Teaching Strategies Offers Next Generation, Online Early Childhood Education Program with Northampton Community College

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bethesda, MD March 19, 2008--Teaching Strategies, Inc. today announced the launch of the eCDA in collaboration with Northampton Community College to provide online courses for early childhood educators. The program combines highly interactive e-learning modules, developed by Teaching Strategies, with expert online instruction by the faculty of Northampton's Center for Early Childhood Education. The program delivers a timely and cost-effective professional development model designed around the competencies necessary to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) degree and meets the instructional portion of the CDA requirements. "Professional development is the key to enhancing the quality of early childhood programs, and for many early childhood educators, the CDA represents the first step on a path of professional growth," explained Diane Trister Dodge, President of Teaching Strategies and one of the authors of the modules. "We are excited that our partnership with Northampton will make this revolutionary approach accessible to early childhood educators everywhere." 

The flexibility of the eCDA program removes common, yet significant, barriers that prevent early childhood educators from advancing in the field. The Teaching Strategies eCDA provides teachers with an easily accessible venue to participate in training experiences that lead to certification and college credit. Program participants can work around job schedules, family responsibilities, and other commitments to further their education. The eCDA provides teachers with the opportunity to not only earn their CDA degree, but also receive nine credit hours toward their Associate degree. "This is truly a cutting-edge approach to professional development. We have taken our well-respected training materials and brought them to life in a new medium," said Sherrie Rudick, a child development expert and project director of the eCDA modules. The eCDA is designed to inspire early educators to embark on a path of continued professional development and education about child development and effective teaching strategies.   

Teaching Strategies developed the content over a three-year period in collaboration with Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the nation's largest provider of employer-sponsored care. Bright Horizons is known for the high level of quality care they provide as well as their high rate of accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

To sample an eCDA module, please go to: http://www.teachingstrategies.com/ecda/adviseDemo.cfm

Teaching Strategies, Inc. is a woman-owned company committed to making a difference in the lives of young children by providing scientifically based educational materials to preschool and infant-toddler programs worldwide. Believing that our country's future depends on our ability to nurture the optimal growth of every child, the company's mission is to enhance the quality of early childhood programs by offering practical, innovative, and developmentally appropriate curriculum materials; training services and materials; and parenting resources. Teaching Strategies products are used in thousands of Head Start and other preschool programs throughout the country, including programs run by all branches of the military and by the Department of Defense schools.

For more information on Northampton Community College and their Center for Early Childhood Education, including how to register for the eCDA, please see
http://www.northampton.edu/academics/departments/ece/eCDA+option+page.htm.