Butte College Student Parent enjoys club event

Child Development & Education

Gain the knowledge and experience to teach and nurture the healthy development of children, families, and their communities through careers in early learning, teaching, and child development.

Programs

Goal
Length
Flexibility
AA

Goal

Career or Transfer

Length

2 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
  • Online
AA

Associate Degree in Liberal Studies

This program provides the lower-division pathway for students planning to transfer to CSU, Chico’s BA in Liberal Studies. Students intending to transfer to a different CSU should instead follow the AA-T Elementary Teacher Education pathway. Liberal Studies is an interdisciplinary major that includes coursework in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, arts, language, and sciences, offering a well-rounded education that prepares students for careers as elementary school teachers or for other interdisciplinary fields. An accelerated option, the Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP), allows students to complete the AA in Liberal Studies, the BA in Liberal Studies, and a teaching credential in four years through concurrent enrollment at Butte and CSU, Chico, with the possibility of summer coursework.

AA

Associate Degree Liberal Studies: Bilingual Pattern

This program is the lower-division pathway for students planning to transfer to CSU, Chico’s BA in Liberal Studies. Students intending to transfer to a different CSU should instead follow the AA-T Elementary Teacher Education pathway. The Liberal Studies pathway is an interdisciplinary major with courses in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, arts, language, and sciences, providing students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for careers as elementary school teachers, including a bilingual option.

Flexibility

Main Campus is your most reliable base for both Liberal Studies programs, covering the bulk of required coursework, with Online offering solid additional support. Chico Center and Glenn Center only reliably cover a handful of courses in either program, so they work best as supplements rather than your primary plan. Since no single location covers everything, expect to combine options — meet with a counselor to build a schedule that fits.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it. 
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Liberal Studies
  Programs in cluster: 2

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Liberal Studies (AA Degree):
      Main Campus is your most reliable choice for the required Liberal Studies coursework — everything you need shows up there consistently. Chico Center, Glenn Center, and Online each cover only some of the required courses reliably, so relying on any one of them alone would leave gaps you'd need to fill by combining locations. If you want flexibility to study anywhere, GE breadth can be done online or at any center, but plan on Main Campus for the core of your major work. Check in with a counselor as you build your schedule.
  • Liberal Studies: Bilingual Option (AA Degree):
      No single location covers everything for this degree, so you'll need to plan on combining a couple of them. Main Campus reliably covers most of your required coursework, making it your best base, while Online can fill in a good share of the rest. Chico Center and Glenn Center each offer only a handful of required courses reliably, so treat them as supplements, not your main option. Meet with a counselor to map out a sequence that fits your schedule.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences — under 120 words total — that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
AS-T CA

Goal

Career or Transfer

Length

1-2 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
  • Chico/Skyway Center
  • Online
AS-T

Associate Degree for Transfer in Early Childhood Education

The Associate in Science in Early Childhood Education for Transfer degree is designed for students who plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at a California State University (CSU) campus. This degree guarantees admission to the CSU system, though not to a specific campus or major. Students transferring to a CSU that accepts this degree will need no more than 60 additional units to complete their bachelor’s degree. Counselors can help students identify courses that meet both major and general education requirements.

CA

Certificate of Achievement in Early Childhood Education

The field of early care and education is a dynamic and growing area of study for students who seek to work with young children up to age eight. Students who complete the Certificate of Achievement in Early Childhood Education will achieve competency in promoting child development and learning, building family and community relationships, implementing developmentally appropriate curricula, learning about child assessment systems, teaching in a diverse society, and becoming lifelong learners.

