Early Childhood Education (Intensive)

Facilitating children`s learning through play.
  • Accelerated and intensive model of the two year diploma which can be completed in two terms
  • Gain real-world experience with two practice teaching placements
  • Graduates are eligible to apply to become registered members of the College of Early Childhood Educators in Ontario which is required to work in Ontario

Program Availability and Schedule

Availability

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Schedule

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Program Summary

Credential

Ontario College Diploma (34 Weeks)

Program Delivery

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Program Code

0398X05FWO

Area of Interest

Community and Social Services

School

School of Wellness, Public Safety & Community Studies

Campus

Ottawa

Work Integrated Learning

Field Work Placement

The Early Childhood Education Ontario College Diploma program, delivered in an intensive format over 34 weeks, prepares you to become an educator of young children in a variety of early learning settings.

As a student in the Intensive program, you have relevant prior education and experiences that allow you to complete the coursework in an accelerated time frame. As a result, the program is fast-paced with frequent assignments....(read more)

Overview

Facilitating children`s learning through play.

The Early Childhood Education Ontario College Diploma program, delivered in an intensive format over 34 weeks, prepares you to become an educator of young children in a variety of early learning settings.

As a student in the Intensive program, you have relevant prior education and experiences that allow you to complete the coursework in an accelerated time frame. As a result, the program is fast-paced with frequent assignments.

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 two 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.

Early Childhood Education is a physically demanding profession. Individuals entering this program must be able to lift children (up to 70 pounds). As well, individuals must be able to move quickly/run 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 interests in order to develop meaningful curricula. Entering the program without these abilities may result in unsuccessful field placements and students who fail to successfully complete field placements are not be eligible to graduate from the program.

Courses

Programs at Algonquin College are delivered using a variety of instruction modes. Courses may be offered in the classroom or lab, entirely online, or in a hybrid mode which combines classroom sessions with virtual learning activities. Upon registration, each full-time student is provided an Algonquin email account which is used to communicate important information about program or course events.
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Careers & Pathways

Careers

After graduation and registration as an ECE, you may find employment as an educator in:

  • early learning and care programs
  • nursery schools
  • kindergartens
  • community health agencies
  • home childcare organizations
  • entrepreneurial opportunities

The intensive program is an accelerated, 34-week alternative to the Early Childhood Education program. It is for those who have completed a degree or diploma program in a related field of study.

Due to their previous work, students in the intensive program bring relevant skills, education, and experiences to the educational environment. As a result, this program is fast-paced with an increased course load and frequent assignments requiring students to be able to work both effectively both independently and in group settings.

Pathways

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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.

Learning Outcomes

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.

Tuition & Fees

Get an idea of how much each semester will cost with our Tuition and Fee Estimator.

2024/2025 Academic Year

Tuition and related ancillary fees for this program can be viewed by using the Tuition and Fees Estimator tool at www.algonquincollege.com/fee-estimator.

Further information on fees can be found by visiting the Registrar`s Office website at www.algonquincollege.com/ro.

Fees are subject to change.

Additional program related expenses include:

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must satisfy both College Eligibility and Program Eligibility requirements.

Program Eligibility

  • Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma, Degree or equivalent in a Human Social Services program.
  • A minimum of 150 hours of experience working with groups of children in supervised settings.
  • Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject-specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
  • IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22; OR Duolingo English Test (DET) Overall 120, minimum of 120 in Literacy and no score below 105.

Health Requirements:
The physical and emotional health of each applicant to the program must be such that he or she can successfully cope with the program of instruction including the demands of field placement (e.g. stress and time management). Individuals who have concerns about their ability to meet these requirements should contact the coordinator of the program prior to submitting an application.

Police Records Check Documentation:
Though not an admission requirement, applicants must note important information listed below regarding Police Records Check program requirements.

Students must provide the College with a current Vulnerable Sector Police Check (Level 3) (VSC) prior to the deadline identified by the department and students are responsible for any associated costs. If this documentation is not submitted on time, students may not be placed and registration in the program will be jeopardized. If you register in the program without a clear PRCSVS and as a result are unable to participate in placement, you will not be able to graduate and will be asked to withdraw.

Placement Requirements:
To be eligible for placement, you must submit proof of Standard First Aid certification, CPR level C, PRCSVS, and complete immunizations through Placement Pass. Placement Pass services are the third party provider who collects all placement documentation for the Community Studies department.

Additional Requirements:
Observing children, visiting centres and participating in field placements are integral to the program of study. Because the above may occur within the first few weeks of classes, it is strongly recommended that Standard First Aid (level C) and CPR, Police Records Check, and Health Requirements be completed before the start of classes in order that you can complete necessary class assignments.

If you are an International Student:
International students will require a work permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to authorize the student in completing the essential work component in the two practice teaching courses of the Early Childhood Education program. This permit should be obtained as soon as possible. At the port of entry to Canada, students should let the customs officer know that they need the work permit and should include a letter issued by the International Admissions office to add support to the request.

Students who wait until they start the program, to apply for the permit, might not obtain it in time to begin their first practice teaching course. Current processing times for the work permit are found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp.asp.

Application Information

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (INTENSIVE)
Program Code 0398X05FWO

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 admission 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
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro

Additional Information

Program Resources

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) RequirementseTextbooksArchived Program Information Academic CalendarVirtual TourProgram Overview PDF

The Early Childhood Education Intensive program consists of courses that are delivered in a variety of formats including face-to-face in a classroom, hybrid (combination of classroom and online learning) and fully online. Students participate in all three types of learning.

Class schedules vary from term to term and courses may be scheduled between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Field placements are assigned by faculty. Students will complete two field placements for a minimum of 48 days.

Please note: Students may be required to travel up to 90 minutes to reach their field placement. While every attempt is made to provide a field placement close to a preferred area, is not always possible. Students are not permitted to contact child care centres in an attempt to arrange a field placement. Hours may vary from centre to centre. Students may be starting as early as 7 a.m. and ending as late as 6:15 p.m.

Students must successfully complete all courses and field placements in order to progress to the next level.

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 student to meet with their academic advisor or 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.

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