Facilitating children`s learning through play.

This accelerated two-year Early Childhood Education Ontario College Diploma program, delivered over three academic periods (semesters), prepares you to become an educator of children in a variety of early learning settings. Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to work with families and other professionals to support children`s learning and development.

This program provides you with the ability to create, implement and assess play-based curricula while building stimulating child-centred environments.

Benefit from both theoretical and hands-on learning opportunities. You have three field placements during the program that focus on children from birth to age 12. These real-world experiences allow you to integrate theory with professional practice in early learning programs.

You assist in providing guidance to children while planning, implementing and evaluating programs. Through your placements, you gain valuable hands-on skills and experience to help you understand the diverse roles, settings and responsibilities of an Early Childhood Educator.

Upon graduation, you are eligible to register with the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). Registration with the CECE is required to be eligible to work as an Early Childhood Educator in Ontario.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Have strong observational and analytical skills.
• Enjoy working as a member of a team.
• Have strong language (oral and written) skills.
• Are self-reliant and enjoy challenges.
• Are interested in child development and teaching children through play.
• Are comfortable using computers and other forms of technology.
• Enjoy working with children and their families.
• Have effective interpersonal skills.

Early childhood education is a physically demanding profession. Individuals entering this profession must be able to lift children, materials and equipment (up to 32kgs). As well, individuals must be able to run/move quickly between areas in the room and outside in order to ensure children`s safety. In addition, educators must constantly observe children to ensure safety and to assess children`s abilities, skills and interest in order to develop meaningful curricula. Entering the program without these abilities may result in unsuccessful field placements and students who are unsuccessful in placements are not eligible to graduate.

Careers

Registered Early Childhood Educators may find employment in early learning and care programs, nursery schools, kindergarten classes, community health agencies, home childcare organizations, as well as create entrepreneurial opportunities.

Pathways

Please note: There may be more pathways available for this program than are listed here. Please use our Pathways search tool to see every option.

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity including Indigenous peoples` worldviews and Francophone identity.
2. Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children`s learning, holistic development and well-being following children`s capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.
3. Co-design and maintain inclusive early learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings.
4. Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.
5. Use observation strategies to identify children`s strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources.
6. Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children`s service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector.
7. Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one`s own role in early years and child care settings.
8. Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.
9. Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, inter-disciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services.
10. Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.
11. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Application Information

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Program Code 0430X04FPM

Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:

ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228

Students currently enrolled in an Ontario secondary school should notify their Guidance Office prior to their online application at www.ontariocolleges.ca.

Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.

International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/.

For further information on the admissions process, contact:

Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley
1 College Way
Pembroke, ON K8A0C8
Local: 613-735-4700
Toll-free 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 1-866-620-3845 Fax: 613-735-4739
https://algonquincollege.com/pembroke

Program Resources

This accelerated two-year Early Childhood Education Ontario College Diploma program, delivered over three academic periods (semesters) is offered at the Pembroke and Woodroffe campuses. It is also offered at the Woodroffe campus as a two-year program. While the learning outcomes at the Pembroke and Woodroffe campuses are the same, the curriculum order and subject delivery are reflective of the local circumstances, which can affect program delivery.

Algonquin College also offers the entire Early Childhood Education program full-time online and on a part-time basis through AC Online. For information, please visit www.algonquincollege.com/online.

Practice Teaching Placements:
Students in the Early Childhood Education program complete three practice teaching placements during their studies. The block placements occur in Levels 01, 02 and 03 of the program. The first placement is two weeks in legnth whereas the second level placement is four weeks and third level is five weeks in length.

Practice Teaching Placement Eligibility:
All students must be cleared through Placement Pass (ParaMed) in order to be eligible for placements.

Failure to complete these requirements will prevent students from participating in the placement component of the program.

Upon acceptance into the program, the following requirements must be met:

Health Requirements:
Applicants must provide evidence of full and complete immunizations. Placement Pass (ParaMed) will review the student`s record of immunization and provide authorization for entry into placement. More information in this regard will be available on the website for successful applicants.

Standard First Aid and CPR Certification:
Valid standard First Aid and CPR Certification (St. John Ambulance, Red Cross or equivalent) must be completed prior to the commencement of classes.

Vulnerable Sector Police Check:
Successful completion of placement is a requirment for graduation from the Early Childhood Education program. Early Learning programs that provide placement opportunites will require you to have a clear Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC). Your acceptance for placement is at the discretion of the agency. If you register in the program without a clear VSC and, as a result, are unable to participate in placement, you will not be able to graduate. You will be required to disclose the contest of the VSC, including all notations, to the placement agencies.

It is your responsibility to obtain the VSC from your local Police Department prior to the deadline identified by ECE program and to pay and associated costs. It may take 8-12 weeks to obtain this documentation; please submit your application as early as possible. Should you require a letter please reach out to the Placement Officer or Coordinator of the program.

Practice Teaching Placement Information:
Students may be required to travel up to 90 minutes to reach their practice teaching placement. Practice placements are completed during regular, full-time working hours (Monday to Friday). Students will follow the same daily/weekly schedule as their on-site supervisor for each placement. Students are not permitted to choose their own placement schedule. Hours vary from program to program. Students may be starting as early as 6:45am and ending as late as 6:15pm.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR):
Students who wish to apply for PLAR need to demonstrate competency at a post-secondary level in all of the course learning requirements. Evidence of learning achievements for PLAR candidates may include a comprehensive challenge examination and/or completion of a portfolio.

More information can be found at https://www.algonquincollege.com/plar/.

AC Pathways:
Algonquin College has several articulation agreements with other colleges and universities whereby ECE graduates receive credit towards these diplomas or degrees. More information can be found at https://www.algonquincollege.com/degree-pathways.

Academic Probation:
Students who have two or more F grades in a given term or whose term grade point average falls below 1.7 are considered to be on academic probation (Policy AA14 Grading System). This requires the students to meet with their academic advisor or program coordinator to sign a learning contract which identifies the conditions which must be met to continue in the program. Students who do not meet the terms of their learning contract are withdrawn from the program.