Flexibility

Both programs in this cluster rely on Online for most required coursework, with the Chico Center serving as a solid in-person option that may need to be supplemented with Online classes to complete a few remaining requirements. Main Campus and Glenn Center mainly support general education needs rather than the core major courses. Meet with a counselor to build a schedule that works for you.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it. 
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Early Childhood Education
  Programs in cluster: 2

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Early Childhood Education (AS-T Degree):
      No single location covers everything for this degree, so you'll likely combine Online with either the Chico Center or Main Campus for your required coursework. Online carries most of what you need, and the Chico Center reliably covers a good chunk too, but Main Campus offers only a couple of required courses consistently. Glenn Center works for general education only—major courses aren't reliably offered there. Meet with a counselor to map out a schedule that fits your needs.
  • Early Childhood Education (Certificate of Achievement):
      Online offers the most reliable path for most of this program's required courses, so you can plan on doing the bulk of your coursework there. The Chico Center also covers a good chunk of required courses if you'd rather be in person, though you'll likely need to fill in a gap or two with Online. Main Campus and Glenn Center mainly work for your general education classes, not the required ECE courses. Check in with a counselor to map out your specific sequence.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences — under 120 words total — that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
AA-T

Goal

Transfer

Length

2 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
  • Chico/Skyway Center
  • Online
AA-T

Associate Degree for Transfer in Elementary Teacher Education

The Associate in Arts in Elementary Teacher Education for Transfer (AA-T) prepares students to complete a BA in Liberal Arts, a teaching credential, or a related program at a CSU. Students gain foundational knowledge and skills in curriculum standards, lesson design, assessment, and inclusive teaching practices for Transitional Kindergarten–12th grade. Graduates are guaranteed admission to the CSU system (though not to a specific campus or major) and complete the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. This pathway is ideal for students pursuing careers in primary, secondary, bilingual, or special education, with employment of elementary teachers projected to grow more than 6% as retirements and enrollment increase.

Flexibility

Main Campus is your most reliable option for completing this program, since all required courses are consistently offered there. Chico Center and Online each cover most, but not all, required courses, so you'd need to pair one of those with another location to fill in the gaps. Glenn Center offers fewer required courses and works best as a supplement — meet with a counselor to plan the right combination for you.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it. 
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Elementary Teacher Education
  Programs in cluster: 1

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Elementary Teacher Education (AA-T Degree):
      Main Campus is your most reliable option — all of your required courses are consistently offered there, so you can plan to complete the program at this one location. Chico Center and Online each cover most, but not all, required courses, so you'd need to fill gaps by combining one of those with another location. Glenn Center covers less of the major, so treat it as a supplement rather than a home base. Meet with a counselor to map out the specific combination that works for you.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences — under 120 words total — that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
AA-T

Goal

Career or Transfer

Length

2 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
  • Chico/Skyway Center
  • Online
AA-T

Associate Degree for Transfer in Child and Adolescent Development

The Associate in Arts in Child & Adolescent Development for Transfer degree (AA-T in Child & Adolescent Development) is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in this field at a CSU campus. Students completing this degree are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, though not to a particular campus or major, and those transferring to a CSU that accepts the degree will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. The program emphasizes a practitioner-scholar model, preparing students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to foster the healthy growth and learning of children and families in a diverse society, while also developing leadership and advocacy skills to serve children from birth through age eighteen.

Flexibility

This cluster offers strong flexibility: required courses run reliably at Main Campus, the Chico Center, and Online, so you can build a schedule around any of these or mix them as needed. The Glenn Center only reliably covers part of the coursework, so students there will need to supplement through another location or Online. Dual enrollment options may also be available but vary by high school and won't cover the full program alone, so meeting with a counselor to map your plan is recommended.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it. 
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Child and Adolescent Development
  Programs in cluster: 1

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Child and Adolescent Development (AA-T Degree):
      You have real flexibility with this one: your required courses run reliably at Main Campus, the Chico Center, and Online, so you can build your schedule around whichever of these fits your life, or mix them. The Glenn Center only reliably covers part of the required coursework, so if you're there you'll need to fill in gaps through another location or Online. Dual enrollment can help too, but what's offered at your high school will vary, and it won't cover the whole major on its own. Meet with a counselor to map your specific plan.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences — under 120 words total — that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
CC

