Holland College’s Early Childhood Care and Education program recently received national and international awards for its blended program, which was developed to address the changes in educational requirements for staff in early childhood centres across the province.

Due to the substantial number of staff in early childhood centres in Prince Edward Island who needed training, the regular two-year full-time program was not a viable option. The sector required a blended program combining online learning and classroom time for people already working in the field who needed to upgrade their skills to meet the newly established levels of certification and training, Kim Gillis, an instructor in the program explained.

“The model to train this group of learners needed to work around their work life, and allow them to study from all regions of the province. It was an opportunity for the Holland College Early Childhood Care and Education program to step outside the classroom and create new pathways for all learners to access the program.”

The blended learning program was completely funded by the provincial Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning’s Labour Market Development Program. Learners were able to continue to work, receive their salaries, and complete their studies without any personal expense.

In June, the program earned a bronze program excellence award from Colleges and Institutes Canada during the organization’s annual conference in Quebec City. Now, the program is receiving a gold award of excellence from the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics. The awards will be handed out at the World Congress in Brazil next month.

“The Early Childhood Care and Education Blended Learning program is an excellent example of how Holland College, in partnership with government, can respond to the requirements of industry in a timely fashion and provide learning opportunities for people unable to attend college during traditional teaching hours,” said Holland College president Dr. Brian McMillan.

A video explaining the program and its outcomes is available on YouTube.

In this picture: (L-R) Dr. Brian McMillan and Early Childhood Care and Education instructor Kim Gillis accept a bronze program excellence award from Denise Amyot, President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada.