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Bachelor's Degree In Early Childhood Education

Students in the early childhood education program will study child development, gain a deep understanding of the importance of family involvement, and learn culturally and linguistically appropriate teaching practices. They will learn to observe, document, and assess children's progress, integrate academic content into the curriculum, and uphold the highest standards of professionalism as early childhood educators. Through hands-on experiences and elective courses focused on diversity, equity, and justice, students will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to make a positive impact on young children's lives.

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Study early childhood education at the University of Nevada, Reno to receive a comprehensive education that prepares you to become a licensed early childhood teacher while gaining a rich understanding of child development and fostering strong partnerships with families. Benefit from dedicated faculty who believe in every child's potential and a program that aligns with national professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators.

Bright Horizons Company Offers Free Teacher Degree Program: "Who Doesn't Want Free Education?"

With graduation season upon us, many graduates may be rethinking their future plans following the pandemic. Some may wonder whether or not it's worth the cost to pursue a college degree.  

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Early childhood education company Bright Horizons offers graduates or anyone interested in continuing their education another path that's also free.

"Who doesn't want free education?" asked Ruby Saldana, an instructional coach at the Bright Horizons Fitzsimons Early Education Center.

Saldana is among the staff helping little minds grow at the learning center in Aurora. At the same time, she's also earning her own education.

"I knew that I wanted growth and development," she told CBS News Colorado's anchor Kelly Werthmann.

She expresses that she wanted to motivate her children. "I want them to have a mommy they can look up to," Saldana said. 

As a Bright Horizons employee, Saldana is taking advantage of its program that allows any full-time employee on staff to earn an associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood education for free.

"They pay for everything," Saldana said. "That includes the tuition, the books."

© Provided by CBS Colorado CBS

Saldana jumped into the Horizons Teacher Degree Program when it was first offered in 2018. She is working toward a degree that she once believed wasn't possible for her.

"Financially, I don't think I'd be able to afford it," she said.

Money is often the reason why many people don't pursue post-secondary education. So, if you're thinking this free program is too good to be true, think again. 

"We get a lot of people, who interview and say, 'what's the catch?'" Saldana explained. "There is no catch. You just have to be full-time [at Bright Horizons]."

Saldana is very busy being a young mother of two, a full-time employee and student, but she's pursuing her dream degree and encourages anyone who has a goal of becoming an educator to join.

© Provided by CBS Colorado CBS

"It's all online so, it's really flexible," Saldana said. "We're a well-rounded company to be able to get people on these paths to success, which is fantastic. Who doesn't want that?"

At a time when Colorado is facing an educator shortage, Saldana believes this program can be a part of the solution. It's a way for Bright Horizons to find long-term employees to help provide quality education for Colorado's youth.

Saldana expects to finish the program and earn her degree next year (after taking a break during the pandemic). She's also inspired at least three of her co-workers at the Fitzsimons location to join the program.

Bright Horizon's Teacher Degree Program: https://bit.Ly/3IhdlzW

Unlock Your Dream Career With An Early Childhood Degree

If you're passionate about working with children and crave a career that is both rewarding and varied then a degree in early childhood studies could be the first step towards your dream job.

Whether you want to work as a family support specialist, with a charity, in a forest school, in an arts or health setting, studying early childhood can unlock a world of opportunities.

It will set you up for a career that not only offers immense personal satisfaction, but one that also has a significant impact on society as the early years of a child's life are crucial for their development, and those who work in this field play a vital role in shaping their future.

Endless career possibilities

Dr Clionagh Boyle has been doing just that for more than 20 years. She is currently the head of early childhood at Liverpool Hope University, but her career exemplifies the rich variety of work early childhood graduates enjoy.

Dr Boyle was previously employed as the programmes manager of Early Years - the main children's sector NGO in Northern Ireland – and prior to that she held a role as director of Derry Children's Commission, the first local authority based children's rights commission.

Studying an early childhood degree can unlock a world of opportunities (Image: Getty Images)

"There are a whole range of possibilities because early childhood is interdisciplinary and not solely focused on one area of practice," she said. "The degree draws on a wide range of disciplines, including education, sociology, psychology, philosophy and history and that means it opens up a wide range of jobs.

"We have graduates who are leading organisations in the voluntary sector or working in family support, whilst others have decided to study for a Masters in social work or to complete a PGCE. Some have utilised their entrepreneurial skills to set up their own businesses."

'The best decision I ever made'

Hope graduate Aimee Fletcher has enjoyed several different roles in her fledgling career. The 25-year-old graduated in 2020 before securing a role working with children and young people in a domestic violence refuge.

She later moved to Sefton Council in a domestic violence advocate role and currently works for the Young Persons Advisory Service offering wellbeing interventions to children and young people.

"People think early years practitioners just sit and play with children all day, but it is so much more than that," she said. "It gives you the tools and knowledge to improve children's future and you can go down so many avenues.

"I can't recommend the degree enough, especially at Hope. Going there was the best decision I ever made. It was just the most incredible experience."

Hope offers the new Graduate Practitioner (GPC) Level 6 Professional Certification alongside the BA (Hons) degree. This is recognised by the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network.

If you choose the single honours route you have the option to obtain GPC certification as a graduate leader through assessment in a range of placements.

Placement provides an understanding of the professional context and enhances your career prospects after your degree.

As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year studying abroad.

Graduates have gone on to pursue careers as members of Local Authority multi-agency teams, leaders in Children's Centres, Children's Learning Officers in museums and galleries and at charities such as Save the Children and NSPCC.

Making positive change

The opportunity to make a difference to a young person's life is one of the key drivers for those who work in the early years sector. For Ade Ajayi that motivation started at home.

The opportunity to make a difference to a young person's life is one of the key drivers for those who work in the early years sector (Image: Getty Images)

After 17 years as a support worker, the 44-year-old returned to education via Hope's foundation degree with a desire to better understand her three children.

She is now hoping to positively impact society as a social worker and, completing the Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPC) Level 6 accreditation alongside her degree has given her an extra edge for the next step in her career.

"I have two sons who both want to be software engineers, but I found it challenging to watch them sit at a computer all day," she said. "Regulating their screen time was an issue for me so I asked myself how can I understand this better?

"The foundation stage of life is very important and even though my kids were older, I felt the knowledge I would get from an early childhood degree would be helpful and that proved to be the case as my dissertation focused on co-regulation and technology.

"Now I am planning to study a Masters in social work and I hope to work in the early years area of the sector. My aim is to impact society and make change."

Liverpool Hope University offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in early childhood studies. You can find out more at their next open day on Friday June 23 - book your place now.

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