Early Childhood Education Program (C100)

Program Description

Leadership Claims

Preparing graduates to work as Early Childhood Educators for more than 20 years.

Program Overview

This Early Childhood Education program is currently offering a $2,000 tuition grant to domestic students starting in September 2023 and January 2024*.

*This opportunity is funded in partnership with the City of Torontothe Region of Durhamthe Region of Peel, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada under the new Canada-Ontario Early Childhood Workforce Agreement, which provides one-time federal funding to support the retention and recruitment of a high-quality child care and early years workforce.

logos for City of Toronto, Durham Region and Region of Peel

Early Childhood Education is a two-year diploma program that uses rotating blocks of theory and practice to give you the skills you need to work with children from six weeks to 12 years of age in a variety of settings.

Full Description

This Early Childhood Education program is currently offering a $2,000 tuition grant to domestic students starting in September 2023 and January 2024.*

George Brown College's Early Childhood Education (C100) is a two-year diploma program that will teach you how to support children as they grow.

You will study the holistic development of a variety of age groups, including:

  • infants (from six weeks)
  • toddlers
  • preschoolers
  • school-aged children (to 12 years)

You will learn how to plan and implement programs that support children’s learning, and will have an opportunity to engage with families and the broader community.

We have structured this program to alternate between in-class learning and field placement. This method of teaching helps you develop confidence in your skills as you learn to apply key concepts from the classroom to a real-world setting. Employers value this approach because it makes our graduates ready to work as early childhood educators on day one.

ACCELERATED OPTION (16 consecutive months)

For students who are eager to enter the field of Early Childhood Education and are able to study without any significant breaks, we offer an accelerated stream that runs for 16 consecutive months (four continuous semesters). For more details visit our Early Childhood Education (Accelerated) (C160) program.

FAST-TRACK – DIRECT ENTRY (10 MONTHS)

You may qualify for the fast-track program if you have a diploma or degree in a related field. For details visit Early Childhood Education (Fast-Track) (C130) program.

*This opportunity is funded in partnership with the City of Torontothe Region of Durhamthe Region of Peel, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada under the new Canada-Ontario Early Childhood Workforce Agreement, which provides one-time federal funding to support the retention and recruitment of a high-quality child care and early years workforce.

logos for City of Toronto, Durham Region and Region of Peel

Your Field Education Options

Students in George Brown's Early Childhood Education program will complete a seven-week field placement in each semester of the program. During this time, students have the opportunity to work with children of different age groups in a variety of settings.

Field placement provides a continuum of experience that gives students the opportunity to integrate and apply theory to practice.

To support student learning outcomes and ensure you have access to facilities that model the best practices we consider essential, we operate Ontario's largest network of college-run lab school child care centres that serve over 1100 children and their families each year. These 12 child care centres, located across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), will expose you to the kinds of environments where you will eventually work and provide valuable services to the families and communities that they serve.

PLEASE NOTE: Some of our field placement partners may require students to show proof of full vaccination. As such, students who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may not be able to complete the required field placement component of their program in the regularly scheduled time frame. Please visit this page for the latest updates on COVID-19.

Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities

Career Options

Graduates of this Early Childhood Education program may find employment in:

  • child care centres
  • early years centres
  • full-day kindergarten
  • parent resource centres
  • pediatric playrooms
  • special education settings
  • integrated kindergartens
  • therapeutic nursery programs
  • in-home care

Industry

Successful completion of this program will make you eligible for entrance to Ontario's College of Early Childhood Educators as a Registered Early Childhood Educator. 

Graduates of this Early Childhood Education program will:

  • learn to design curriculum for child-centred, play-based learning
  • support children’s learning and development by responding to their unique needs and interests
  • build caring relationships with children, families and communities
  • create safe, healthy and inclusive early-learning environments

Educational Pathways

Students who complete the Early Childhood Education program with a GPA of 2.5 or higher may apply to complete the bridge courses for entry into the third year of George Brown's Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership (Degree Completion) program.

For information on future study options, see Transfer Guide.

To learn about the George Brown College student experience in the Early Childhood Education (C100) diploma program, watch this short testimonial.

Kevin Kelo (Student, Early Childhood Education)
Ontario College Diploma

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