New Video: Child Development Program
When you’re training to become an early-childhood teacher, it helps to remember what it’s like to be a child. That’s one of the lessons in a new career training video that highlights De Anza’s Child Development and Education Department.
De Anza’s program includes hands-on training in classroom activities, which helps students build the skills to develop their own curriculum for teaching young children. As student Ninive Gonzalez explains in the video: “It's like I’m playing and learning at the same time."
By offering four different certificates, an associate degree and an associate degree for transfer, the CDE Department can serve students who want to work in child care right away, as well as those who want to transfer and earn a bachelor’s or advanced degree, said instructor Li Wei Sun. She said De Anza also attracts students who are already working in the field or have advanced degrees and want to earn a particular credential.
The program offers hands-on practicum training at De Anza’s Child Development Center, as described in the video by center director Tim Harper, a former De Anza student. Students also benefit from the department’s resource center for crafts and other activities, as well as an extensive library of children’s books.
The CDE Department recently obtained a $250,000 grant to further expand an innovative apprenticeship program for training students to work in the child care field. The SEIU Education and Support Fund is providing the money to support training for a cohort of students, so they can complete the process of earning their licenses to work as child care teachers.
The new video is the latest in a series highlighting De Anza’s Career Technical Education programs. Previous installments have included a career training overview and videos highlighting the Business Administration, Design and Manufacturing Technologies, Health Technologies, Film and Television, Automotive Technology and Journalism programs. Future installments will feature other programs and groups of related offerings.
The videos are developed by the Office of Communications in collaboration with the Career Technical Education Division and individual departments. They can be seen on the college YouTube channel, the Career Training website and on social media.
(Posted on April 10, 2025)