Community and Child Studies Training Offers Solid Perspective

When working with children, at-risk populations or the community in general, a strong foundation is essential. Although you may not currently have the credentials needed to attend Centennial College programs such as, Recreation and Leisure Services Child and Youth Worker, Developmental Service Worker, Early Childhood Education, Community and Justice Services, Police Foundations, and Social Service Worker, there is an offering that will help you to gain access to them in just two semesters. The child studies training and community courses in Community and Child Studies Foundations are an academic pathway that covers a range of topics needed to advance your college education, resulting in an Ontario College Certificate and an invite to join your program of choice in the community services and child studies department.

The purpose of the community and child studies training is two-fold as it helps you to become familiar with topics that may be covered in your advanced program and assists in developing academic and professional skills and attitudes. It is also worth noting that the community and child studies training supports and acknowledges the needs of adult and ESL students. Let’s take a look at some of the vital courses that assist in helping to prepare students for further education.

Foundations in Community & Child Studies: The essence of community and child studies training, this course shows you that communities are supported by a variety of exciting and essential services that respond to the needs of families and children. As such, you explore the range of services offered in the Community and Child Studies field and gain insight into the scope of these delivery models. You also look at professional roles and summarize key career benefits and issues.

Student Success/Interpersonal Skills: As previously mentioned, as a student of community and child studies training, you also develop on a personal level. In this child studies course, you are familiarized with and develop close relationships with the resources available in the college to support your success as a student in a post secondary environment. You also classify your personal learning styles and develop a personal plan of action that incorporates needed resources. Lastly, you discover portfolio development and engage in a variety of technological tools to facilitate your success.

Introduction to Psychology: Because all of the community and child studies areas of the field deal with psychology on some level, you must have a solid base. As such, this community and child studies training aspect looks at concepts and principles of selected areas of psychology. By using involvement exercises and activities, you will demonstrate your knowledge of the information by applying it to aspects of daily living, and in the process, improve your understanding of yourself, your environment, and your daily interactions.

If these community and child studies courses are of interest to you, please consider that they are only open for admission to applicants who have been advised and assisted to register by the Centennial College Assessment and Advising Centre. To apply, you are required to possess minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, if you are interested in the child studies training, you must complete the Centennial College English skills assessment before registering for the program. A score of 130 or 131 is required. In some cases, your skills assessment score will satisfy the requirements for their original program choice. Centennial College will notify you by sending an offer to your original program, granted that there is still space available.

Community and Child Studies Training With Specific Purpose

If you are new to Canada, have an interest in community service or child care, wish to enter the workforce in a career that is fulfilling — but require assistance in development on a professional and personal level — consider attending Community and Child Studies training. This two-semester offering, which results in an Ontario College Certificate, serves as an academic pathway to programs such as Early Childhood Education, Child and Youth Worker, Developmental Service Worker, Community and Justice Services, Police Foundations, Recreation and Leisure Services and Social Service Worker.

Aside from serving as an academic launching pad, the Community and Child Studies courses offer a solid academic base. This is achieved, firstly, through the addressing of learners’ needs as adults and ESL students. As such, faculty members who are supportive, caring and have expertise in community, child studies and ES,L utilize collaborative teaching approaches to get important points across. Additionally, it is common for faculty members in the Community and Child Studies training program to meet with students to discuss progress, as needed. This serves to benefit students as engaging professional and experienced faculty members may help them to become comfortable in communicating and addressing people in both casual and professional settings.

Secondly, an academic base is achieved through the development of understanding of the personal and professional requirements of the varied careers available in the community services and child studies department. Assisting in this are Community and Child Studies courses such as: Student Success and Interpersonal Skills (students explore the resources available in the college to support their success as a student in a post secondary environment. Close relationships with these internal service areas are developed); Foundations in Community and Child Studies (students survey the range of services offered in the Community and Child Studies field and gain insight into the scope of these delivery models); Professional Practice and Ethics (introduces students to the characteristics of an effective professional in the broad range of services represented in Community and Child Studies field. Students explore how personal attitudes, values and boundaries affect professional relationships), and more.

Applicants to this Community and Child Studies training are required to have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Interested parties should be advised that the program is only open for admission, as an “alternate offer” to applicants who have been advised and assisted to register by the Centennial College Assessment and Advising Centre. Those applicants with scores of 130 or 131 are recommended to begin this offering. Applicants cannot apply directly to ontariocolleges.ca for admission to this program. Lastly, possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the Community and Child Studies training.