About this Program
Studies have shown that top-quality instruction and caregiving from an early age can make a major difference in children’s subsequent educational achievement and well-being. Highly trained early childhood and expanded learning opportunities coaches are a crucial part of this effort.
In this certificate program, we’ll examine the guiding principles and key skills of Practice-Based Coaching in early childhood and before- and after-school settings. You’ll deepen your understanding of foundational coaching practices that promote engaging interactions and positive behavior support through culturally responsive relationships, development of shared goals, focused observation, reflection and feedback. You’ll also develop an understanding of trauma and how to engage in trauma-informed coaching.
This program is completely online and designed to allow coaches to practice coaching in an online environment.
Designed For
Early childhood and expanded learning opportunities coaches.
See Requirements
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To apply, you must have:
- Experience coaching adults in an early childhood or expanded learning opportunities settings for at least one year.
- Attended some basic training related to practice-based coaching (such as the Early Achievers two-day coach framework training, the Expanded Learning Opportunities practice-based coaching training, Head Start Practice-Based Coach Training, etc.).
- Comfort with or willingness to learn to use online technologies. The course is fully online and will use the Canvas platform and the Coaching Companion website. Video recording, uploading and commenting online are critical elements of assignments.
Application requirements are specific and depend on whether the applicant falls into the Early Childhood category or the Expanded Learning Opportunities category.
CATEGORY 1: EARLY CHILDHOOD
To apply, you must have:
- At least one year of experience working in an early childhood-related field, such as a family childcare facility, preschool or childcare center
- Earned a score of “reliable” in CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) or ERS 3 (Environmental Rating Scales 3)
- Basic knowledge of:
- How young children develop and learn from birth to age 5
- What nurturing, stable and learning-extended adult-child interactions look like
- How to respectfully and effectively communicate across cultures
- Identified an educational or caregiving site(s) and at least three educators, staff and/or providers willing to collaborate and be video-recorded with the student on coaching certificate assignments
- A minimum of an associate's degree in early childhood education, child development or human development
Category 2: Expanded learning opportunities (ELO)
To apply, you must have:
- At least one year of experience working in a before- or after-school program or summer program
- Earned a score of “reliable” in YPQA (Youth Program Quality Assessment) and/or SAPQA (School Age Program Quality Assessment) or Social Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment
- Basic knowledge of:
- How youth develop and learn from school age to adolescence
- What nurturing, stable and learning-extended adult-youth interactions look like
- How to engage families in student learning
- How to respectfully and effectively communicate across cultures
- Identified an educational or caregiving site and at least one client willing to collaborate with the student on coaching certificate assignments
Some college experience is recommended.
English Proficiency
If English is not your native language, you should have at least intermediate English skills to enroll. To learn more, see English Language Proficiency Requirements – Noncredit Programs.
International Students
To enroll, international students must have a visa that permits study in the United States. This program does not enable students to obtain or maintain F-1 visa status. For more information, see Admission Requirements for International Students.
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
You must have:
- Access to a computer with a recent web browser
- A microphone and portable device to video-record coaching sessions
- A high-speed internet connection is recommended
Earning the Certificate
You earn the certificate by adhering to the program's attendance policy and successfully completing all required courses. For more information, see Earning the Certificate.
What You'll Learn
- Culturally responsive coaching
- Relationship-based professional development competencies
- Best practices for coaching for promoting positive behavior support and engaging interactions and environments
- Best practices for trauma-informed coaching
- Data-driven goal setting, action planning and focused observation
Apply for a Scholarship
Your agency or program may have scholarship funds that you can access. This program has a high probability for qualifying for those professional development funds, so it is always good to check with your supervisor to see if you qualify for a scholarship. Applying for a scholarship needs to be done separately from applying for this certificate program.
Washington state coaches: All early childhood coaches who work for Child Care Aware of Washington or the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) are eligible to apply for a scholarship through Child Care Aware of Washington. Students must apply for the scholarship separately but should do so at the same time as they apply to the certificate program to expedite the admissions process. This is a Washington state scholarship opportunity; if you are a coach in another state or coaching system, there may be similar opportunities.
Earn Credit Toward Your Degree
By completing this certificate program, you can earn up to nine credits toward degree requirements should you later be accepted into a UW undergraduate or graduate degree program. Because policies vary, check with your intended degree program to make sure the credits will apply before you register for the first course in the certificate program. If you’re enrolled in a degree program at a different institution, check with your program administration to see whether these credits will count toward your degree requirements. Learn more about credit options.