About the Education Program
Current Mission and Purpose of the Education Program
Mission
The department’s mission statement and goals state two primary purposes.
These are:
- To provide knowledge, training and skill development for persons interested in working in the area of social services with specific educational opportunities for those interested in early childhood development, human services, and education.
- To serve the community as an information and knowledge-base in the area of social service, with specific expertise in early childhood education and development, human services, and education.
Goals
The department will meet these purposes by pursuing four goals.
These include:
- To provide a program of study which will develop sufficient student competence so that graduates might enter directly into entry level positions assuming responsibility in the field of social services, including care and education of young children in early childhood development, service and casework with clients in human services.
- To provide a program of study which will prepare graduates for upper-division collegiate work in a four year program which upon completion will lead to increased responsibility in social service programs dealing with early childhood development, human services, and education.
- To provide a program of study which will upgrade the skills and knowledge-base of persons currently working the field of social services, including early childhood development, human services, increasing their competence in their professional activities.
- To participate in community activities in social services by collaboration with community organizations and professionals working in the areas of early childhood development, human services and education.
The current activity of the Education Program clearly fits into these purposes and goals. The catalog states that early childhood development is the study of the growth of the child, the influences of the family upon the child, and the environmental presses upon the family. Students who complete the program will have opportunity to work in a variety of entry level positions in child day care, preschools, head start programs, family day care, social services, early intervention, out-of-school time programs for school-age children, and other similar early care and education programs. Students may transfer their credits to a bachelor’s level program at a four-year college or university with majors of education, early childhood development, social services, special needs education, and many other areas of study.
Current Mission and Purpose of the Education Transfer Program
Mission
The department’s mission statement and goals state two primary purposes.
These are:
- To provide knowledge, training and skill development for persons interested in working in the area of social services with specific educational opportunities for those interested in early childhood development, human services, and education.
- To serve the community as an information and knowledge-base in the area of social service, with specific expertise in early childhood education and development, human services, and education.
Goals
The department will meet these purposes for the student in the Education Transfer Program by pursuing four goals.
These include:
- To provide a program of study which will develop sufficient student competence so that graduates might enter directly into entry level positions assuming responsibility as paraprofessionals in educational settings.
- To provide a program of study which will prepare graduates for upper-division collegiate work in a four year program which upon completion will lead to increased responsibility in educational settings.
- To provide a program of study which will upgrade the skills and knowledge-base of persons currently working the field of education, increasing their competence in their professional activities.
- To participate in community activities in education by collaboration with community organizations and professionals working in the areas of teaching and learning in educational settings.
The current activity of the Education Transfer Program clearly fits into these purposes and goals. The catalog states that the two year program of study of Education is intended to prepare students as paraprofessionals in careers that direct the delivery of services to students in educational settings. Students must transfer to a four year college to complete state requirements for Teacher Certification. Prior to completion of this advanced degree some employment opportunities exist in organizations employing paraprofessionals in educational classrooms.
In the A.A. program, students may transfer their credits with ease to a bachelor’s level program at many four-year colleges or universities with a number of general education majors and further work in education coursework.