Practicum Information
Practicum experiences are an integral part of the Early Childhood Development and Education Program. Associate of Applied Science students will complete three supervised practicum experiences in assigned early childhood settings. The State of Ohio has recently changed the practicum hour requirement from 300 hours to 200 hours, with a likely effective date toward the end of 2026. This means some students will graduate under the current practicum line-up, some will graduate under the new practicum line-up, and some will graduate with a combination line-up.
Current ECDE Practicums
ECDE 2910 Infants and Toddlers
ECDE 2920 Wonder School Preschool (Autumn and Spring availability) or Preschool in a partner childcare setting
ECDE 2930 Preschool -or-
ECDE 2932 Administration (requires an application and acceptance by ECDE faculty) -or-
ECDE 2933 Community Settings (requires an application and acceptance by ECDE faculty)
New ECDE Practicums (as of AU26)
ECDE 2901 Wonder School Preschool (Autumn and Spring availability) or Preschool in a partner childcare setting (130 hours)
ECDE 2902 Infants and Toddlers (36 hours)
ECDE 2903 Special Interest (36 hours)
While enrolled in a practicum experience, students will spend time in an early childhood classroom directly involved with children, supported by a mentor teacher, to develop professional skills for working in the field of early care and education. Practicum experiences provide students with opportunities to interact with young children in an early childhood setting; observe children and teachers; work with a mentor teacher to plan and implement activities in the classroom; practice skills of evaluation that integrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
If a student currently works at a high-quality early learning childcare center (as determined by the ECDE program), then under certain circumstances and with prior approval, the student may complete one of their three practicum experiences at their place of employment while being paid by their employer. In addition, if a student has five or more years of experience working with children in a licensed early learning childcare center, then under certain circumstances and with prior approval, the student may be awarded nontraditional (N) credit for one of their practicum experiences.
To be eligible for seminars and practicum placement, students must do each of the following:
1. Complete ECDE 1101, ECDE 1105, ECDE 1108, ECDE 1109, ECDE 2010, ENG 1100, PSY 1100, and PSY 2261 with a grade of C or better. You must have a 2.0 GPA or higher at the time of orientation RSVP, course registration, and prior to the start of the semester.
2. Attend one of the in-person Practicum 1 Orientation meetings the semester before starting Practicum 1. Please be mindful of deadlines for turning in required paperwork and completing the Orientation. Students should reach out to the ECDE Practicum Coordinator at ECDEpracticum@cscc.edu for additional information about the required paperwork.
3. Meet with your ECDE Faculty Advisor to verify that all practicum prerequisites have been met.
ECDE Faculty Advisors are assigned by last name:
A-G Christine Creagh (ccreagh@cscc.edu)
H-O Charvella McKaye (cmckaye@cscc.edu)
P-Z Tricia May-Woods (tmaywood@cscc.edu)