About Us

MISSION STATEMENT
The Columbia College Early Childhood Education Program was designed to increase the pool of well-prepared, skilled, knowledgeable professionals who are responsive to, and effective in meeting, the needs of children in a range of urban settings. The Program was developed out of the belief that both a liberal arts education which embraces the arts as central to the human experience and professional preparation in pedagogy are essential in developing child development professionals. To that end program students complete a rigorous course of study in the major; a body of work the visual arts, performing arts, or a defined area of language and culture; and extensive field work. Program graduates are supported during their first year of work in school and non-school settings.


THE PROGRAM
The Harris Center for Early Childhood Education at Columbia College Chicago is devoted to preparing skilled and knowledgeable child development professionals who can meet the needs of children in a range of urban settings.  It offers an undergraduate Early Childhood Education (ECE) program accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education for Illinois Type 04 Teacher Certification. It combines an arts integrated professional education core with an emphasis on the Reggio Emilia Approach and a focused study in the visual arts, performing arts, or language and culture. Some of these focus areas include; art, dance, theater, music, photography, Hispanic and Latino culture, American Sign Language, and more.

Supported by recent research in early brain development and the importance of the arts, the ECE program provides multiple routes to understanding and communication that are critical to all human endeavors.  Research shows that early childhood professionals with a background in the arts are better able to provide children with multiple experiences and ways of understanding and representing learning.

The program has a strong foundation of hands-on learning and emphasizes a collaborative approach to teacher preparation. This constructivist approach requires students to spend a significant amount of time in field work experience, which is done in Chicago area schools.  Students spend time with children birth through 3rd grade and complete significant clinical experiences at the pre-primary (preschool), and primary (1st through 3rd) grades.  Clinical sites consist of public schools, charter schools, private schools, and community service agencies.  Some of the sites where students have done field experience are;

    -Pierce Elementary School (Chicago Public School)
    -Velma Thomas (Chicago Public Early Childhood Center)
    -Chicago Laboratory School (Private School)
    -Chicago Commons (Social Service Agency)
    -Christopher House (Social Service Agency)
    -Bronzeville Light House Charter (Charter School)


SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS
We are committed to our students and support their progress through the program. Each student is assigned afacultyadvisor for their entire time at Columbia. Each advisor meets with their students on a regular basis to ensurethey are progressing through the program and to give them assistance registering for classes. Students who need additional assistance are referred to the tutoring or counseling centers. When students enter the professional sequence (usually their Junior year), they are assigned to a cohort and will remain with that cohort until graduation.  Cohorts build on the collaborative process and provide an additional support system for students during their clinical experiences.

Through generous contributions from the Joan and Irving Harris Foundation, scholarships are awarded to students who show promise in becoming exceptional teachers, and to support study abroad at Reggio Emilia Schools, in Italy.