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First-ever class of child, adolescent development students graduate from SF State program at Cañada College

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Press Release published by the Office of Public Affairs & Publications

 


Twelve Peninsula students earn SF State bachelor's degrees closer to home, work

SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, 2006 -- Twelve San Francisco State University students may be visiting campus for the first time when they graduate with bachelor of arts degrees in child and adolescent development later this month. They comprise the first group to graduate from SF State through a partnership with Cañada College that allows them to take all University coursework together at the Redwood City community college campus.

For years, many of the 12 graduates have been working in child care on the Peninsula and attending Cañada College, but were previously unable to advance in their careers because they did not possess a bachelor's degree. There is no public, four-year university within 30 miles of Cañada, making it difficult for working professionals and parents to obtain a bachelor's degree or higher.

"I am already doing my life's work -- as an early-childhood professional -- but this increases my salary and gives me more professional clout as well as opportunities for positions not available to me prior to having my college degree," said Pam Harris, a Redwood City resident who works at Trinity School in Menlo Park. "Having a full-time job, as well as being a single mother, being able to attend classes in the evening close to home has made all the difference."

A reception honoring the SF State graduates, as well as Cañada College students graduating with associate's degrees and certificates in early childhood education, will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, at building 22-116 on the Cañada College campus, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd. in Redwood City.

There is a growing need for well-educated child-care professionals in California, including San Mateo County, said Janet Egiziano, faculty adviser and off-campus program coordinator of SF State's Child and Adolescent Development Program at Cañada. Egiziano noted the strict state qualifications for varying levels of child-care work and initiatives such as Preschool for All, which would likely require a bachelor's degrees for teachers and expand access to child care for low-income families.

The SF State Child and Adolescent Development Program at Cañada College offers two emphases: young child and family, and school-age child and family. The program consists of 55-68 upper-division units, including an internship. Students take all classes together. All courses are taught by SF State faculty members at Cañada College's University Center, which is home to several other SF State degree programs, including a bachelor of science in nursing, bachelor of science in business administration and executive master of business administration.

SF State began offering classes at Cañada in 2001. The Child and Adolescent Development Program launched in 2002. To date, 746 SF State students and qualified community college students have taken part in this program on the Cañada College campus.

For more information about SF State degree programs offered at Cañada College, call (650) 306-3399 or visit: http://www.sfsu.edu/~apd/canada.htm.

SF State is the only master's-level public university serving the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. The University enrolls about 29,000 students each year and graduates about 7,000 annually. With nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema and biology to history, broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies -- the University's more than 150,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.

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Last modified April 20, 2007, by the Office of Public Affairs & Publications