Early Childhood Gateways
Level 2 Certificate
This certificate is the entry point to earning credentials from the Illinois Gateways Entitled program to meet statewide standards in early childhood education. Completed in 30 weeks, this program introduces students to the care and education of children who have not yet entered kindergarten.

Career Opportunities
- Teacher
- Child Care Administrator/Director
- Nanny
- EC Aide
- Preschool Instructor
- Licensed Day Care Provider
Get Started Now!
Work with a counselor to get your personalized plan!
First Semester | Details | ||||||||||
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EDU 102 | Introduction to Early Childhood Education | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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EDU 124 | Health & Safety for Young Children | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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EDU 150 | Caring for Infants and Toddlers | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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FYE 101 | Blazing Your Trail | Details | 1 | ||||||||
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Second Semester | Details | ||||||||||
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EDU 202 | Child Growth and Development | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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EDU 271 | Child, Family and Community | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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Gainful Employment: For more information about graduation rates, cost, the median debt of students who complete the program, and other information, please view our Gainful Employment information for the particular certificate of study.
Level 3 Certificate
Building on the Level 2 certificate, this program is completed in 45 weeks. Students expand on the fundamentals of caring for children, including organizing activities and providing a consistent, nurturing environment for development. Individuals with level 2 or 3 training serve as Early Head Start teachers, Head start teacher assistants, Early/Head Start home visitors, and supervised Licensed Child Care Center assistant teachers.
Career Opportunities
- Teacher
- Child Care Administrator/Director
- Nanny
- EC Aide
- Preschool Instructor
- Licensed Day Care Provider

First Semester | Details | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EDU 102 | Introduction to Early Childhood Education | Details | 3 | ||||||||
|
|||||||||||
EDU 124 | Health & Safety for Young Children | Details | 3 | ||||||||
|
|||||||||||
EDU 150 | Caring for Infants and Toddlers | Details | 3 | ||||||||
|
|||||||||||
FYE 101 | Blazing Your Trail | Details | 1 | ||||||||
|
Second Semester | Details | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EDU 202 | Child Growth and Development | Details | 3 | ||||||||
|
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EDU 271 | Child, Family and Community | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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Third Semester | Details | ||||||||||
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EDU 215 | Observation & Assessment in EC | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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EDU 260 | Curriculum for Early Childhood Programs | Details | 3 | ||||||||
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Gateways to Opportunity Requirements | Details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Various | Gateways to Opportunity Requirements | Details | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gainful Employment: For more information about graduation rates, cost, the median debt of students who complete the program, and other information, please view our Gainful Employment information for the particular certificate of study.