The 4th Annual Early Childhood Education Annual Gathering, led by Associate Prof. Aviva Dorfman, brought together a small but enthusiastic group of early childhood education students Oct. 29 to meet faculty members and to learn more about program requirements.

Marissa McCann, President of the Early Childhood Education Club, gave an overview of the relatively new club. The club, which meets monthly, offers multiple opportunities for students and community members interested in early childhood education to learn more about the field, take advantage of professional resources, and volunteer at community events.

Early Childhood students Carlena Wygant and Nikole Buffa.

UM-Flint juniors Nikole Buffa and Carlena Wygant, who both work at a day care center in Grand Blanc, attended this year’s gathering. They enjoy their early childhood education courses and like learning about the Reggio Emilia approach to education, which is based on the knowledge that young children learn through active exploration of their environment.

Carlena is majoring in psychology and working on an early childhood minor. “I want to work with children who have gone through trauma and see how that affects their development and education as a whole,” she said.

Nikole is focusing on an early childhood major and hopes to eventually earn a master’s degree and to teach early preschool and pre-kindergarten. “I think the instructors here really make the classes worthwhile,” she said. “They have a lot of examples of their own, and you really need that in this field because children are so unpredictable.”

Click here for more information about Early Childhood Programs at UM-Flint.