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Earn an Early Childhood Specialist Certificate

Learn the fundamentals of early childhood care with an Early Childhood Specialist certificate. Prepare for potential careers as a teacher aide in preschools, child care centers, and more!

Blue Ridge CTC’s Early Childhood Development program develops workforce skills through practical training required to work with children from infancy to age 6.

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Why Earn an Early Childhood Specialist Certificate?

With the Early Childhood Specialist certificate, students learn in-demand workforce skills through a blend of theories and practice. The program allows students to:

    • Execute classroom learning in real work scenarios related to young children up to age 6.
    • Foster cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and creative development of young children.
    • Develop professional interaction skills to have positive staff relationships and collaboration with parents.
    • Meet the state requirements of the West Virginia Department of Education to work as a teacher aide in public schools.

1,422,300

New Jobs

For teacher aides and similar other professions are predicted as per BLS between 2020-30.

Complete in

One Year!

Enroll full-time and earn a certificate in just one year!

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Build a Rewarding Career with a Certificate in Early Childhood Specialist

Gather skills required to work with young children in preschools and childcare centers. Our certificate in Early Childhood Specialist imparts in-demand skills to operate effectively in diverse childcare environments.

With the Early Childhood Development Specialist certificate program, students learn to identify a child’s physical and nutritional needs, adopt methods to foster growth and development, and master skills needed to qualify for employment in an early childhood profession.

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    1-year

    Certificate Program

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    Formats

    In Person, Hybrid

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    30

    Credit Hours

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What You Will Learn - Curriculum Overview

With our Early Childhood Specialist Certificate, students obtain hands-on instruction from highly trained faculty about the essentials of early child care and development.

Throughout the coursework, students receive well-rounded knowledge of concepts such as an introduction to child development, the foundation of early childhood, health, nutrition and safety, early childhood curriculum, and more. Upon completing the program, students:

    • Gain knowledge about community resources.
    • Develop multicultural awareness about diverse populations
    • Develop utmost professionalism to communicate with staff and parents.
    • Learn working within a diverse childcare and learning environment.

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Curriculam overview

Build Your Future With Blue Ridge CTC

Blue Ridge CTC facilitates inclusive learning opportunities and a collaborative campus environment to support personal and professional growth.

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    4000+

    Students Per Semester

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    60+

    Degree & Certificate Programs

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    14:1

    Student-Faculty Ratio

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Our Learners' Success Stories!

Here is what the learners have to share about their experiences after earning the Early Childhood Specialist certificate.

Have Questions? Talk With an Admissions Counselor Today!

Admissions Counselors and Academic Advisors at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College help students navigate career paths throughout their academic careers.

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Worried About Financing? Many Options Exist for Financial Aid.

Blue Ridge CTC provides need-based financial aid to qualified applicants, ensuring all students have equal access to a quality education.

Whether you are a student worrying about tuition fees or are a parent assisting a child pay for college, we have a wide variety of financial resources available.

    • State and Federal Grant Programs
    • Student Work-Study Opportunities
    • Student Loans
    • Special Grant Funding Opportunities
    • Blue Ridge CTC Foundation Scholarship opportunities

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Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about the Early Childhood Specialist Certificate? We can help!

With a one-year economical Early Childhood Specialist Certificate, students receive foundation knowledge to seek employment in preschools and early childcare centers as teacher aides.

Our Early Childhood Specialist certificate program develops real-world skills through hands-on training and expert guidance from qualified faculty.

With an Early Childhood Specialist certificate, students learn core concepts and theories required to begin or advance in the career. The program develops skills, knowledge, and competencies of a teacher aide through classroom environment and practical experiences.

Disclaimer

Note: All salary projections are based on the current position and educational needs. BRCTC cannot guarantee that job titles or the projections given will be the salaries students or graduates will ultimately receive. Two year completion is approximate and based on full-time enrollment. Student testimonials, income statements, and examples on the College website are the results of real students. These testimonials are not intended to guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Each individual’s success depends on his or her desire, commitment, dedication, and motivation to pursue academic and workforce opportunities. Testimonials are not intended to create a contract between a student and the College.
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