Early Childhood Education Certificate Diploma

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Early Childhood Education Certificate Diploma

Helping Children Thrive

You play an important role in children’s lives. Under your guidance and support, infants and toddlers learn, grow, and thrive. At Hawkeye, you gain the skills and experience to provide them a safe, healthy, nurturing environment where learning and play come together.

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Early Childhood Education Diploma at a Glance

Degree

Diploma

Length of Study

1 year

Course Format

Face-to-Face, Online

Classes Meet

Face-to-face during the day, online, or a combination. Field experience is in person.

Program Start

Fall, Spring

See all Early Childhood Education options at Hawkeye

Your Early Childhood Education Career

Graduates of the program can work in entry-level positions in:

Childcare centers
Private preschools
Child development homes

Succeed at Hawkeye

Graduate Spotlight Princilia Kianbanzawoko

Princilia Kianbanzawoko arrived in the U.S. from the Congo with her family in 2016. After graduating from Waterloo West High, she came to Hawkeye Community College for Early Childhood Education and has since found big opportunities.

Play Graduate Spotlight: Princilia Kiabanzawoko

Play A lifelong love of children becomes a career through Hawkeye's Early Childhood Education program.

Graduate Spotlight Cayden Griswold

A lifelong love of children drew Cayden to the Early Childhood Education program. She worked in the Child Development Center on campus to help her prepare for a rewarding career seeing children grow and thrive.

Program Overview

Explore Courses, Details, and Costs

Throughout your coursework, you gain the knowledge and skills you need to work effectively and safely with infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children.

Field-specific knowledge areas you’ll focus on include:

Child growth and development
Health, safety, and nutrition
Infant and toddler care
Early childhood guidance and curriculum

You spend 8 hours a week in selected early childhood settings serving infants through age 8. This supervised field experience introduces you to theory, research, and reflective practice.

Total field experience: 128 hours

As part of this program, you may receive the following certifications:

First Aid
CPR
Blood Borne Pathogens/Universal Precautions
Mandatory Reporter

This is a partial list of employers that hire graduates of this program.

Community United Child Care Centers, Waterloo and Cedar Falls, IA
Dike New Hartford Elementary School, Dike, IA
Discoveries Learning Center, Denver, IA
Exceptional Persons, Inc., Waterloo, IA
Hawkeye Child Development Center, Waterloo, IA
Purple Bloom School, Coralville, IA
The Goddard School, Waukee, IA
Tri-County Child & Family Development Council, Inc., Waterloo, IA
Trinity Preschool and Child Care, Waterloo, IA
Vinton Shellsburg Community Schools, Vinton, IA
Waterloo Community School District, Waterloo, IA
Waverly Child Care and Preschool, Waverly, IA

Explore Courses, Details, and Costs

" The instructors you have are people who worked in the field, so they have their own experience. "

Ashlyn Ciesielski
Early Childhood Education '21

Meet Your Instructor: Emily Knutson

"Teaching people who are also passionate about children, and doing what is best for them, is an honor. I love the small class sizes at Hawkeye, because I really get to know the students."

Meet Your Instructor: Jane Even

"It is very rewarding to watch students grow both personally and professionally in their time at Hawkeye. They create bonds with classmates and many remain friends after graduation."

Meet Your Instructor: Tia Shaffer

"I have a true passion for education and feel blessed to have worked with students of all ages. Hawkeye has just the right blend of small classes which allows me to build lasting relationships with my students."

Explore Funding

Hawkeye Scholarships

Explore Early Childhood Education Scholarships

Iowa Kibbie Tuition Grant

Pays a portion of your tuition and fees

Iowa T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship

Money to support you as you pursue your degree

Child Care WAGE$® Iowa

Salary supplement program

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Child Care WAGE$® Iowa Salary Supplement Program

The Child Care WAGE$® Iowa program offers salary supplements (also called stipends) to the early care and education workforce, based on the individual’s level of formal education and commitment to their program.

WAGE$ program