Early Childhood Education Academy
The Early Childhood Education Academy gives you the chance to take general education classes toward your degree in early childhood education and earn college credit before you graduate from high school! You can take courses in education, child health, safety and nutrition, growth and development, and infant and toddler care.
Career Opportunities
Your career opportunities may include, but are not limited to:
- Childcare workers
- Preschool teachers in head start & private preschools
- Teacher assistants
Starting wages for these careers range from $17,000–$19,400* per year.
*Source: 2016 Iowa Wage Report, Iowa Workforce Development
Program Costs
- Your school district pays for your courses and provides the textbooks.
- You are responsible for transportation costs to the course locations.
- You are responsible for any supplies, field trips, and activities in and out of the classroom.
Who can participate?
- Any 9th–12th grade student who meets the requirements.
- Students who are able to travel to the course locations.
What can you do after you graduate from high school?
As a part of the Early Childhood Education Academy, you may receive up to 24 credits (approximately a $4,000 value) toward your college degree!
You can continue your education at Hawkeye in the Early Childhood Education program.
Where are courses located?
Early Childhood Education Academy courses are located at your high school and the Western Outreach Center.
Course locations may vary; contact your guidance counselor for availability.
Early Childhood Education Academy Courses
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General education course. |
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Course has a prerequisite and/or corequisite. |
Course Descriptions: Show All | Hide All
| Early Childhood Education Academy Courses |
| ECE-103 |
Introduction to Early Childhood Education
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3 |
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Gives students a historical and philosophical foundation of the field of early childhood education. Includes an overview of assessment and trends that influence best practices. Explores careers in the field. Addresses influences of families and diversity.
Lecture Hours: 48
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| ECE-133 |
Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition
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3 |
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Focuses on current concepts in the fields of health, safety and nutrition and their relationship to the growth and development of the young child ages birth to eight. Blends current theory with practical applications and assessments. Includes the influences of families and diversity on health, safety, and nutrition in early childhood settings.
Lecture Hours: 48
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| ECE-158 |
Early Childhood Curriculum I
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3 |
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Focuses on the development, implementation and assessment of appropriate environments and curricula for young children ages three through eight. Students prepare to utilize developmentally appropriate practices in a context of family and culturally sensitive care. Emphasis is on understanding children's development stages and developing appropriate learning opportunities, interactions and environments in the following areas: dramatic play, art, music, fine and gross motor play.
Lecture Hours: 48
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| ECE-243 |
Early Childhood Guidance
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3 |
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Focuses on effective approaches and positive guidance strategies for supporting the development of all children. Emphasizes supportive interactions and developmentally appropriate environments. Uses assessment to analyze and guide behaviors. Studies impact of families and diversity on child guidance.
Lecture Hours: 48
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| ENG-105 |
Composition I
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3 |
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Composition I emphasizes fluency, thesis-driven organization, the use of supporting details, and research techniques. Writing is approached as a recursive process that includes prewriting strategies, drafting, revising, and editing. The course helps students shape writing to serve readers' needs and define a sense of purpose in their writing. It also gives students strategies for reading college-level material.
Lecture Hours: 48
Prerequisite(s): Appropriate placement scores or equivalent.
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| HIS-117 |
Western Civilization I: Ancient and Medieval
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3 |
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Western Civilization I traces the development of Western Civilization from prehistory to 1300 C.E., the end of the High Middle Ages. The role of the Humanities is emphasized. The course explores major political, social, economic, scientific, intellectual, cultural, and religious developments contributing to Western societies. These include the significant events and contributions of early Middle Eastern civilizations, classical and Hellenistic Greece, the Roman Empire, its successors, the rise of the Western Christian church, and Medieval Europe.
Lecture Hours: 48
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| PSY-111 |
Introduction to Psychology
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3 |
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This course provides an introduction to the study of behavior and mental processes with emphasis in such areas as learning, cognition, motivation, personality, behavioral disorder, therapy, and social influence. An understanding of the impact of both theoretical perspectives and experimental evidence on the formulation of the science of human behavior is also stressed. Psychological theories and principles are utilized to explain and predict behavior.
Lecture Hours: 48
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| SOC-110 |
Introduction to Sociology
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3 |
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This course surveys the basic principles, concepts, and research findings of social life from small groups to societies. The course examines a range of sociological explanations for the various forms of social behaviors and establishes a basis for reflection and further study in the field.
Lecture Hours: 48
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| SPC-101 |
Fundamentals of Oral Communication
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3 |
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This course introduces students to the oral communication process and how it affects human interaction There will be an emphasis on developing interpersonal, small group, and public speaking skills. Students will be involved in activities that provide opportunity for the understanding and improvement of their oral communication skills.
Lecture Hours: 48
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