April 17, 2013 at 5:14 p.m.
Nicolet early childhood program hosts open house
Nicolet early childhood program hosts open house
Potential Nicolet early childcare students were given all the information they needed to know about the two-year associate degree program, including application information, extra-curricular involvement opportunities such as the early childhood education school club, curriculum information, including course and credit information, financial aid information, such as Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and scholarship information, as well as information about potential careers after graduation.
Potential students who attend an open house at Nicolet also receive a waiver that allows them to apply to Nicolet for free, waving the $30 application fee.
Early Childhood Education Instructor Diane Rickert said the program gives graduating students many options.
"There's more than just the option of being a childcare teacher, there's a pathway that, depending on where you end up with your degree, you can go on and get a lot of different types of jobs," she said. "At some point you could be teaching adults, working with parents or working in a Head Start setting."
The early childhood education program allows graduating students to apply developmental theory to practice, cultivate relationships with children, families, and the community, assess child growth and development, use the best practices in teaching and learning, demonstrate professionalism and integrate health, safety and nutrition practices.
In addition to classwork, students in the early childhood education program at Nicolet gain hands-on experience in childcare.
"They have to do four practicum experiences, so four actual experiences in the community where they are practicing, and they also have to do a number of observations at different centers," said Rickert.
Students can complete these practical experiences at Nicolet's Head Start facility, or at any facility in their community.
"Some students are from Tomahawk, Mercer or Manitowish Waters, so they can choose to do their practicum experiences in their community, because that might be where they are working eventually," said Rickert.
Possible careers for students who complete their associate degrees in early childhood education include family day care provider, Head Start teacher or home visitor, school age child care teacher or director and child care center administrator or owner, among other careers.
In addition to job opportunities after graduation, students have the option to transfer to a four-year school to earn their bachelor's degree. Miriam Meeks, Advising Coordinator of the Central Wisconsin Alliance for Early Childhood Education (CWAEC) at UW-Stevens Point, was present to give information about transferring to a four-year bachelor program after Nicolet's two-year associate degree program.
Nicolet Students who complete their two-year associative degree in early childhood education can transfer into the CWAEC program at UW-Stevens Point. This cohort-based program is designed to assist those professionals with an associate degree in early childhood education to earn a bachelor's degree and teacher certification in early childhood education (for ages 0-8).
"It's a non-traditional program that's both face-to-face in classrooms and online, a hybrid," said Meeks. "It's especially geared toward working people. They can work all week, do their classwork online, and meet one Saturday a month."
Currently, this monthly meeting happens in Wausau, a central location for the students in the program now.
"The students in this program are very excited about it, because they can still work," said Meeks.
Students who are able can also enroll with their transfer credits and take classes at the UW-Stevens Point campus in the traditional manner.
The CWAEC is a new program, and will be completing its first year this spring with the first cohort of student-teachers heading out of the program.
Meeks said students who enter the CWAEC program after transferring from a two-year degree program typically have a strong base of knowledge when they begin the bachelor's degree program.
"They come out with an enormous amount of information and a lot of quality skills," said Meeks. "They aren't an 18-year-old kid jumping into an education program. They already have a large depth of experiences that we tap into."
Rickert also said the associate degree program prepares students for the next level, whether that level be a job or further education.
"It's a very applied program," she said. "We have classes that teach them the skills and then they go out and practice them pretty extensively in those practicums. Those are time-intensive sessions."
Anyone looking for more information about the early childhood program at Nicolet can contact the college at (715) 365-4493 or visit www.nicoletcollege.edu. Anyone looking for more information about the CWAEC program at UW-Stevens Point can call (715) 346-2826 or visit www.uwsp.edu/education/Pages/cwaec.
Jim Oxley may be reached at [email protected].
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