Columbia College Chicago offers an undergraduate Early Childhood Education (ECE) program with two concentrations: Teacher Certification and Center Director. The Teacher Certification concentration is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education for Illinois Type 04 Teacher Certification. The Center Director concentration is accredited by the state for the Level II Illinois Director Credebtial. Students in both concentrations complete a common Education Core, advanced study within the area of specialization, and a practicum experience.

The ECE program represents an exciting venture formed to enhance and support the well-being of children in urban settings. As an arts and communication college with a history of serving the needs of the Chicago urban community, Columbia is committed to offering a unique program for the preparation of early childhood educators that combines professional education with focused study in the visual arts, performing arts, or language and culture within the context of a liberal education. Supported by recent research in early brain development, it is now apparent that the arts provide the multiple routes to understanding and communication that are critical to all human endeavor. Early childhood professionals with a background in the arts are better able to provide children with multiple entry points to symbolic understanding and representation.

The Columbia program was developed on the belief that both a liberal education which embraces the arts as central to the human experience, and professional preparation are essential in preparing those who work with children. Liberal arts education affords them the opportunity to explore new knowledge in the sciences and humanities and study the basis for asking questions and developing creative solutions in the different disciplines. Studies in child development, professional strategies, and the importance of context in development provide the professional environment and tools necessary for promoting growth and development in children. In addition to the professional education courses, students in the Teacher Certification concentration work two years under experienced teachers in public and private schools in the Chicago area prior to graduation. An extensive first teaching year mentoring and peer support system is in place to support program graduates during this critical period in their careers. Students in the Center Director concentration complete a year long, supervised practicum.

The Early Childhood Education program accepts a small cohort of students each year. Teacher Certification students must pass the Illinois Certification Testing System Basic Skills exam early in their program. They must also pass the Early Childhood exam; earn a minimum grade of B in all Professional Education courses, English Composition, and amthmatics; and maintain a 2.5 overall GPA.

Student programs and class schedules are planned each semester in consultation with program faculty. Students ordinarily may graduate under the college catalog requirements in effect at the time they enter the program, provided they do so in a timely manner. However, the Illinois State Teacher Certification Board may mandate changes in standards of approved teacher education programs requiring Teacher Certification students to modify or add to their original degree programs to be eligible for certification upon completion of graduation requirements.

Dr. Carol Ann Stowe, Director
Harris Center for Early Childhood Education at Columbia College

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