Aspiring educators are giving high marks to the creation of a Capital Region BOCES Early Childhood Education classroom right in an area elementary school.
Located in Schoharie Elementary School, the Career and Technical Education Center program prepares high school juniors and seniors for careers in education and childcare.
“It’s nice because I am learning in an environment where I want to work,” said Isabella Rosini, a senior enrolled in the Capital Region BOCES program from the Duanesburg school district. “Everything I want to do is right in this building.”
The classroom is the second for the BOCES program; another classroom operates in the Career and Technical Education Center – Albany Campus.
BOCES educator Jessica Quackenbush took charge of the Schoharie Elementary School classroom this school year, moving from the Albany Campus location.
“There are so many opportunities in this environment,” she said, noting one of her students will take part in an internship in a self-contained classroom right next door to her classroom.
Quackenbush said two seniors and seven juniors are currently taking the class in Schoharie; 27 students are enrolled in the program on the Albany Campus.
Senior Tjay Lamalfa said taking the BOCES program at Schoharie Elementary School is ideal for his learning needs.
“It’s a smaller class and it provides so many opportunities,” the Schalmont senior said.
The program teaches high school juniors and seniors the basics and methodology of child development and early childhood education while also giving them a solid foundation in classroom arrangement and management.
Students also learn curriculum development for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and young children, as well as how to communicate and work with parents/guardians and staff in an education setting.
Career and Technical Education Director Jeff Palmer said there was a tremendous interest among education leaders in offering the program in the Schoharie area—which led to the creation of the Schoharie Elementary School classroom,
“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Schoharie schools and offer this program to the entire region,” said Palmer. “BOCES is all about collaboration and building the workforce of tomorrow and this is exactly what the expansion of this program is doing.”