“Our mission is to provide a high quality learning atmosphere where students are actively involved in each class setting. The Early Childhood Education faculty is dedicated to facilitating a learning environment that respects the diversity of each student, to teach to their learning style, and to assist students in developing the knowledge and skills necessary for an Early Childhood professional.” 

This mission serves as the foundation of the Early Childhood Department at Pueblo Community College. The ECE faculty and instructors share, articulate and support the mission throughout the curriculum in classroom instruction and their interactions with students. As faculty and instructors demonstrate their own passion for and commitment to the profession, they encourage students to continually improve their own professional skills and knowledge, and in turn, to improve the lives of the children and families.

The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct is integrated into the ECE curriculum and the Core Values have become an essential part of who we are as a department.

NAEYC Core Values:

           Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage
   of the human life cycle

           Base our work on knowledge of how children develop
   and learn

           Appreciate and support the bond between the child and
   family

           Recognize that children are best understood and
   supported in the context of family, culture, one
   community, and society

           Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each
   individual (child, family member, and colleague)

          Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues

          Recognize that children and adults achieve their full
   potential in the context of relationships that are based
   on trust and respect.

(NAEYC Code of Ethics from www.naeyc.org)

The department embraces each Core Value as it relates to children, families, and community.  Even more, the core values describe how faculty and instructors expect students to relate to and treat one other. Over time, students learn not just to appreciate and apply these values to better serve young children and their families.  They also understand the impact of these values on their professional identities and conduct, especially as advocates for children and families within the community.

Lab experiences (field placements) offer students the opportunity not only to implement their new knowledge, but also to follow the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Core Values as they interact with their mentor teacher, the children, families, administration, owners and community stakeholders.

The certificates and degrees offered at PCC permit students to scaffold their education to meet their personal goals or state/employer requirements related to their position. Moreover, the small class sizes in the program provide a setting that allows students to gain trust and confidence in their teachers, fellow students and themselves.

The faculty and instructors design and deliver each course to reflect best practices in the field.  Our intent is that all courses

         Provide an active-learning environment that supports all
  learning styles and engages students in collaboration,

        Stress the importance of communication skills (written
  and verbal), and

        Recognize, honor and respect the diverse backgrounds
  and abilities of the adult learner.

These standards and expectations for each course are high, but attainable.   They support the ultimate goal of ensuring that our graduates have the skills and abilities to make informed decisions, use critical thinking, embrace the concept of lifelong learning and confidently apply their knowledge of young children and their families.