University Relations and Communications, 715-346-3046, Fax 715-346-2042, http://www.uwsp.edu/news
A collaborative program that will help area technical school early childhood education graduates earn bachelor’s degrees in education as well as Wisconsin teacher certification has been announced by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
In the spring of 2011, the UWSP School of Education will launch the Central Wisconsin Alliance for Early Childhood/ Early Childhood Special Education that will allow individuals with associate degrees in early childhood earned from Mid-State Technical College (Wisconsin Rapids), Northcentral Technical College (Wausau) or Nicolet College (Rhinelander) to pursue bachelor’s degrees and Wisconsin teacher certification close to home.
The program allows credits from the associate degree to dovetail with the existing UWSP Early Childhood program, provides flexibility in scheduling additional UWSP general degree requirements and offers academic and advising support from both UWSP and Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) faculty and staff.
The initiative, which recently received a grant through UW System’s Committee on Baccalaureate Expansion (COBE), supports the UW System’s goal of increasing the number of college graduates in the state and also addresses the challenge of providing more highly qualified teachers in early childhood classrooms in central and northern Wisconsin.
Informational meetings are scheduled for late summer for all three WTCS campuses:
* Monday, Aug 30 – Nicolet College, 7 p.m., Room 200 University Transfer Center
* Tuesday, Aug 31 – Mid-State Technical College, 6 p.m., Room A166
* Wednesday, Sept 1 – Northcentral Technical College, 6 p.m., Room E101
Interested students must apply for admission to the cohort by September 15. Details about applying to this unique degree program are available at the newly launched website for the program at http://www.uwsp.edu/education/ECEcollaboration/index.aspx or by contacting Maggie Beeber, advising coordinator for the UWSP School of Education, at mbeeber@uwsp.edu.
