Diploma Early Childhood Education and Development

You can make a difference in the lives of children, families, and communities. The full-time 16-month (four terms) Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) Diploma program (formerly referred to as the Early Learning and Child Care Diploma) prepares you to provide quality child care in a wide variety of settings and plan emergent play experiences for the children in your care. You will gain knowledge in child development, family dynamics, play, and program planning that will equip you to support the healthy development of children through child-centered learning experiences.

This program combines theory and practice and graduates are eligible for Level 3 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Supervisor) certification from the Alberta Government.

The ECED diploma program is offered full-time or part-time with a variety of delivery options including traditional classroom and online learning. There are daytime and evening classes scheduled throughout the week. The practicum, however, must be completed physically onsite at a licensed childcare program in Alberta.

Learners living in the area surrounding Calgary can take the program starting in Fall (September) through Regional campuses. Contact Regional or view our locations to contact your nearest campus. Program delivery is blended which includes a combination of online and in-person learning. Practicum courses include on-site activity at a licensed childcare program in the region. A full course load is 5 courses per term - students may choose to take fewer courses each term and extend the length of their program.

The ECED learning lab combines classroom space with interactive children’s learning centres that include an artist studio, a reading centre, a dramatic play centre, and a sensory motor centre. This innovative and engaging environment supports the transition of theory to practice as students have an opportunity to engage with children in the lab space.

The ECED program is a proud member of the outdoor research project sponsored by the Lawson Foundation. Our ECED instructor, Linda O’Donoghue, is currently working with a team of researchers, including the project lead Dr. Beverlie Dietze from Okanagan College and faculty members from New Brunswick Community College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic College, to conduct research on outdoor pedagogy in early childhood education. Our ELCC2998 is the first outdoor practicum in the province, and learners will have the opportunity to participate in the outdoor project research alongside with their instructors.

For more information, please visit https://www.okanagan.bc.ca/learning-and-applied-research/lawson-foundation-project