Goal

Career

Length

1 semester

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
  • Chico/Skyway Center
  • Online
CC

Certificate of Completion in Early Childhood Education

(Not Eligible for Financial Aid) Upon successful completion of the Certificate of Completion in Early Childhood Education, students will be able to apply key theories of child development to observe, assess, and support children’s growth across all developmental domains, while recognizing the impact of cultural, social, and environmental factors. They will also demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal responsibilities, family and community engagement, and the importance of self-reflection in building inclusive, supportive early learning environments.

CC

Certificate of Completion in Para Education

(Not Eligible for Financial Aid) The Certificate in Para Education prepares students with skills valued by employers and, with additional school district requirements, can lead to careers as paraeducators, paraprofessionals, or teacher aides in TK–12 schools.

Flexibility

Both certificates in this cluster require combining locations, since no single site covers all required coursework. Main Campus, the Chico Center, and Online each reliably cover much of the coursework, so plan on mixing two of these to complete your requirements, while the Glenn Center only supports general education for one of these programs. Meet with a counselor to build a term-by-term schedule that works for you.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it. 
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Skill Builders
  Programs in cluster: 2

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Early Childhood Education (Certificate):
      No single location covers all the required courses for this certificate, so you'll need to plan on combining locations. Main Campus, the Chico Center, and Online each reliably cover most, but not all, of the required coursework, so you'll likely need to mix two of these to complete everything. The Glenn Center works well for general education but won't help with the required courses. Meet with a counselor to map out a schedule that fits your situation.
  • Para Education (Certificate):
      No single location covers all of your required Para Education coursework reliably, so you'll need to combine locations. Online offers the most consistent coverage, but even that leaves gaps, and Main Campus and Chico Center each cover some required courses but not all. A realistic plan mixes Online with Main Campus and/or the Chico Center depending on the term. Meet with a counselor to map out a term-by-term schedule that fits your needs.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences — under 120 words total — that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
Department Child Development & Education
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Full Time Faculty

Shaun-Adrian Chofla's Photo

Shaun-Adrian Chofla

Child Development and Family Relation
Irma Gonzalez Cuadros's Photo

Irma Gonzalez Cuadros

Child Development and Family Relation
Nicole LaGrave's Photo

Nicole LaGrave

English Instructor
Natalie Coots Lindenberg's Photo

Natalie Coots Lindenberg

Child Development and Family Relation
Carrie Roberson's Photo

Carrie Roberson

Child Development and Family Relation

Associate Faculty

Heidi Cantrell's Photo

Heidi Cantrell

Child Development and Family Relation
Jean Cowell's Photo

Jean Cowell

Child Development and Family Relation
Kelly Doty's Photo

Kelly Doty

Child Development and Family Relation
Lisa Jackson's Photo

Lisa Jackson

Child Development and Family Relation
MaryRose Lovgren's Photo

MaryRose Lovgren

Education Instructor
Stevie Meyer's Photo

Stevie Meyer

Child Development and Family Relations Instructor Unit
Kimberly Nelms's Photo

Kimberly Nelms

Child Development and Family Relation
Mari Peters's Photo

Mari Peters

Education Instructor
Caroline Roady's Photo

Caroline Roady

Special Education Instructor
Valerie Singleton's Photo

Valerie Singleton

Child Development and Family Relation
Sheila Smith's Photo

Sheila Smith

Child Development and Family Relation
Bethany Sutton's Photo

Bethany Sutton

Child Development and Family Relation
Catherine Szczepanski's Photo

Catherine Szczepanski

Child Development and Family Relation
Margarita Villalba's Photo

Margarita Villalba

Child Development and Family Relation

Department Contacts

Office: AHPS 251
Department phone: (530) 895-2542
Contact phone: (530) 895-2550

Email Department Chair

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Department Child Development & Education
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