The Early Childhood Education in a Mobile Society option prepares you to work in early childhood settings with young children whose families are highly mobile, such as military families, immigrant families, families who must travel to make a living, homeless families, and families living in poverty. This online program is offered as part of the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (IDEA), a consortium of universities collaborating in the delivery of programs. Upon completion, you will be qualified to work in a variety of programs that offer early care and education for children birth to age 8.
Program Features
Transformative Curriculum
This fully online bachelor’s degree program includes 51 credit hours in 13 core courses and practicum experiences through Great Plains IDEA with the remainder of your credits completed from Nebraska. Skill-building topics in the coursework convey the leading issues facing education and mobile populations.
Nationwide Collaboration
Collaborate with leading education faculty members from across the country as part of the Great Plains IDEA program. These faculty have in-depth practical knowledge of social-emotional learning and development across the human lifespan. They come from different home universities, blending a range of perspectives and experiences for a unique and enriching online academic environment.
Practicum Experiences
Demonstrate your knowledge, skills and professional disposition through three practicum experiences in at least three different settings with different age groups and cooperating teachers.
Notable Courses
CYAF 203 - Child Development, Birth to 3
Learn about growth patterns, the influences of disabilities, environmental factors and their effects on attachment styles, language acquisition, brain development, cognitive development, social-emotional development and perceptual and sensory motor skills.
CYAF 204 - Child Development, 4 to 8
Explore major theories of development and current research and ideas in conjunction with historical approaches to examining growth and development in children ages 4-8.
CYAF 301 - Assessing Young Children and their Environments to Enhance Development
Select, evaluate and use appropriate assessment tools for children birth to age 8. Explore the ethical use and validity of assessments, multicultural sensitivity and assessments for children with special needs.
CYAF 406 - Diversity in the Lives of Young Children and Families
Explore cultural diversity in daily life and beliefs in families with young children. Focus on U.S. families, with attention to the multiple cultures from which they come.
CYAF 409 - Working with Families
Overview of effective communication strategies and parent education programs, focusing on application of an ecological model to understand variation in parental roles, perspectives, approaches and challenges.
CYAF 410 - Practicum III, Capstone Experience
Demonstrate practical application of developmentally appropriate early childhood teaching techniques and skills. Gain actual teaching experience while receiving developmental feedback.
Huskers Do Big Things
Internships
- Intern, Ruth Staples Child Development Lab
- Youth Coordinator, Lincoln YMCA
- Counselor, Camp Kesem
Careers
- Youth Specialist, Cedars - Lincoln, Nebraska
- Youth Development - Behavior Specialist, Lincoln YMCA - Lincoln, Nebraska
- Camp Program Facilitator, Lincoln Children's Museum - Lincoln, Nebraska
Graduate Schools
- M.Ed. Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- M.A. Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education, Innovative Learning Technologies Specialization, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Have Questions? We're Here to Help
If you have questions about the Early Childhood Education in a Mobile Society option within the Child, Youth and Family Studies major, contact us.
- Contact Name
- Dijon DeLaPorte
- Contact Title
- Director of Recruitment
- Phone