Early Childhood Education

Picture a room of four-year-olds stacking blocks, and an educator who knows which question will stretch their thinking next. RRC Polytech’s Early Childhood Education diploma prepares that educator. It runs for two years across six terms, and this listing covers the programme at RRC Polytech’s Notre Dame Campus in northwest Winnipeg, where the curriculum is built on child-centred, play-based practice.

Term 1 starts with Guiding 1, Child Development 1, Introduction to Play, Environments and Curriculum, Communication Strategies and Academic Writing. Term 2 adds Explore the Early Childhood Education Profession, Introduction to Science of Early Child Development, Health and Well Being, Curriculum Planning 1 and Guiding 2. In the second year, Diversity and Inclusion, Child Development 2, Partnerships in Early Childhood Education, Curriculum Planning 2 and Guiding 3 deepen your planning and guidance skills, and Term 5 brings Mentorship, Advocacy and Community, Professional Behaviour in Early Childhood Education, Topics in Child Development, Reflecting on Play Based Curriculum and A Context for Practice With Indigenous Peoples.

Two practicums anchor the Notre Dame timetable: Practicum 1 closes the first year and Practicum 2 closes the second. In each, you work directly with children in an early learning and child care setting while a centre mentor monitors, guides and evaluates your progress. Graduates can apply for Manitoba’s Early Childhood Educator II classification, and transfer agreements with the University of Winnipeg, the University of Victoria, the University of Calgary and Athabasca University open routes to a degree, including an optional joint diploma and BA in Developmental Studies with the University of Winnipeg.

Notre Dame graduates of this ECE diploma find work as early childhood educators, infant care staff, preschool and nursery school educators, school-age program staff and family resource program workers, and some later move into supervisor or director roles. The programme suits patient, observant people who enjoy play, like planning learning experiences for young children, and can clear a criminal record and child abuse registry check.