Kellogg Community College is proud to announce that its Early Childhood Education Program recently received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
The accreditation affirms that the program meets high standards in its curriculum, instruction and support of the profession and quality of education in the communities served by KCC.
“We are elated to receive the NAEYC accreditation because we have worked so hard over the years to create a superb program at KCC,” said Dawn Larsen, chair of Social Science and Education. “After all of our effort to train students to become outstanding teachers, this national honor is like icing on a cake.”
Early childhood education is a field of study focused on children’s growth and development up to 8 years old. The Washington, D.C.-based NAEYC, which promotes high-quality systems of educating young children, has in the past seven years accredited 186 associate degree programs nationwide that meet the organization’s professional preparation standards.
Accreditation is becoming increasingly important in early childhood education, where employment of preschool teachers and directors is expected to grow by 35 percent from 2010 to 2020, according to national labor statistics.
In its decision, the NAEYC’s Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation said of KCC: “The program has many areas of strength, particularly in relation to its role in the community and the quality of its teaching and advisement. Students, stakeholders, and community members commented on the program’s high level of commitment to meeting student needs. It was also noted that graduates of the program are well prepared for employment.”
In addition to enhancing the KCC program through recognition, accreditation helps ensure federal support will continue for local students, especially those applying for financial aid; supports agreements with accredited universities to ensure that students can smoothly transfer credits toward bachelor’s degrees; and serves as another stamp of approval for all future graduates of the KCC program.
KCC’s Early Childhood Education Program is the sixth associate degree program in Michigan to receive NAEYC accreditation. Over the years, the program has trained more than 8,000 people who have collectively worked with more than 200,000 families across the region. As part of the curriculum, each student works directly with about 25 families annually.
For more information about the Early Childhood Education Program at Kellogg Community College, visit www.kellogg.edu/ece. For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online atdaily.kellogg.edu/category/press-releases.