Start Your Career in Early Childhood Education
Do you enjoy working with children and hope to become a teacher someday? Get hands-on experience by becoming an early childhood educator!
CCCS colleges offer short-term certificates in Early Childhood Education (ECE) that qualify you to work in community settings, such as family childcare or faith-based organizations. You’ll also earn college credit that builds toward an associate or bachelor's degree in ECE.
Why ECE?
With the rollout of Colorado’s Universal Pre-K program, the state needs early childhood educators more than ever. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood hopes to recruit 3,000 new professionals over the next several years. Join a growing industry while serving our state!
Certificate Pathways
Programs completed in a year or less.
Prepares students to support clients in identifying resources and navigating behavioral healthcare services and systems to promote client health and wellbeing.
Early Childhood Assistant Teacher Certificate: Prepares students for teacher positions in early childhood care and education settings.
Participating Colleges: ACC, CNCC, CCA, CCD, FRCC, LCC, MCC, NJC, PCC, PPSC, RRCC.Early Childhood Director Certificate: Prepares students for director positions in early childhood care and education settings.
Participating Colleges: ACC, CNCC, CCA, CCD, FRCC, LCC, MCC, NJC, PCC, PPSC, RRCC, TSC.Early Childhood Infant/Toddler Supervisor Certificate: Prepares students for teacher positions in early childhood care and education settings, with an emphasis on caring for infants and toddlers.
Participating Colleges: ACC, CCA, MCC, NJC, PCC, PPSC, RRCC. TSC.Associate Degree Pathways
Build on Knowledge and Training Learned in Certificate Programs
Prepares students to support clients in identifying resources and navigating behavioral healthcare services and systems to promote client health and wellbeing.
Early Childhood Education – Associate of Arts: All CCCS colleges offer an AA degree in Early Childhood Education that prepares graduates to begin working or transfer to any public Colorado college or university to complete a bachelor's degree.
Participating Colleges: ACC, CNCC, CCA, CCD, FRCC, LCC, MCC, NJC, PCC, PPSC, RRCC.Early Childhood Education - Associate of Applied Science: AAS degrees focuses on technical, professional, and career training in the ECE field. Graduates can begin working or transfer to any public Colorado college or university to complete a bachelor's degree.
Participating Colleges: ACC, CNCC, CCA, CCD, FRCC, LCC, MCC, NJC, PCC, PPSC, RRCC, TSC.ECE Pathways are supported by the following:
This bill requires that the Colorado Department of Early Childhood develop a plan for recruiting, training, and retaining a high-quality early childhood workforce.
Early Educator Investment Collaborative (EEIC)
Early Educator Investment Collaborative (EEIC) facilitates innovative approaches to dismantle barriers in Colorado’s ECE teacher preparation system in order to reform the system itself to better serve the current and future ECE workforce. Support system transformation and reforms within and across institutions of higher education in Colorado and, to the state policy context specific to teacher credentialing/licensure, credit for prior learning (PLA) and compensation.