Thursday, March 28, 2024

TCC’s Early Childhood Education program earns national accreditation

Tidewater Community College’s Early Childhood Education program has achieved first-time national accreditation from the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children.

TCC is one of only two associate programs in the state accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, according to a news release from the college. Northern Virginia Community College is the other.

TCC’s Early Childhood Education program prepares students in the care, supervision and education of young children from birth to age 8. The college offers a 62-credit Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and certificates in Early Childhood InstructionChild DevelopmentPreschool and Educational Support.

Graduates are prepared for work in settings that include preschools, child care centers, Head Start programs, private schools, public schools and before- and after-school programs, TCC officials said.

Students who graduate from the associate program are equipped to transfer to four-year programs – TCC holds transfer agreements with Norfolk State University and Bellevue University.

“National accreditation benefits us in many ways,” said Jeanne Hopkins, department chairwoman and assistant professor of Early Childhood Education on the Portsmouth Campus. “We are intentional in creating a comprehensive program for our students that makes them attractive candidates for employment upon graduation.”

Programs accredited by NAEYC demonstrate that they:

  • Align to NAEYC’s Professional Preparation Standard
  • Respond to the unique needs of their degree candidates and communities.
  • Provide intentional learning experiences for their degree candidates to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to be effective early childhood educators.

Founded in 1926, the NAEYC is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.

Fall classes at TCC begin on Aug. 20.

For information about TCC’s Early Childhood Education program, visit here.

Contact Hopkins at jehopkins@tcc.edu (Portsmouth Campus), Cassandra Small at csmall@tcc.edu (Norfolk Campus) or Maggie Charlton at mcharlton@tcc.edu (Chesapeake and Virginia Beach campuses).

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