Early Childhood Education

Next semester begins spring 2025

Join our Early Childhood Education Career Explorations program!

Learning cohorts are a team, group, or community of people with shared interests and goals who progress through an educational experience together. Their benefit is based upon certain educational theories of how people learn and the desire for support, teamwork, and shared resources. Our program uses a cohort-learning model to bring students together for professional development seminars, discussion groups, academic support, and wraparound services such as childcare, transportation, and language support.

For more information about Career Exploration programs, click here.

Course Offerings

ECE 110 Class (Child Growth and Development) – 3 Credits

This foundational, asynchronous online class is offered through Cape Cod Community College (4C’s). Asynchronous learning allows you to learn on your own schedule, within a certain timeframe. You can access and complete lectures, readings, homework and other learning materials at any time. This class is required in order to become licensed as an Early Childhood Education teacher. This course examines child development from conception to age 9 by considering the complex interaction between hereditary and environmental factors. Children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development are discussed, as well as the implications for developmentally appropriate practice. It includes the theories of Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky. Students are required to observe children in a childcare setting. This course is restricted to applicants for State certification as a teacher of infants, toddlers, and/or preschool children.

For information about additional ECE coursework through Cape Cod Community College, please contact Joanne Lambert, Program Facilitator at Joanne@acemv.org.

Tuition/Expenses

This program is offered in partnership with 4Cs and includes access to admissions and tuition support for eligible students. ACE MV offers limited tuition and financial support for wraparound services on a first come first served basis.

Check out this article in the MV Times about our grant from West Chop Community Fund:

Meet Joanne Lambert
ACE MV’s Early Childhood Education cohort facilitator

Joanne Lambert has worked in Early Childhood Education on Martha’s Vineyard since 1996. She operated a Family Child Care program in Oak Bluffs for 24 years.  In 2020, she was hired by MV Community Services, through a Vision Fellowship grant, to develop and coordinate the MV Family Child Care Network. This position was designed to support and strengthen the FCC programs across the island, at a time when these programs were faltering without support, and access to high quality child care was becoming a crisis for working families. Joanne was able to bring her experience and skills to the task, and the Family Child Care Network is now a thriving group of professionals who meet monthly and work together to offer Island children rich programs, and provide Island families high quality, stable child care.

Joanne joined ACE MV in 2021, assisting with student cohort meetings and coordinating professional development opportunities. As an adult learner herself, Joanne really enjoys working with the students and helping them achieve their goals. As an Early Childhood Education professional, she enjoys sharing her passion for working with young children.

Joanne has a BA in Human Development and Early Childhood Education from Lesley University. She has raised two children on the Vineyard and has two grandsons. She loves the beach and the ocean, and is a proud member of the Oak Bluffs Polar Bears. She loves to write, and is a columnist for the MV Times. She loves to travel. She does not know what retirement means.

If you’re interested in joining this cohort and want us to contact you with more information and next steps, please fill out the form below: