The education of children in Manchester

Early Childhood Education

Welcome! The Early Childhood Education program is designed to prepare qualified students to become teachers of young children and to enhance the skills of current teachers. The program focuses on child development theory and early childhood education practices, with a particular emphasis on presenting practical information that can be used working with young children. MCC’s Early Childhood Education associate degree program is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program get the opportunity to work at MCC’s on-campus Child Development Center.

For students who plan to transfer to complete the requirements for a bachelor of arts or bachelor of general studies degree in early childhood education at one of the four Connecticut state universities or Charter Oak State College, enrolling in the college’s Early Childhood Teacher Credential Studies Transfer Ticket degree pathway program is a good choice. By entering this program, students are able to start their coursework at MCC and take advantage of its high-quality instruction and more affordable community college tuition and fees. Upon completion of the CSCU Pathway Transfer: Early Childhood Teacher Credential Studies associate degree, students are guaranteed full junior status and can complete a bachelor’s degree in their major without losing any credits or being required to take extra credits or incur additional expenses.

In addition, MCC has developed excellent relationships with colleges and universities in Connecticut and the Northeast outside of the CSCU system to ensure that our students are able to transfer the maximum number of credits toward their degree. Students who are planning to transfer are encouraged to meet with their academic advisors or department chairs to discuss how MCC courses transfer to other institutions. More information on the transfer options available at MCC can be found in the Transfer Services portion of the website. For students who wish to quickly enter the job market or enhance their skills, certificate programs of a shorter duration are offered.

 
Degree Program – View the Program Curriculum
Early Childhood Education, A.S.

Early Childhood Teacher Credential Studies: CSCU Pathway Transfer. A.A.

 
Career Information
Learn about a career in Early Childhood Education.

 
NAEYC Program Outcomes
Student Achievement Data

 
Contact:

Joanna White, Assistant Professor/Program Coordinator

860-512-2609

A Career in Early Childhood Education

Graduates of the college’s Early Childhood Education Program are prepared to work in a variety of early childhood settings, such as child care centers, preschool programs, Head Start programs and family child care programs with infants, toddlers and preschool age children.

Some potential career choices are:

Child Care Worker

Infant, Toddler or Preschool Teacher

Teaching Assistant

On the Web

These websites provide additional information on careers in early childhood education:

Center for the Child Care Work Force

National Association for the Education of Young Children

National Child Care Association

Connecticut Department of Labor, Labor Market Information

United States, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook

Degree Program

Early Childhood Education, A.S.

Certificate Program

Early Childhood Education Child Development Associate

Child Development Center

Manchester Community College operates a nationally accredited Child Development Center/Lab School located in the Student Services Center, room L-140. Our dual goals include excellence in education for young children and structured learning opportunities for Manchester Community College students. The program is staffed by professional teachers and enhanced by student teachers enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program. The center is open during the academic year, Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM and Fridays, 8 AM to 12 noon.

Located on a 160-acre campus, the grounds and facilities provide our children with an enriched experience. We participate in the wide variety of activities and events offered by this community. Our program is committed to providing high quality and innovative early educational experiences for young children. 

We work toward establishing significant and meaningful relationships with children and their families. We value the uniqueness of each family and child and provide a program to meet individual needs. The center has an open-door policy. Parents may visit our classroom at anytime. They are welcome to volunteer, observe, read a story or simply join us for lunch. We encourage families to share information with us, and we value their input.

Our staff is professionally trained and committed to helping children and adults achieve their full potential through the development of trusting and respectful relationships. The Child Development Center has working relationships with a variety of professional consultants across various disciplines. These consultants offer their professional expertise that help shape our program.

Teamwork is essential to our success. A strong teaching team, working closely with families and professionals within the context of our rich college community allows us to accomplish our many goals.

 
The Goals of Our Curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to encourage children to become creative thinkers and active learners. Children learn best when they feel safe and valued. We provide a stimulating and interesting environment that challenges children. The program is a combination of child-initiated and teacher-directed activities. Children participate in both large and small groups, and are given ample time for individual exploration. A typical day provides for alternating periods of active and quiet play, both indoors and outside. We encourage children to become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners.

The Child Development Center uses the Connecticut Framework for Preschool Curricular Goals and Benchmarks as a guide for planning curriculum. The State benchmarks require careful and consistent observations of each child. The staff uses these observations to develop curriculum based upon children’s individual interests and abilities. The CDC staff employs a multitude of techniques and approaches to accomplish the curriculum goals.

Our goal is to meet the needs of the whole child. Our curriculum addresses all areas of development:

Social: to help children feel comfortable in school, trust their new environment, interact with other children, play cooperatively, feel they are part of a group, and to develop conflict resolution skills.

Emotional: to help children identify and manage their feelings, experience pride and self-confidence, develop independence and self-control, and demonstrate empathy and caring for others.

Cognitive: to help children develop the ability to think, reason and question; to formulate and understand concepts; to use a variety of tools and objects to observe and experiment; and to develop both expressive and receptive language skills.

Physical: to help children increase their large and small muscle skills and to develop control, balance, strength and coordination.

Creative: to develop an appreciation of the arts, (including fine arts, dance and music), and to use a variety of art forms for creative expression.

 
Enrollment Procedures
All children who are three and four years old are eligible for enrollment. Children who are 2.9 years old and are turning 3 by December 31 are also eligible. All children must be toilet-trained. Priority for enrollment is given to the children of students and faculty. Community families are also welcome to attend.

Our program has an open admissions policy to serve all children including children with special educational, health needs and disabilities. We encourage a positive mix of children from diverse backgrounds, which includes social, economic, age, sex and behavioral characteristics.

Enrollment applications and additional information is available by calling the Director of the Child Development Center at 860-512-3272. Applications for the Fall semester are accepted during the months of May and August. Applications for the Spring semester are accepted during November and December. Additional enrollment opportunities may be available throughout the semesters.

The enrollment packet includes a registration form, emergency information form and a health form. For your child to attend, the health form must be completed by the child’s physician and returned to the center. The State of Connecticut Department of Health requires a yearly physical examination for all children attending childcare. Enrollment is complete when all forms are filled out and returned, accompanied with a $25 non-refundable registration fee.

 
Contact Information:

Gregg Brohinsky

Director of the Child Development Center

Manchester Community College

Great Path, MS #8

P.O. Box 1046

Manchester CT 06045

860-512-3272

Email: gbrohinsky@manchestercc.edu