Inspire the Next Generation

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Core Beliefs

• all people share basic human needs.
• all people have equal rights.
• a positive quality of life is most likely attained through practices that enhance status, community participation and skill development.

The Department of Education prepares students for fulfilling careers working with families and children from birth through 18 years of age. Along with graduating professionals into the workforce, the department also houses the Children's Centre Demonstration Daycare and hosts the annual Early Childhood Education Awards.

All of our programs include classroom instruction, as well as practical learning opportunities to better prepare our students for real-world experience.

Graduates of our programs have excellent opportunities for employment in a variety of different early childhood settings including child care centres, family day homes, nursery schools, inclusive child care programs, kindergartens and out of school programs. Students completing our programs are highly sought after by employers and have excellent opportunities to obtain employment in our community and surrounding areas.

Early Learning and Child Care Certificate & Diploma

Early Learning and Child Care will prepare you for a career working with children ages 0 – 8 in addition to working with their families. A commitment to this rewarding profession will have long-term benefits to young children, their families, and the communities where they live and work.

Certificate graduates qualify for certification as Child Development Workers through Alberta Children and Youth Services while diploma graduates qualify as Child Development Supervisors.

Post Graduation Certification

Certificate
Early Learning and Child Care Certificate graduates qualify for Child Development Worker Certification through Child Care Staff Certification, Government of Alberta, Children and Youth Services.

Diploma
Students with a Diploma qualify for Child Development Supervisor Certification through Child Care Staff Certification, Government of Alberta, Children and Youth Services.

To receive Child Development Assistant Certification through Alberta Children and Youth Services students must complete one (1) 45 hour Early Learning and Child Care course.

Program Completion Options

• Full or part-time study at regularly scheduled times on campus and in local practicum settings such as a daycare centre, kindergarten classroom, or preschool.
• Part-time, usually in summer session, throughout various Northern Alberta communities on a rotational basis.
• By distance education. All courses required to complete the Early Learning and Child Care curriculum are available by distance delivery.

• Possible Careers Include: Work at child care centres, family day homes, nursery schools, Kindergartens, inclusive child care programs, and out of school programs as a child care worker or supervisor.

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Educational Assistant Certificate

Prepare to work in educational settings under the direction of a teacher, providing support to students who require assistance in developmental, behavioural, and/or learning tasks. Graduates of the Educational Assistant program are prepared to work with children in the school system from Kindergarten to Grade 12, in both resource rooms and classrooms. This program also offers the opportunity for those currently employed as Educational Assistants to continue working in the field while obtaining certification.

Your Path, Your Pace - Our EA program includes flexible course offerings through different streams, allowing you to choose a learning path that meets your needs:

• Fast-track to complete your program in only nine months!
• Part-time allows you to take as many or as few courses as you want and is ideal if you're not able to commit to full-time studies.
• Step-by-step offers live and online evening courses where you can learn from the comfort of your home. Maybe you're not able to commit a lot of time for studies but want to work toward your goal of becoming an EA - this option allows you to do that, one course at a time.

• Possible Careers Include: Educational assistant in Kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms, early intervention worker, daycare worker, employee with Head Start and preschool programs, private educational support.

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Education Programs

Our education program will prepare you to apply to either the second or third year of the B.Ed. degree program or to the Combined Degrees B.Ed. programs at one of our partner universities.

Selection and completion of the appropriate courses for your program and a competitive grade point average (GPA) are required for successful transfer to the B.Ed. program of your choice. For further information on current required GPA, please consult with an advisor in Student Services.

Bachelor of Education - en Français!

Are you fluent in French with a passion for teaching? We are proud to offer the French Bachelor of Education program in collaboration with the University of Alberta's Campus St. Jean. The program includes elementary or secondary education streams and allows you to complete your first two years on campus in Grande Prairie. There is also a diploma offered for students who have already completed a Bachelor of Education, but who would like to pursue teaching in French.

• Potential Careers Include: Elementary or high school teachers in French immersion or Francophone settings

Bachelor of Education - Combined Degrees

Our partner universities within Alberta offer a number of combined degree programs. We may offer one to two years of full-time study, depending on a student's major, toward these Combined Degrees programs. Students interested in these combined degrees will apply for admission to our University Transfer programs.

Bachelor of Education

If you are interested in teaching high school, you can start your Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree with us. We offer transfer programs in collaboration with our partner universities in Alberta, allowing you to complete the first years of your degree at our campus. You then apply to one of our partners, to complete your degree at a university and graduate with a degree from that institution.

Bachelor of Education - Teacher Education North

Complete your degree on our Grande Prairie campus! We offer the Teacher Education North (TEN) program in collaboration with one of our partner institutions. The program graduates qualified elementary teachers who are uniquely prepared to teach in northern communities through focusing on rural and Indigenous education. Many instructors are long-time residents of the region, bringing a regional perspective to their teaching.

• Potential Careers Include: Elementary teacher, school administration, instructional designer

Children's Centre Demonstration Daycare

Running full days on weekdays, our daycare program offers inclusive supports for children with diverse needs. We use an evidence-based child care curriculum framework and provide our Early Learning Child Care program students on-campus, hands-on experiences.

Spring Nursery Pre-school Program

Geared toward children aged 3 - 5 years old, our eight-week pre-school program runs Monday through Thursday with two sessions each day, and is run by the students enrolled in our Early Learning and Childcare Program.

Contact Us

For information about our our programs, please contact: