Classroom gives early childhood education students at Northern College hands-on experience

With a growing need for early childhood educators in Ontario, Northern College has established a new early childhood education lab.

The classroom has been transformed to simulate a daycare environment to give students hands-on experience.

“The government had put forward additional funding for childcare spaces and to expand childcare," said Erin Holmes, program coordinator for Northern College's early childhood education program.

“But before you can do that, you need the workers. So this will give the opportunity to train the workers so when the new spots start opening, they’ll be able to fill the gaps that are out there in the communities.”

The college said through partnerships with local school boards and daycare agencies, its early childhood education students will have the opportunity to interact and observe children in an enriched environment.

“I think I get a lot of knowledge from the material that is present over here, how to use this material to develop a child," said Kamalpreet Kaur, an early childhood education student.

Holmes said the college has a lot of students who are coming in with no experience with children so the lab will offer them the opportunity to be with children.

“This will give us opportunity to prepare ourselves better for the placement and after placement work cause we will get to know about the material we’re going to use in the placement," said Ashandeep Kaur, early childhood education student.

Students will begin working in the lab in January with children between the ages of two to four to start; toddlers and infants will come in at a later date.