Train with the Best!

When you enroll in Gwinnet Tech's early childhood care and education program, you're signing on to be part of an award-winning ensemble.

For most four-year-olds, earning awards is cause for celebration. But for Gwinnett Tech's four-year-old early childhood care and education program, major recognition seems to be all in a day's work.

Since the college gave birth to the early childhood care and education program in 2003, the program and its students have been turning over award after award.

For the past two consecutive years, two students from Gwinnett Tech's early childhood care and education program have gone from state to countrywide winners in the SkillsUSA National Championships.

Ryan Baker, currently enrolled in the early childhood care and education program at Gwinnett Tech, took home this year's national Gold Award in the preschool teaching assistant category. Last year, Shelley Hoster also won the top honor in the same category at the SkillsUSA competition. Both received gold medals and additional prizes, such as educational teaching aids.

Nearly 5,000 outstanding career and technical education students participated in hands-on competitions in eighty-four different technical, trade and leadership fields at the national competition. SkillsUSA, a worldwide student organization, sponsors the national championships annually to recognize and encourage achievements of technical education students.

Later the same year Hoster was recognized again when she and Gwinnett Tech Early Childhood Care and Education Program Director Priscilla Smith, B.S., M.S., Ed.S., Ph.D. were honored as the 'best of the year' by the Georgia Association on Young Children (GAYC). In the 16 years GAYC has had an awards program, it was only the second time that both the educator of the year and the student of the year were from the same school.

GAYC is a non-profit membership organization that promotes quality early care and education for young children.

GAYC named Smith Educator of the Year for her professional excellence as Gwinnett Tech's program director for early childhood care and education; Hoster was named GAYC's Student of the Year for her outstanding academic achievements and other accomplishments in the program.

In 2007, the honors again went to Gwinnett Tech as James Peas, a student in the early childhood education program, was named 2007 Student of the Year by GAYC. Earlier in the year, James was named the 2007 silver medal winner at the Georgia post-secondary preschool teaching assistant competition for SkillsUSA.

Gwinnett Tech's early childhood care and education program offers a degree and diploma in early childhood care and education, as well as a child development associate certificate to prepare students to enter the field of early education.

To join the ranks of award-winning early childhood care and education students and to enroll in the program at Gwinnett Tech, call 770-962-7580 or apply online.