RHS offers child development courses

Russellville High School and Northwest-Shoals Community College are partnering together to offer RHS students a new educational opportunity: child development courses.

Starting this fall, students will be able to enroll in two child development courses and then have the opportunity to take a third course during summer 2019 on the NW-SCC campus at no cost to them.

The two courses that will be offered on RHS’ campus will also be free of charge.

“We know there is a shortage of teachers, and not many students are going into the field, so we wanted to provide this option for them,” said RHS CTE Director Natalie Bendall.

In the fall, CHD 100 – or Introduction to Early Care and Education – will be offered. In the spring, CHD 202 – or Creative Experiences for Young Children – will be offered. The summer semester course will be a free CHD elective students can choose for themselves.

Child Development instructor Diann Durdunji from NW-SCC will come to RHS to teach the courses, which will be double blocked, meeting every day Monday through Friday during fourth block.

With parents’ permission, students will be allowed to leave campus when the classes are not meeting.

Students will be required to participate in educational clinical experiences.

“If we prepare our students for jobs that are available in Franklin County, then our hope is that they will come back here to live and work,” Bendall said.

Students who successfully complete nine credit hours of CHD courses will meet the requirements to be hired in an Alabama Pre-K classroom as an aid.