only:
Complete all ParaMed clearance requirements. Prior to the start of the semester.
Submit the Fieldwork Confirmation Form Prior to the first day onsite with your mentor.

Completing the documentation and securing a mentor can be a complicated process and students should start the preparations early. It may take 8-12 weeks to complete all clearance requirements. If your documentation is not complete and/or you are not cleared by the program deadline, you will have to wait for the following term before you can register again. There are no exceptions. This can delay your progression in completing your program and may result in you incurring additional fees.

Fieldwork Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the fieldwork course, students must meet the following requirements prior to the deadlines:

  1. Academic Clearance: students must successfully complete all theory courses prior to the Fieldwork course start date. This will be confirmed by the academic area after the Intent to Complete Fieldwork Form deadline.
  2. ECE Admin Intent to Complete Fieldwork Form: this form must be submitted prior to the deadline to confirm your intent to register for fieldwork, and ensure you are added to the master tracking list.
    1. Students completing the Fieldwork course in their current place of work will be required to upload a letter on official agency letterhead signed by the on-site mentor confirming that they have met all medical and non-medical requirements in order to complete the submission process.
    2. Students completing the Fieldwork course with an agency they do not currently work with will be required to complete the additional steps outlined below.
  3. Secure an appropriate mentor: it is the student’s responsibility to confirm their mentor with an appropriate agency, further supports will be provided by the Facilitator as required.
  4. ParaMed Clearance: should you plan to complete any in-person fieldwork hours, the ECE Admin program requires students to meet the following medical and non-medical requirements. This is only required if completing Fieldwork with an agency you are not currently employed with and plan to complete any of your required hours in person. Upon completion, these requirements must be confirmed through ParaMed, our partner organization. Please get started on the ParaMed Clearance process as early as possible to ensure you are able to meet your deadlines.
    1. Immunization Records
    2. Police Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector (PRCSVS): if you live in an area with high demand for police checks, it may take up to 12 weeks to receive this document. If your local police station requires a letter from the college, please complete the online request form.
    3. Standard First Aid/CPR Level C: students must provide current certification from a Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance, or equivalent First Aid course. This course must be completed in person to be valid, online first aid certification will not be accepted.
      **Note: Emergency First Aid/CPR training is not accepted. Students must complete the Standard level of training.
  5. ECE Admin Fieldwork Confirmation Form: this form must be submitted prior to the first day onsite with your mentor. While this form is completed entirely online in just a few minutes, in order to successfully complete the form you must be prepared to submit a letter on official agency letterhead confirming the mentorship details in order to complete the submission process.

How to Confirm a Mentor

Determine if you are eligible to complete Fieldwork in your current workplace.

  1. Are you currently unemployed, or employed in a different field?
  2. Are you working in a full-day kindergarten setting?
  3. Are you the most senior person in your workplace?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will not be able to complete the Fieldwork course in your current workplace and should follow the steps below to secure your mentor.

Securing a Mentor Outside of your Workplace

Getting Started

Students in the ECE Administration program who are not able to complete the Fieldwork requirements in their workplace will be connected with the Facilitator following the Intent to Complete Fieldwork Form deadline. The Facilitator will provide support in finding and securing a mentor in the field. In order to get started, students should: 

  1. Begin the process to obtain ParaMed clearance. Confirmation of all medical and non-medical requirements must be provided to the agency prior to the start of the semester. 
  2. Update your resume. 
  3. Ensure you understand and can articulate the Fieldwork requirements to your prospective agency. Connect with the Facilitator if you have questions about the nature of the Fieldwork course and the role of the mentor. 
  4. Research agencies in your area that you may be interested in working with. Some of the best resources to identify potential agencies include: 
    1. Google Search 
    2. LinkedIn 
    3. Reaching out to personal contacts in the field 

Contacting Potential Agencies

We highly recommend that students reach out to their potential agency by phone and follow up with an email. Do not expect your agency to agree to host you in your initial phone call, you should allow them time to review your request and get back to you with a final decision. 

  1. Contact your prospective agency by phone. Be prepared to summarize: 
    1. Who you are: indicate your full name, and that you are an Algonquin College student studying in the ECE Administration graduate certificate program. 
    2. What the purpose of your contact is: you are hoping to work with a mentor in the role of site supervisor or director to complete the Fieldwork requirements of your ECE Administration program. This is a project–based course completed with the guidance of a mentor in the field and does not require work directly with the children when visiting onsite. 
    3. What the start/end dates of the course will be: please ensure to emphasize that this is a mentorship, you are not required to be onsite for regular hours throughout that time period. You will be completing coursework throughout this time and will connect with the mentor as required for research and support in understanding the application of your theory work to the practice of running a childcare centre. 

      Ask the agency if there is a particular person you should reach out to by phone or email to provide further details.

  2. Send follow-up communication by email, including:
    1. Who you are 
    2. If contacting the person you spoke to by phone, thank them for the time they have taken to speak with you and consideration of your request 
    3. If contacting someone you have been referred to, indicate who has referred you, and the reason for your contact 
    4. A brief summary of your request, including your objective and summary of the Fieldwork requirements 
    5. Attach a copy of your resume 
    6. Invite the agency to contact you for an interview or further information prior to making a decision 
    7. Include a date for follow up, approximately one week after the initial contact. 
  3. After your date for follow up has passed, if you have not heard back from the agency, send a follow-up email asking for a final decision so you can determine your next steps. 

Confirming Mentorship – All Students

In order to confirm your mentorship details, you will require a letter from your mentor on official agency letterhead.

Sample Letter – Place of Work

If you are completing the Fieldwork requirements in your current workplace, you will upload this letter as part of your ECE Admin Intent to Complete Fieldwork Form. 

Student Name is a full-time employee at Agency Name.  She/He will be completing the ECE Administration Program Fieldwork course onsite with our agency.  Student Name has met our agency medical and non-medical requirements for employment including current Police Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector, First Aid/CPR certification, and all medical requirements dictated by our agency policy.

Throughout the fieldwork course, Student Name will be mentored by Full name, job title.  I can be reached by phone and email at:  

Sample Letter – External Agency

If you are completing your Fieldwork course with an agency you do not work for, you will be required to complete the ParaMed clearance process and upload this letter prior to your start date through submission of the ECE Admin Fieldwork Confirmation Form. 

Student Name has been accepted to complete the ECE Administration Program Fieldwork course onsite with Agency Name.  Student Name has provided all required supporting documentation (CPR Certification, Police Records Check, and immunization records) requirements dictated by our agency policy. 

 Throughout the fieldwork course, Student Name will be mentored by Mentor Name, job title.  I can be reached by phone and email at: 

Registration

Online registration is not available for part-time placement courses. Part-time students will be provided with the next steps to register after the deadline has passed if they have submitted the ECE Admin Intent to Complete Fieldwork Form and have successfully completed all theory courses.

Please note registration does not guarantee placement; part-time students must have Field Placement Officer permission to register. Students will be withdrawn if the requirements are not met by the predetermined deadlines.