The University of Wyoming's Colleges of Agriculture and Education offer an interdisciplinary early childhood birth to five program targeted to teacher preparation for infant to age five children. It is based upon National Association for the Education of Young Children initial licensure standards that are used by states to develop their courses for teacher education programs.
Graduates of the program are prepared to teach infants, toddlers and preschoolers. This program addresses the statewide need for certified early childhood educators to work in Wyoming's child care and education programs, including Head Start programs, state funded preschool programs, public school preschool programs, and private preschool and child care programs. The endorsement does not certify one to teach in public school kindergarten programs or primary grades. A different early childhood endorsement for birth to age eight, or grade three, already exists as a dual endorsement option with elementary education certification.
A unique aspect of this early childhood birth to five endorsement program is it's flexibility to accommodate both undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students across the state who are work is in fields related to early childhood education. This is not a degree program, but rather is an endorsement program. The endorsement is available to undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students in the Family and Consumer Sciences/Child Development Option program or related fields. The endorsement program can be accessed in the following ways: 1) live at selected Community Colleges and selected University of Wyoming sites, 2) through UW Outreach School's distance delivery including online, audio teleconference and compressed video.
Students complete six courses and a 6 credit hour supervised internship for the endorsement. Each student must achieve proficiency on six common assessment associated with courses and the internship. Common assessments demonstrate competencies needed for Professional Teaching Standards Board endorsement and are generally the culminating final projects in courses.
The endorsement is available to undergraduate students enrolled in the Child Development Option of the Family & Consumer Sciences program.
At the post-baccalaureate level, the endorsement is available to graduates with a BS in the Child Development Option of the Family & Consumer Sciences Program or to students in the Early Childhood Special Education Endorsement Program.
It is also available for those graduates with a bachelor's degree in an approved related field (nursing, communication disorders, social work, and child psychology).
Prior to enrolling in any of the endorsement program courses, the candidate must submit the application for enrollment in the endorsement program, send official transcripts, pay the fee for the endorsement program, and receive formal notification of program admittance. The process is accessed through the Endorsement Program Coordinator who can be contacted through the Department of Elementary & Early Childhood Education at the University of Wyoming (307)766-3130.
Birth to Five Undergraduate Program Requirements
Birth to Five Post-Graduate Program Requirements
Birth to Five Endorsement Standards and Final Requirements
Most courses are offered online through the UW at a Distance which enables students to take courses without traveling to the UW Campus in Laramie.