San Antonio College will offer night courses for Child Development Associate training at Schreiner University this fall. Almost a year ago, Janet Boutin, the director of St. Peter’s School in Kerrville, Bill Blackburn of Partners in Ministry and former Schreiner trustee Warren Ferguson identified a need in the area for ongoing education for childcare workers to help them improve early education teaching and development skills. These courses are a first step to that end.

"Schreiner University's Education Department is delighted to be the facilitator for the partnership between San Antonio College, Partners in Ministry and the Kerrville early childhood community,” said Dr. Carole D. Errett, director of teacher education at Schreiner. “We look forward to other partnerships with the community that will help make Kerrville and the surrounding Hill Country an exemplary source of education for our children."

Those interested in the courses will need to apply through SAC (www.applytexas.org), submit college or high school transcripts or GED scores and take the Accuplacer test (www.accd.edu/sac/assesst). Prospective students may also apply online for financial aid.

“We really want to welcome SAC into our community and to thank Schreiner for offering this partnership,” said Boutin. “Ultimately, the kids in our area benefit.”

Boutin explained that the CDA credential involves 15 hours of college credit focusing on infants through kindergarten-age children.

“Hopefully, some [CDA] students will go on to do a one-year course of study at SAC, then two years, and might eventually end up transferring to Schreiner and getting a teaching degree,” she added.

The CDA classes start Aug. 28 and there’s still plenty of time register before the Aug. 17 deadline.

For more information about this opportunity, go to the SAC Web Site at www.accd.edu/sac/online, or call or email Janet Boutin at 257-0257 or dayschool@ktc.com.