Diploma in Early Childhood Education Humber College - North Campus, Canada

Humber’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) diploma prepares you to work with children (birth to 12 years) and their families. Students can expect to attain and exceed the practice-ready knowledge, skills and attitudes employers are seeking from ECE graduates in supporting children, families and the community by engaging in innovative learning and simulation experiences. These experiences take place within Humber's Carol Reid Early Childhood Education Lab, as well as within the Humber Child Development Centre - interacting with our scenic arboretum and nature-inspired playground and exploring responsive inclusive teaching methods and leading edge curriculum.

You will learn about:

• How children learn
• The importance of responsive relationships
• The image of the child and the significance of viewing children from a wide variety of lenses
• How to create responsive, inclusive play-based learning environments and natural play spaces for children, families and the community
• Human development
• Observation and reflection, and the preparation of pedagogical documentation by children, families and the community
• Social justice, advocacy, leadership and the role of the ECE professional
• The importance of collaborating with relevant community agencies
• How ministry and government legislation and guidelines inform practice

The Humber Advantage
Humber’s Early Childhood Education diploma program is a recognized leader in preparing registered early childhood educators who see themselves as global citizens. Students and graduates advocate for the holistic health and well-being of all children, supported by a connection to nature and a stand for social justice.

Global Citizens and Social Justice

• We provide our students with:
  • Experiences and resources that reflect and promote diversity and inclusion
  • Opportunities to develop an understanding and appreciation of all nations and cultures, and a commitment to contributing to the global community
  • Ongoing initiatives guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as outlined in the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, in consultation with Humber’s Aboriginal Resource Centre.

Work Placement

• We believe it is necessary for our students to have extensive experience in the profession in order to be successful as registered early childhood educators. Students can expect to have work placement experiences within the program and will be required to complete approximately 450-600 work placement hours over three semesters. During these three semesters, students may have field practicums such as working with families and children (various age groups) in licensed child care or preschool settings, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, various community programs, full day kindergarten, or home based child care programs. A different placement for Semesters 2, 3, and 4 ensures a range of experiences prior to graduation and equips students with a range of networks within the community to explore employment in the future.
• In the ECE program, Field Practicum 1 and Field Seminar 1 begin in Semester 2. Students should plan to complete their prerequisite requirements accordingly. Visit the Work-Integrated Learning web pages > to learn more about placements and requirements.