In this blog article, you will hear from IEDP second year student, Shelly Lee who shares about her experience pursuing the Early Childhood Education and Family Studies (ECEFS) Academic Certificate. This program prepares students to work in the early childhood education sector through providing a focused curriculum and hands-on experience. IEDP students pursuing the ECEFS Academic Certificate have been able to smoothly integrate the certificate’s requirements into their planned program of study. 

Why did you apply for the Early Childhood Education and Family Studies (ECEFS) Academic Certificate? How did you go about applying for the certificate?
I first became interested in early childhood while working in the international development sector. My journey began at Compassion, where I saw firsthand how much of a difference a caring adult can make in an early child’s life. Since then, I’ve tried to gain as much hands-on experience as possible in early childhood development. One of the most memorable experiences was working on a vaccination project in Ethiopia’s Gambella region with Save the Children. The project, supported by the GAVI Alliance, focused on reaching young children in marginalized and refugee communities to improve their chances of survival and overall well-being. During my time there, I visited households, spoke with parents and local officials, and observed the daily work of health centers. Even though everyone shared the same goal of protecting children’s health, challenges such as poor infrastructure, limited resources, and misconceptions about vaccines made progress difficult. That experience taught me how essential it is to go beyond material support and truly engage with local communities, listening to their voices and building trust, to create lasting change for children.

As I was already interested in early childhood development, I considered the option of applying to the ECEFS Academic Certificate when I applied to IEDP last year. However, I initially hesitated to apply because I didn’t want to limit my course options. Since students can only take about ten courses over one to two years, fulfilling the certificate requirements felt restrictive at the time. Later, as I began selecting courses, I realized that many of the classes I was drawn to already counted toward the ECEFS Academic Certificate. During the spring semester, I took Dr. Sharon Wolf’s Risk and Resilience course, where I learned, through both academic perspectives and class discussions, how crucial early intervention is for children’s learning and development, even in later years. That class reaffirmed my passion for early childhood, and I decided to apply for the certificate. I reached out to Dr. Sharon Wolf to ask if it was too late to enroll, and fortunately, I wasn’t too late to be considered for the next cohort. She asked me to submit a statement of interest, a resume, and a list of courses that could count toward the certificate. After the review process, I received an email confirming that I had been accepted into the program, and here I am, participating in the ECEFS Academic Certificate!

What has your experience been like pursuing the certificate? How do the requirements fit within your regular course of study in IEDP?
My experience has been good so far. By tailoring my final assignments to focus on early childhood learning and development in the classes that count toward the certificate program, I was able to deepen my understanding of how critical the early childhood stage is and learn about the many factors that influence it. I was pleasantly surprised to see myself making connections between different classes while working on early childhood topics. While there are classes such as Early Childhood, Early Literacy, and Parent-Family-Community Engagement (EDUC 6580) and Risk, Resilience, and Prevention Science (EDUC 7531) that specifically focus on early childhood, the learning goes beyond those courses as you get to explore early childhood themes through research and readings in other classes as well.

In terms of internship placement, based on the information you provide in a survey form, you are assigned to an internship site. The placement could be policy-related, research-based, involve visiting families, or include working directly with children at schools or centers. As for me, I wanted hands-on experience in the actual setting where early childhood learning and development take place, so I am working at a childcare center called Children’s Village, which serves around 300 children. As it has just begun, I’m very excited to see how I can connect what I observe and learn in the field to the class materials and readings.

The certificate requirements fit well with the regular IEDP coursework. For example, one of the mandatory classes that all IEDP students are required to take, Education and International Development (EDUC 5480), counts as one of the certificate courses. In addition, many of the elective courses you can choose from also count toward the certificate if you focus your final paper on early childhood, which I did for Risk, Resilience, and Prevention Science (EDUC 7531) and, this semester, for Design of Learning Environments (EDUC 6139) and Early Childhood, Early Literacy, and Parent-Family-Community Engagement (EDUC 6580). These will fulfill my remaining certificate requirements. I was surprised to find that many of the courses I had already planned to take also counted toward the certificate. So, if you’re interested, I highly recommend checking out the course list that fulfills the certificate requirements!

What has been your favorite part of the certificate experience?
My favorite part of the certificate experience, I would say, is the internship that I’m currently doing this semester. As part of the certificate program, you are required to take the EDUC 6580 class, and through this course, you are assigned to an internship site where you complete a 30-hour internship over the semester. While there have been ups and downs, especially with the many clearances required to work at a children’s institution as an international student, the internship has been such an interesting and exciting part of the experience. Although I have implemented many programs that involve children in my role as a program officer, I have never worked directly with children before. This experience is therefore very new to me, offering fresh insights and learning in a hands-on environment. I began my internship 2 weeks ago, but there are already so many things I’m learning, observing, and experiencing. I can’t wait to look back at the end of the semester and see how much I’ve grown through this experience!

Any advice for applicants interested in pursuing the ECEFS Academic Certificate?
I would actively reach out to the program manager, Ardath, to share your interests and see if they align with the certificate program. You can also ask any questions or clarify anything you’re unsure about so that you have a better understanding of the program! Also, I recommend talking to the second years who are currently in the program (there are a few more of us pursuing), and hearing about their experiences can be helpful if you’re uncertain about whether to apply. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to share their insights!! I would love to see more of us IEDPers making a positive impact in the early childhood sector within international educational development. The more, the merrier : D