New Program to Equip Early Childhood Educators to be Leaders
Because 90 percent of brain development occurs by age 5, positive early learning experiences are critical for a child’s academic success. That is part of the reason demand for early childhood education professionals is expected to grow 17 percent from 2013 through 2022.
Regent University is offering a new Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education degree program for those with a passion for helping young children learn. Offered on campus or completely online beginning Fall 2015, the new degree will cover all aspects of educating preschoolers. This includes child development, lesson planning and an additional focus on the business and entrepreneurial aspects of running a child-care facility or program.
“Our goal is to equip those with a passion for the well-being of children to turn their life’s calling into a reality and even a business,” said Dr. Kurt Kreassig, assistant professor, Teacher Education & Interdisciplinary Studies in Regent’s College of Arts & Sciences. “Regent’s program will train students to be effective preschool educators, owners and administrators of preschool operations. The bachelor’s degree program will not only focus on the developmental aspect of early childhood, but it will also equip students with administrative and management skills to develop and supervise an early childhood operation.”
Graduates of the new degree program can expect to pursue a variety of career paths. Anyone looking to become a director or administrator of a preschool or childcare center, owner or operator of an early childhood facility, preschool teacher, parent educator or community care licensing analyst will benefit. It combines courses from general education, education principles, business operation principles and general electives. Unlike programs from many other schools, Regent’s program emphasizes leadership.
“Through civic engagement, field experiences at day care centers, camps and pre-schools, and the development of an early childhood operation business proposal, students will be challenged to pursue an in-depth inquiry of questions such as, ‘How do children learn?’; ‘What are the best practices for early childhood center designs, models and services?’; ‘How do early childhood learning environments support children’s investigations?’; and ‘In what ways do teachers generate and shape curriculum to reflect the questions and interests of young children?'” said Kreassig.
Learn more about the new Early Childhood Education degree program.