The certificate serves as a career ladder approach to a credential or permit or as a stand-alone entity to document that a student has taken coursework related to subject matter proficiency and has acquired skills for successful employment as a teacher's aide, after-school program assistant, tutoring or other paraprofessional level classroom career.

The certificate is especially appropriate for students following various pathways to classroom teaching or an education-related field:

• The paraprofessional or aspiring paraprofessional teacher aides
• Homeschooling parents 
• The aspiring paraprofessional or currently employed paraprofessional teacher-aide seeking a career ladder approach to a teaching credential and/or child development permit
• The teacher-aide paraprofessional who has decided against pursuing an AA and/or credential or permit but would like to acquire knowledge and skills/professional development relevant to serving as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom or school or related environment, concentrating on providing students support in science-related disciplines.

• Teacher preparation for students on a transfer pathway for a BA and Credential who also desire certificate recognition in Educational Studies STEM: with a Science Concentration.
• Independent tutors, students working with students in a science-related setting, seeking a certificate to augment and recognize their training and expertise.
 

Program Level Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program students will be able to:

✔ Work effectively with students, teachers, parents, colleagues, and administrators in a school and classroom setting
✔ Apply knowledge, skills, and experience to make an informed choice to be employed or to continue study in the field of education.
✔ Apply the certificate towards entry into a teaching credential or child development permit program, and/or the certificate may serve to document the acquisition of knowledge and skills relevant for employment as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom, school, or related environment.