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For release King's Provides Discounted Program for State Required Early Childhood Certification August 2, 2007 - King's College is the first higher education institution in Northeastern Pennsylvania to offer a discounted fast track certification program in early childhood education for people who have earned a bachelor's degree. The program is designed to allow people interested in early childhood education an opportunity to receive state certifications that will be required of all Pre-K or Kindergarten staff members at private child care facilities as part of the Pre-K Counts initiative. Pennsylvania recently announced its participation in Pre-K Counts, a national program designed to improve early childhood education for all three and four-year old Pennsylvania students. The program is open at a discounted rate to anyone who has earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. People entering the program possessing a bachelor's degree in elementary education can complete the certification in only three courses. Those entering the program with a secondary education degree or in a non-education related field will be required to complete additional coursework in education and possibly other core subjects to meet state standards. Many of the required courses are taught at night or weekends to accommodate work schedules or on-line to allow greater flexibility. To successfully complete the program, students must meet all praxis requirements, maintain a 3.0 GPA and, if not already met as part of an education related bachelor's degree, complete 14 weeks of full-time student teaching. The early childhood fast track certification is in addition to fast track certification programs available at King's in elementary and secondary education. For further information or to register, please contact the King's College Center for Lifelong Learning at 208-5865, or e-mail clll@kings.edu. King's College is a Catholic College sponsored by the congregation of Holy Cross. |