About this Program
This program was previously titled Certificate in Early Childhood Coaching.
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, school age and youth settings. You’ll deepen your understanding of foundational coaching practices that promote engaging interactions and positive behavior support through culturally responsive shared goals, action plans, focused observation, reflection and feedback. Help boost the quality of early childhood and after-school program instruction and care with proven strategies and techniques.
Designed For
Early childhood and expanded learning opportunities coaches who want to acquire coaching competencies for collaborative partnerships in early learning and after-school settings.
See Requirements
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All applicants must have:
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
Applicants must have:
- At least six months 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)
- 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)
Applicants must have:
- At least six months 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
- A brief interview with a community-invested panel to demonstrate enthusiasm, ideas and commitment to the program
- Identified an educational or caregiving site and at least one client willing to collaborate with the student on coaching certificate assignments
- Attended the School’s Out Washington (SOWA) practice-based coaching training
Some college experience is recommended.
English Proficiency
If you're not a native English speaker, you’ll need to have at least basic English language skills to enroll. To learn more, see English Language Proficiency Requirements.
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 Flash (high-speed internet connection recommended)
- A laptop computer or similar device for in-person sessions. Computer must be able run a recent version of an internet browser such as Safari 9 or newer, Chrome 58 or newer, Firefox 53 or newer, or Internet Explorer 11/Edge 39 or newer.
- A microphone and portable device to video-record coaching sessions at sites
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 positive behavior support
- Research-based practices for engaging interactions and environments
- Data-driven goal setting, action planning and focused observation
Get Hands-On Experience
You’ll complete a supervised coaching internship at a self-selected site, create a competency-based portfolio highlighting your coaching practice and give a presentation to peers and faculty.
Apply for a Scholarship
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.
Earn Credit Toward Your Degree
By completing this certificate program, you can earn up to 9 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. Learn more about credit options.