The Waterloo Career Center (WCC) is helping students maximize their potential for success. For high schoolers looking to pursue education, programs such as early childhood internships and child development associate certifications offer valuable hands-on learning opportunities.
Elyssa Cooper, a Senior at West high school, says being able to work in classrooms with students has made the biggest impact on her decision to pursue a career in education.
“When I started going into the kindergarten classroom at Lowell Elementary, I fell in love with the students and the environment,” said Cooper. “I feel that every person who has gone through school has at least one teacher who made their experience better, and I want to be that teacher for someone.”
Laney Elbey, a senior at Janesville CSD, says that being able to take accredited coursework through the WCC has been invaluable.
“Taking classes through the WCC is an amazing opportunity,” said Elbey. “Being able to go into the classrooms and actually being able to work with the kids, and you get high school and college credits for each class that you take!”
Both Cooper and Elbey are placed with local early childcare programs to gain hands-on experience right here in the Cedar Valley. While Cooper works alongside teachers at Lowell Elementary school in Waterloo, Elbey assists educators at the Cedar Valley Preschool & Child Care Center in Cedar Falls.
There are numerous opportunities for students to explore career paths within the education field at the WCC.
For Mishayla Kammeyer, a Senior at Expo Alternative Learning Center, she plans to complete her Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate, becoming the WCC’s first student to do so. The certification program requires 480 hours working with young children which Kammeyer has been able to attain by working at Elk Run Preschool, Lowell Pre-K, and other daycare jobs. This December she’ll showcase her skills by teaching a preschool classroom and interviewing with a CDA specialist. According to Jane Frost, WCC Early Childhood Education Instructor, Kammeyer hopes to own her own daycare someday!
The WCC is full of exciting opportunities for students to find careers that match their ambitions.
