OCCC hosted nearly 250 child care professionals on campus Sept. 30 for the Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children (OKAEYC) annual conference.

"Let's Learn, Teacher Style" was the theme of the 2023 professional development event that offered breakout sessions in Spanish and English for the first time in OKAEYC history and featured an opening keynote from Katie Quebedeux, member of the Oklahoma State Board of Education.

“The OKAEYC felt that offering breakout options in both English and Spanish would best meet the needs of our members,” said Carina Amrine, OKAEYC president-elect and OCCC Child Development scholar coordinator. “It is important to meet the training needs of as many child care professionals as we can across the state. OKAEYC is committed to being an inclusive organization that serves as a resource to all child care professionals.”

OCCC is committed to providing high-quality child development education and training, offering certificate and degree options which meet criteria for state licensing.

"Child care is a critical issue in our state, and training is one way to address workforce shortages in the child care industry," said Dr. Mautra Staley Jones, president of OCCC. "Oklahoma City Community College provides flexible and affordable programs to support child care professionals in their education and to meet state licensing requirements."

A partnership with the Scholars for Excellence in Child Care Program funded by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and administered through the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education allows qualifying students to receive 90-100% of tuition and fees paid plus full payment of textbook costs.

For more information about OCCC’s child development program, contact Dawn Ladiski, dawn.ladiski@occc.edu.

About Oklahoma City Community College

Since its inception in 1972, Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) has been the heartbeat of the Metro, dedicated to empowering learners and strengthening communities. Serving nearly 18,000 students, we are committed to producing leaders. “Student Success, Community Enrichment” is our mission as we offer more than 60 degree and certificate programs that provide a steppingstone to further education or immediate career readiness. We remain dedicated to providing accessible, affordable, high-quality education that equips students to achieve personal and professional goals. OCCC is more than an institution; we are a community catalyst, fostering growth and success in our city, our workforce, and the lives of our students. Discover your potential at OCCC, where your future is our purpose. Visit us at occc.edu.

About OKAEYC

The Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children’s mission is to support all who care for, educate and work on behalf of young children. Through our work, we support professionals, families and children by sharing resources and advocacy information to meet the need for high quality early care and education.