This program is designed to provide opportunities for early childhood personnel who wish to develop competencies for entry level positions in inclusive early childhood programs through participation in an associate degree program. A broad knowledge of development and learning across the birth through eight age range is necessary for educators to provide appropriate curriculum and assessment approaches. As a result, the IECE Program is designed to ensure that students learn about the variability of young children and the adaptations and modifications that can be made to ensure typical developmental and learning experiences for all children.

The program stresses the importance of natural environments, play support, and the integration of developmental/learning experiences into the curriculum. Students are trained to assume the primary role of facilitators of child development and learning and parent-child relationships. The IECE Program utilizes principles of adult learning in its teaching strategies which involves learning by doing, reflecting, analyzing and synthesizing through structured, as well as, open-ended activities and sharing and interacting with others. Students learn through a combination of coursework, creation of portfolios, and guided and supervised fieldwork that teach about and demonstrate inclusionary early childhood educational models and principles.

Course Offerings

To view course offerings for this degree click here  or on the Planned Course Offerings link below.
 
For more information contact the Dean of the School of Education

General Education Requirements

A. Freshman Development Seminar (FDS) -- 0-1

B. Humanities -- 15
COM 119 Interpersonal Communication and Leadership Skills 3
ENG 120 English Composition 3
ENG 201 Research and Applied Writing 3
Additional Humanities Electives 6

C. Mathematics and/or Science -- 8-10
SCI 100 The Natural World: The Caribbean 3
and
Two approved science or math courses

D. Social Sciences -- 6-9
SSC 100 An Introduction to the Social Sciences: A Caribbean Focus 3
and
Two other courses in the Social Sciences:
Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology or Sociology

Additionally, students must successfully pass the following examinations:

• English Proficiency Examination (EPE)
• Computer Literacy Examination (CLE)