Minneapolis (April 1, 2019)—Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college, joins the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to celebrate Week of the Young Child (WOYC)™, April 8–12.1 NAEYC has celebrated WOYC annually since 1971 with Rasmussen College honoring the week College-wide since 2011. The week is dedicated to better understanding and meeting the needs of our country’s young children, their families and the educators who teach them. This year, Rasmussen College is focusing on the importance of social and emotional development and learning when it comes to teaching young children. With an increased interest nationwide on mindfulness, the College feels now is an opportune time to discuss how teachers can deal with challenging behaviors in the classroom and encourage young learners to utilize self-regulation in a positive way. This year’s internal theme, Celebrating Our Youngest Learners: Supporting Social and Emotional Development and Learning, will be celebrated across the College’s 23 campuses and online community.
“Even from a young age, children can grasp basic self-regulations skills which aid in their social and emotional development,” says Mary Muhs, Early Childhood Education (ECE) department chair at Rasmussen College. “Beyond just their physical development, it is important our early childhood educators provide a space where young children can begin learning to understand and control not only their own feelings and behaviors, but also those of people around them.”
To align with the College’s theme, it will be hosting a free webinar, “Live in the Moment: Mindfulness Practices for Early Childhood Educators,” on April 10 from 7:30–9:00 p.m. (Central), which is open to the community. During this webinar presented by Muhs and Alison Partridge, director of Program Development, The Tapping Solution Foundation, participants will discover the importance of practicing mindfulness when working with young children. Registrants will learn to explain mindfulness and its benefits to both the children in their care and adults. During the webinar, participants will practice mindfulness techniques and adopt practices into their daily routines to recover calm and focus while living in the moment. To register for the free webinar, click here. Individuals who participate will receive a certificate of completion via email.
To help the community celebrate WOYC, Rasmussen College is hosting events and activities across its 23 Midwest and Florida campuses. Activities include community book readings with the College’s School of Education faculty and staff members. To learn more about WOYC events near you, please visit the Rasmussen College WOYC guide or check your local campus’s Facebook page.
Rasmussen College Is Committed to Advancing Early Childhood Education
Rasmussen College is committed to the advancement of the early childhood education profession by offering educational opportunities that meet students where they are at. The College offers ECE Certificate, Diploma, Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree programs online with curriculum that prepares students to make positive and profound differences in the lives of young children and their families. The curriculums are developed based on the national best standards established by NAEYC and prepare students to apply for their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ from the Council for Professional Recognition (CDA Council).2 Rasmussen College is a proud partner of the CDA Credential and Council for Professional Recognition and is honored to be among a select group of early childhood education training organizations to be awarded the CDA Credential Gold Standard Training Certification, showcasing the College’s dedication to the early childhood education profession.
For more information about the Rasmussen College School of Education, please visit rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/.
1Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. hlcommission.org | 800-621-7440
2 The Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen College are not accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation. Rasmussen College is not a partner of NAEYC and our programs are not sponsored or endorsed by NAEYC.
Week of the Young Child is a Trademark of NAEYC.
