Career Ladder

Where can I enroll in an Bachelor's degree program in Early Childhood Education in Vermont?

Vermont has several institutions that offer Early Childhood Education or Bachelor degree programs, each varying in approach and scope.

Some institutions, such as Champlain College, and Lyndon State College offer dual endorsement programs, combining Elementary level courses (K-6) with an early childhood focus (birth to age 5). Students who finish the program are eligible to be recommended for both the Elementary and Early Childhood Education endorsement from the Vermont Department of Education's Licensing Unit.

Union Institute and University offers a more individualized approach to a Bachelor's degree, with more courses offered in the evenings or weekends.

The University of Vermont offers a constructivist PreK-3 program, which is endorsed to recommend students for the Early Childhood Education Endorsement from the Department of Education.

In addition, Goddard College has a new program and Woodbury College offers degree programs in Child/Adolescent Development and Family Studies.

After viewing each of these program websites, you should contact the institution to find out if the program is right for your professional and personal needs.

I have a Bachelor's degree in a related field and I would like to pursue my license. What do I do?

There are two primary programs that currently support educators with Bachelor's degrees in their pursuit of a teaching license.

The Vermont Early Childhood Educator Licensing (VECEL) program sponsors or collaborates to provide professional development through workshops and courses that are needed by the participants to demonstrate competence as early childhood educators. VECEL also offers ongoing advisement to participants through monthly meetings in four regions of the state. These advisory groups introduce the licensure process, provide instruction on the educator competencies, and advise and support educators as they assess their experience and compile a portfolio of evidence of their professional knowledge and competence as teachers of young children. You can contact Janice Stockman, jjstock@sover.net, for more information.

The Higher Education Collaborative's Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education program offers educators another unique opportunity. It is the joint work of the Vermont Department of Education, the Vermont State Colleges and the University of Vermont. Under the advisement of a workforce development task force, VT-HEC offers opportunities for obtaining special education licensure, induction and mentoring support, and graduate studies. Participants can choose a specific course-work track (Early Childhood or Early Childhood Special Education) that can lead to a licensing endorsorsement in either area and potentially a Master's degree from the University of Vermont. You can contact Manuela Fonseca, manuelafonseca@education.state.vt.us, for more information.

While both of these programs are not currently accepting new applications, it is helpful to contact the coordinators listed above so that a record of new candidates can be kept for future planning.

For more information, see the Career Ladder