CHILD YOUTH AND FAMILY STUDIES

Inclusive Early Childhood Education Option

Woman playing with child on playground

The inclusive early childhood education program is based on an inclusive, family-focused style of working with young children across a range of abilities and disabilities, and on collaboration and teamwork. You will gain a view of the field that integrates education, prevention and intervention services. The program prepares you to teach infants, toddlers and children from birth through grade 3, including those with disabilities and support families and other personnel with responsibilities for their care and education.

Womnan showing book to little child

Program Features

Professional Mentoring

Receive professional mentoring from content area experts who will help you transform your passion into teaching expertise.

Global Experiences

Observe and analyze STEM instructional practices in Finnish and Estonian classrooms or take an in-depth look at the educational system in Costa Rica during faculty-led global experiences.

Student Organizations

Interact with peers who have similar interests and develop your professional network by joining one of the many active student organizations on campus such as the UNL Aspiring Educators, Student Council for Exceptional Children or Future Teachers of Color.

Notable Courses

CYAF 160 - Human Development and the Family

Explore a developmental life cycle approach, studying individuals from conception to death from the perspective of how individual development is fostered within the family system.

CYAF 210/L - Applied Methods of Social Emotional Development and Guidance

Overview of the components of social competence and what influences its development. Practice skills related to sound child development theory under the guidance of early childhood professionals.

CYAF 374/L - Curriculum Planning in Early Childhood Education

Learn best practices in early childhood education and the teacher's role in facilitating learning. Plan, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate activities in a supervised early childhood setting.

CYAF 402 - Mathematical Content Knowledge for Teachers of Young Children

Develop key mathematical content knowledge necessary for early childhood professionals through explorations of number and operations, algebraic reasoning, measurement, geometry and data analysis probability.

SPED 362 - Early Childhood Special Education

Learn methods for educating children in inclusive classrooms, focusing on classroom-wide adaptations, individual accommodations and the development and implementation of a functional intervention plan for one target child.

TEAC 330 - Multicultural Education

Exploring the historical, philosophical, and sociological contexts of education; emphasizing inclusive, equitable practices, cultural knowledge, and curriculum related to and for diverse PK-12 students.

Huskers Do Big Things

Internships

  • Youth Coordinator, Lincoln YMCA
  • Counselor, Camp Kesem
  • Teacher, Christ Academy Preschool and Childcare

Careers

  • Preschool Teacher, Lincoln Public Schools - Lincoln, Nebraska
  • Head Start Teacher, Omaha Public Schools - Omaha, Nebraska
  • Special Education Preschool Teacher, Superior Public Schools - Superior, Nebraska
  • Early Childhood Teacher, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools - Kansas City, Kansas
  • Youth Specialist, Cedars - Lincoln, Nebraska

Graduate Schools

  • M.Ed. Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • M.S. Child Development/Early Childhood Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • M.S. Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Ph.D. Child Development/Early Childhood Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Have Questions? We're Here to Help

If you have questions about Inclusive Early Childhood Education option within the Child, Youth and Family Studies major, contact us.

Portrait of Dijon DeLaPorte
Contact Name
Dijon DeLaPorte
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Director of Recruitment
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