Play 'N Learn

Dakota is taking classes in school this year geared toward Early Childhood Education. She wants to teach either preschoolers or Kindergarten when she "grows up" and this program that she is enrolled in is geared towards that. If she completes the entire program while in high school she can earn her Florida Department of Children and Families 45-hour Certification, Early Childhood Professional Certification (ECPC), State of Florida CTE Diploma along with others and she will be qualified upon graduation from high school to work in a daycare setting. She would then just need to finish out her teaching requirements in college to be qualified by the state to work/own/run a daycare or to teach Kindgergarten, etc.

It's a great program and an excellent opportunity for students who desire this as a career path - or even think they do. This program should be able to convince them one way or the other whether this is a career path they truly desire.

The high school also has a daycare program where preschoolers ages 3-5 come to school each day and are taught by the upper-level child care students. These children are only preschoolers and it is another daycare option for those in the community. The preschoolers are only there from 9:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, so it gives the high-school students some great hands-on lab time with the kids.

Recently Dakota had to design her own daycare and present a floor plan drawing of her establishment. Here's the overall drawing of the "Play 'N Learn" daycare:

And here is the floor plan broken down into closer views. (It tracks along with the overall picture so you can compare if you need to)

I thought she did a terrific job on this project. She got a 100 on it - so I guess her instructor thought so, too! She's really loving this class and is doing very well in it. Although I was very surprised at her choice, this may just be her niche!