Spotlight: Early Childhood/Child Welfare

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska's premier metropolitan university offering nationally recognized bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.

In an effort to simultaneously increase our educational quality and enrollment, five academic areas have been designated as key campus priorities to spearhead our goal to reach 20,000 students by 2020, also known as the "20/20" milestone:

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
• Early Childhood/Child Welfare
• Sustainability
• Global Engagement
• Doctoral/Graduate Research

Throughout the semester, we will spotlight the efforts of UNO faculty, staff and students to advance these priority areas.

Spotlight: Early Childhood/Child Welfare at UNO

As a key campus priority, efforts to postively impact early childhood education and child welfare are present throughout our university.


Early Childhood Education

Did you know that two out of three educators in the Omaha metropolitan area hold a degree from UNO? There is a reason the schools throughout our city hire UNO graduates: we take smart students who are passionate about teaching and we encourage them to excel in the real world.

Amongst various teacher education options at UNO is the early childhood endorsement. Future teachers are learning how to instruct during the critical formative years of a child’s life.


On-Campus Experiences for Children

In addition to the educational endorsements, UNO provides opportunities for children from the community to come on campus and learn through hands-on experiences.

Interactive demonstrations take place throughout the year, and various camps are offered each summer.


UNO Child Care Center

There is also an on-campus accredited child care center providing care for those aged 18 months through 12 years of age. The administration of the UNO Child Care Center (UNOCCC) takes its commitment to high quality child care for children seriously. Therefore, the center was the first program in Nebraska to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This distinction means that the program meets and continues to pursue the highest standards of quality.

The UNOCCC staff is selected because of training and/or experience in working with children. Lead teachers have either bachelor's or associate degrees and assistants have at least two years' experience in working with children. Teacher's aides are often students majoring in education.

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