Higher Education
Your higher education journey starts today, KCCTO is here to support you
Across Kansas, Institutions of Higher Education provide foundational learning experiences that help early childhood professionals grow in their careers. Whether you are beginning your journey or advancing your expertise, our community colleges, technical colleges, and universities offer high-quality programs designed to meet the needs of today’s early childhood workforce. Use the links below to find programs and opportunities that fit your goals.
A technical college is a postsecondary institution that provides career-focused education and training designed to prepare students for specific skilled trades, technical occupations, or applied professions. These colleges emphasize hands-on learning, industry-aligned curriculum, and practical skills, often offering certificates, diplomas, and applied associate degrees. Technical colleges work closely with employers and workforce partners to meet local labor market needs and support rapid entry, advancement, or upskilling in the workforce.
A community college is a public, two-year institution of higher education that offers affordable Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degrees, along with technical certificates and vocational programs. These institutions maintain strong connections with secondary schools, community organizations, and local employers, providing open access, flexible scheduling, and smaller class sizes. Community colleges focus on meeting local workforce and community needs while serving as a cost-effective pathway for students to gain career-ready skills or transfer general education credits toward a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university.
A four-year university is a higher education institution that primarily grants bachelor’s degrees (like B.A. or B.S.) after about four years of study, combining general education with in-depth major-specific courses, and often offers advanced master’s and doctoral programs, preparing students for careers or further study. These institutions provide comprehensive education in various fields, from humanities to STEM, and can be public or private.
Early Childhood Higher Education Collaboration
- Establish a collaboration between higher education institutions to enhance recruitment, retention, and quality of the early childhood workforce.
- Partner to implement the Kansas Career Pathway to ensure quality preparation and professional learning for a diverse workforce.
- Make visible the support available through the Kansas Career Pathways Initiative for students, faculty, and institutions.
The Early Childhood Higher Education Collaboration meets monthly via Zoom from August through April and concludes each year with a two-day, in-person retreat each May.
Monthly meetings feature updates from across the Kansas Early Childhood System and opportunities to celebrate innovative practices at higher education institutions. Collaborative efforts focus on:
- Developing articulation agreements
- Participating in technical assistance for Credit for Prior Learning
- Supporting student success through Career Pathway Navigators
- Integrating the Kansas Early Learning Standards, Kansas Core Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals, and Early Childhood Unified Standards
This collaboration includes higher education faculty and staff committed to advancing early childhood education and strengthening the workforce across Kansas.
Benefits of joining include:
- Participation in the two-day annual retreat
- Access to exclusive content and resources
- Early notification of Career Pathway developments
- Opportunities to join early access feedback groups that shape statewide initiatives
To attend monthly meetings or be added to the correspondence list, please email your interest to:
- Bronwyn Fees, Associate Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences, Kansas State University — fees@ksu.edu
- Stephanie Parks, Career Pathway Associate Director — stephanieparks@ksu.edu
- Sherron Field, Career Pathway Coordinator — sefield@ksu.edu