Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Accelerated) George Brown Polytechnic (GBP) - Toronto Metropolitan University Campus, Canada

Students in the Early Childhood Education (Accelerated) program study from September 2024 to December 2025 with no breaks in between.

Earn an Early Childhood Education (ECE) diploma in 16 months with the Early Childhood Education (Accelerated) (C160) program. This continuous diploma program provides the theory and practical experience to support children's learning as they grow. Study the developmental stages of infants (from six weeks), toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children (to 12 years) and learn how to design educational programming and respond to a child's unique needs and interests.

You will also engage with families and the broader community.

This program alternates between in-class learning and field placement to help you develop confidence in your skills as you progressively apply concepts from the classroom to a real-world setting. This prepares graduates to hit the ground running as soon as they enter the workforce. 

Your Field Education Options

• Field placement plays an important role in this accelerated ECE diploma program as it provides a continuum of experience that gives students the opportunity to build on their learning as they develop skills and progress through the program.
• We approach teaching and learning in this program by alternating blocks of classroom theory with field practice. Providing regular intervals for students to apply the theoretical knowledge they are learning with practical, hands-on experience helps you build effective skills as an ECE practitioner and as a leader. Employers value this approach because it prepares our graduates to work as early childhood educators on day one.
• Students complete a seven-week field placement in each semester of the program. During this time, students have the opportunity to work with children of different age groups in a variety of settings.
• To support student learning outcomes and ensure you have access to facilities that model the best practices we consider essential, we own and operate Ontario's largest network of school-run child care centres that serve over 1,000 children and their families each year. These 12 child care centres, located across Toronto, will expose you to the kinds of environments where you will eventually work and provide valuable services to the families and communities that they serve.

Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity, including Indigenous peoples' world views and Francophone identity.
• Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children's learning, holistic development and well-being following children's capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.
• Co-design and maintain inclusive early-learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings.
• Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early-learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.
• Use observation strategies to identify children's strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources.
• Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children's service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector.
• Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one's own role in early years and child care settings.
• Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.
• Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, interdisciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services.
• Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.

FAST-TRACK – DIRECT ENTRY (10 MONTHS)

• You may qualify for the fast-track program if you have a diploma or degree in a related field. For details visit program C130.