Early Childhood

FULL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

WISC’s Early Childhood Teacher Education program is designed to support a wide range of professional backgrounds and life circumstances. Through a blend of in-person intensives, online courses, mentored teaching, and fieldwork, students engage in a rich, immersive training that integrates theory, practice, and inner development.

Both, new students and students who are actively working with young children in Waldorf settings will find that their classroom work and program studies mutually enrich one another—coursework deepening their teaching practice and lived experience informing their studies. Most in-person intensives and workshops take place on weekends (typically Saturdays), and online classes are held on Tuesdays after 4:00 pm, allowing students to balance professional and family commitments alongside their studies.

WISC faculty are highly experienced and diverse Waldorf educators and adult education leaders. In addition to core faculty, visiting and adjunct instructors contribute specialized expertise, offering students a broad and comprehensive educational experience.

Graduates of the program are awarded an official Waldorf Teacher Certificate.

Entrance requirements

This program welcomes first time as well as working teachers. All applicants must have earned a high school diploma, have some familiarity with Waldorf education and anthroposophy and be able to satisfy your fieldwork requirements during the course of the program.

Our Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Education program is a 25-month, 600-hour program that spans over three summers and two school years. Most in-person intensives and workshops take place on weekends (typically Saturdays), and online classes are held Tuesdays after 4:00 pm allowing students to balance professional and family commitments alongside their studies.

Enrollment to our full early childhood program is now open! Early bird $1,000 discount, deadline May 1st. Tuition assistance available!

The 3 summers are comprised of

  • 2 in person early childhood weeks

  • 1 in person early grades week

  • 1 three-day mini week, online

The 2 school years in between are comprised of

  • 4 in-person early childhood Saturday intensives per year

  • Monthly Waldorf Essential Seminars online

  • Bi-Monthly Anthroposophy studies online

  • Monthly Mentoring Mondays online

  • 1 in-person ‘Art of Speech’ Saturday workshop per year

  • 1 in-person biodynamic farming weekend workshop per year

  • 1 Threefold Saturday community event per year

  • Field work (Observation and practice teaching)

  • 1 Research/presentation project per year

Length and Format

APPLY

Areas of study and experience

  • Child and human development and and how it relates to Waldorf education

  • Anthroposophical studies, the philosophy behind Waldorf education.

  • Practices in Waldorf Early Childhood work and the underlying principles.

  • Artistic and handwork activities of Waldorf early childhood education

  • Professional and social aspects of Waldorf early childhood education

  • Inner holistic development of the educator

    What will you learn?

  • To understand the child in depth, through the broader study of human development, and specifically child development pre-birth to age seven.

  • To develop skills to practice this understanding in a Waldorf Early Childhood setting based on rhythm, arts, storytelling, music, crafts and imagination.

  • To study together Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy to deepen awareness of the far-reaching effects of a holistic education

  •  To practice tools for self-development and lifelong research.

Why join WISC as a full time student?

  • Full-time students are assigned a mentor who supports and visits in the classroom

  • WISC helps organizes ‘Field Work’ in the local schools for full time students.

  • We keep track of the AWSNA course credit requirements and make sure you stay on track to get certified. Example

  • Full time WISC students get 50% off on our Practical Arts and Emergency and Trauma Pedagogy Training program

  • 90% of WISC students get a job before they graduate from WISC

  • Supplies are included in the tuition

Program Overview

  • Summer 1

    We offer 2 Grades weeks, 2 Early Childhood weeks and a Human Dignity and Diversity week

  • School yr 1

    We offer Monthly in person intensives, online seminars and specialty workshops.

  • Summer 2

    We offer 2 Grades weeks, 2 Early Childhood weeks and a Human Dignity and Diversity week

  • School yr 2

    We offer Monthly in person intensives, online seminars and specialty workshops

  • Summer 3

    We offer 2 Grades weeks, 2 Early Childhood weeks and a Human Dignity and Diversity week

The summer weeks can each be taken separately. We recommend enrollment in the full program to get the best experience and the speediest pathway to become a certified Waldorf teacher. It is also the most cost effective option. Sign-up for our summer weeks will be available in May.

Our new full program of 600 course hours (plus Fieldwork) meets and exceeds the 450 minimum hours required by WECAN. We encourage you to watch the film Waldorf 100 Learn to change the world produced in association with the Waldorf 100 International Forum for Steiner/Waldorf Education.