CDA Re-Imagined Mentoring Program
We are Proud to Become a Partner with the CDA Council!
Origins Learning Community is proud to be a partner with the Council for Professional Recognition. After a lot of hard teamwork among all of our mentors, we applied to become a partner with The Council in the Fall of 2020 and were accepted as a partner in February 2021. We look forward to fulfilling all of our goals we proposed to The Council. Most importantly, offering a CDA Program that offers CDA Candidates mentoring support from start to finish! Our thanks to the Council for Professional Recognition for their support of newly forming nonprofits like ours.
Our CDA Scholarship Application is Closed for the 2022-2023 year. If more funding becomes available, we will re-open the application process. Thank you for your understanding.
If you are interested in our program for your group or organization, contact us:
Come be a part of a growing movement.
We have a dynamic set of Child Development Associate (CDA) classes that includes an additional mentoring component and tutoring services for teachers and family home child care providers. The classes and mentoring are a necessary component for earning a CDA Credential from the Council for Professional Recognition (AKA CDA Council).
We are currently offering trainings via Zoom as well as in-person.
We keep our classes small; no more than 20 people per class. The cost of the CDA Program includes all portfolio supplies and all CDA textbooks. Classes taught by experienced trainers who mentor you every step of the way!!! You won't find this kind of attention anywhere else. Connect with us to learn more!
CDA Mission Statement
Origins Learning Community is dedicated to educating and coaching early childhood teachers wanting to earn their CDA credential. We believe, when teachers understand how to use basic developmentally appropriate practices in the classroom, they can do an even better job of supporting children's social and emotional development. We are passionate about supporting ESL teachers and teachers with disabilities in any way we can.
Origins Learning Community is committed to helping classroom teachers and family home childcare providers enrolled in our CDA program create and cultivate curriculum and environments that:
Support children's family home cultures
Reflect democratic and equitable teaching values
Accept and is inclusive of all children and their families
Support children's social-emotional development as the foundation that all meaningful learning grows from
Practice positive behavioral guidance that shows respect to the children
Earning your 120+ specialty clock hours through our CDA Program is only one step to earning a CDA Credential.
In order to earn your CDA, you must be working in a classroom with the age group you are seeking certification in.
If you are currently looking for a job in an infant, a toddler, or a preschool classroom, reach out to us for support.
We have connections in the community and are here to help.
CDA Course- General Overview
Here is a general overview of the CDA Course Content. Trainers cover all of the course content fully, while helping you where you need the most support through mentoring. Mentoring includes tutoring on homework assignments and classroom coaching. The mentoring component is an important part of our CDA program.
We feel so strongly about it that it is not optional.
All students enrolled in the program must participate in all of the classes and the mentoring sessions. This is your opportunity to not just train; but transform your teaching practices for the better. Be the teacher you have always wanted to be!
If you like the Course Content overview, scroll down to find an application to our CDA Program and begin your journey with us.
Course One
Welcome to your CDA Community!
Get to know your fellow classmates, CDA mentors and learning materials. This class is an important first step to your success as an early childhood educator. We'll dive deep into the CDA Essentials for working with Young Children Textbook, Essentials Workbook, and your CDA Competency Standards Handbook to give you a clear understanding of how to use the materials. Most importantly, this first class is an opportunity to get to know each other as a diverse community of learners and educators who can support one another.
Course Two
Safety and Supervision of Young Children
Learn how to create safe learning environments for young children according to state laws and best practices. More importantly, discover fun ways to model safety and teach safety to young children in socially-emotionally supportive ways. SAfe classrooms are classrooms where learning thrives!
Course Three
Health, Wellness and Nutrition of Young Children
Learn about state laws for keeping children healthy, fun ways to educate children about health and nutrition and modeling healthy behavior with young children through a social-emotional, culturally responsive lens. When families and educators work together to keep children healthy, children learn better!
Course Four
Creating Beautiful Learning Environments for Young Children
Learn how to create beautiful, inclusive and educational play-based learning environments for young children. Discover dynamic ways to connect with the children and bring their learning to the next level. In this course, we will reflect on what it means to be culturally responsive and meet children's individual needs while preparing the classroom learning environments.
Course Five
The Physical and Adaptive Domains
Freedom of movement is essential for young children's social-emotional and cognitive development as well as their physical development. Learn about important milestones in young children's physical and adaptive development and how to best support those milestones. Be prepared to move and groove as we explore the importance of teacher participation!
Course Six
Understanding the Cognitive Domain
Focusing on sensory, science, mathematics, social studies, and technology, learn about creating dynamic learning centers that will motivate young children to want to learn critical thinking skills, explore the world around them, and strengthen their executive function skills.
Course Seven
Creative Development in Young Children
Focusing on art, dramatic play, music and movement, and block activities, learn why allowing children to use their imagination, experiment, and create their own open-ended art supports emotion regulation skills, positive self-esteem and cognitive development skills. Reflect on how to create creative learning areas of the classroom that reflect the children's home cultures as well. Be prepared to have fun and get messy!
Course Eight
Communication and the Language Domain
Learn how language/literacy activities can be woven throughout all areas of curriculum all day long, giving children opportunities to reach important milestones while building their self-confidence. Come up with new ideas for creating beautiful literacy centers in your classroom based on each individual child's interests and family home cultures.
Course Nine
The Child's Sense of Self
Discover how you can help young children feel emotionally safe, practice managing their emotions, and build positive self-esteem by honoring their family home culture, individuality, and celebrating their strengths.
Course Ten
Social Life of the Child
Just as we are responsible for supporting children's cognitive, language and physical development, we must guide them on how to interact with others in the classroom environment. Learn important teaching practices and anti-bias curriculum activities for helping young children reach social milestones throughout the school-day.
Course Eleven
Guidance Practices for Compassionate Classrooms
With our help children can learn how to solve social problems and work alongside others in a diverse and inclusive world. Learn teaching strategies for creating peaceful, joyful classrooms where problems and mistakes are seen as learning opportunities and children are guided by love and patience.
Course Twelve
Partnering with Families
Partnering with families is vital to children's positive self-esteem, ability to control their emotions, and learn academic skills. Discover ways to connect and communicate with families and what "funds of knowledge" they can contribute.
Course Thirteen
Classroom Program Management
Throughout the course you have learned about managing a classroom program and using observation tools to support children's learning, Now we will pull it all together, adding the final few pieces of the classroom management puzzle. Decide which observation tools are right for you. Fine tune your program management skills for a harmonious, well-run classroom or home.
Course Fourteen
Defining Professionalism
Throughout the course we have explored the culture of early childhood education and what it means to be a professional in the field. Learn how you can advocate for young children, families and the ECE profession. Define yourself as the awesome professional you are!
Course Fifteen
Your Journey Continues
Celebrate your accomplishments so far and learn about the next steps on your CDA journey. We will walk you through applying for the assessment process on the CDA Council's website and tell you about some great resources they have for CDA Candidates!