Ivy Tech Early Childhood Education Program receives national accreditation

The Early Childhood Education program at Ivy Tech Community College-Wabash Valley recently received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for its Early Childhood Associate degree.

Ivy Tech offers the Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education.

Cheryl Jones, program chairman for early childhood education at Ivy Tech, said: "We are excited and proud to have earned this distinction because it assures those we serve that highly trained teachers will be ready for the children and families in our communities. The accreditation also allows Ivy Tech to be looked upon as a national leader in early childhood professional teacher preparation."

Jones said that high-quality educators in early childhood are a must because early childhood teachers lay the groundwork for student success in higher education. The nurturing and challenging environment they are exposed to at an early age sets the right tone for the educational opportunities that follow. Early childhood teachers support the health, safety, friendships and early learning of our youngest children in one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country.

Ivy Tech's accreditation process with the Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation system included an extensive self-study, submission of a Self-Study Report, a site visit conducted by a Peer Review Team and an accreditation decision made by a national Commission of early childhood professionals. The NAEYC has only begun accrediting two-year colleges within the last few years.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the nation's leading professional association for early childhood educators working with and on behalf of children from birth through third grade. NAEYC sets national standards for degree programs that prepare early childhood teachers for their careers.

The standards are based on recent research in early childhood development and learning. The accreditation standards are performance-based and describe what well-prepared graduates of early childhood degree programs should know and be able to do.

Ivy Tech -- Wabash Valley fall classes begin Aug. 22. Anyone interested in the Early Childhood Education program should contact Cheryl Jones at 812-298-2386 or chjones@ivytech.edu.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana.