Centennial College

Community and Child Studies Training Offers Launching Pad for Success

To be successful in 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 — whose grads service the community and, more often than not, vulnerable demographics of the population — a strong foundation is required. That’s where Centennial College’s Community and Child Studies training comes in.

This one-year offering is designed as an academic pathway to the programs within Centennial College’s School of Community and Health Studies. It is especially geared towards students who are new to Canada, seeking to find fulfillment on a professional and personal level, and have an interest in community service, volunteer management or childcare. Because of this demographical focus, the needs of adult and ESL students are acknowledged and supported by faculty members who have expertise in both community and child studies. Utilizing collaborative teaching approaches, faculty members engage students to ensure they are comfortable in professional settings, using terminology relevant to their future fields.

Specific courses within the Community and Child Studies training include: 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); 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); Introduction to Psychology (explores the concepts and principles of selected areas of psychology. By using involvement exercises and activities, students demonstrate their knowledge of the information by applying it to aspects of daily living, and in the process, improving their understanding of themselves, their environment, and their daily interactions); and more.

Applicants interested in these foundation Community and Child Studies courses are required to have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Applicants should, however, be advised that the program is an “alternate offer” for those students who apply but do not meet admission requirements for a Centennial College post-secondary program in the areas of Community or Child Studies. 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 Foundations program.

In this piece, Emma writes about the benefits of the community and child studies courses offered within Centennial College’s Community and Child Studies Foundations. This program not only prepares students for further study but also teaches them the skills for personal and professional reflection.