Looking for Training?

The Statewide Training Calendar lists approved training opportunities and is updated daily.

In addition to the Training Calendar, other professional development opportunities are listed under Conferences, Courses, and Special Events below. These are events that may not have been formally approved through the Training Approval  System.   Please complete an Individual Request for Training Approval form to receive training hours for these options.  If it is a college course your transcript will be verification of attendance.

Regional Training Map

NEW! Click here to search for statewide training events
 

Distance Learning

Child Care Resources
Go to www.childcaretraining.org to view a variety of approved training events online, with topics such as Behavior Guidance and Child Abuse and Neglect.  The website is very easy to use, even if you are not a computer whiz!  No special hardware or software is required.

Montana has a distance learning approval process that requires a unique application.  Download a distance learning approval application here.  This process is not available online.
 

Conferences, Courses, & Special Events

Montana Office of Public Instruction 2010 Early Childhood Conference
August 2-4, 2010
Missoula, MT.
Registration is FREE but is limited to 50 participants so hurry and register today!  For more information visit www.opi.mt.gov
 

Business Administration Scales Training
August 9-11, 2010
Helena, MT.
For more information please contact Lisa Murphy at 406.444.1400 or limurphy@mt.gov
 

6th Annual Directors' Symposium
September 9-10, 2010
Billings, MT
For more information please contact The Early Childhood Project at 1.800.213.6310. 
 

Montana Early Childhood Conference
October 22-23, 2010
Missoula, Montana
More information to come.  Visit www.mtaeyc.org
 

National Black Child Development Institute
October 24-27, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia
For more information visit www.nbcdi.org/conference or call 1.800.556.2234
 

Adult Learning I and II
November 16-17,2010
Bozeman, Montana
For more information please contact The Early Childhood Project at 1.800.213.6310.
 

NACCRRA's 24th Annual National Policy Symposium
March 15-19, 2011
Washington, D.C.
The Policy Symposium is the premier conference dedicated to presenting innovative sessions on research and practice developments in child care and child care resource and referral.  For more information visit www.naccrra.org
 

Early Childhood Higher Education

Are you interested in taking college courses in early childhood?  Montana has a variety of higher education programs in early childhood education and child development that will help you receive a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, a 30 credit Early Childhood Certificate, Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D degree.

For information about Early Care and Education Career Opportunities in Montana go to:
Career Opportunities in Montana: Early Care and Education
Appendix A: Higher Education Institutions in Montana can be found on pages 20-21 of this document.  Contact information and websites for each college and university are listed.

Watch out!  There are a multitude of online degree programs being marketed. Many programs are NOT regionally accredited and the credits you receive may not count on the Career Path or be recognized by other institutions. To find out if a program is regionally accredited you can visit www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred or contact the Early Childhood Project for guidance. For more information click here.

Need Assistance Paying for College?
Professional Development Incentive Awards-Higher Education (PDIA-HE) are designed to improve the quality of early care and education for young children and families, by promoting early childhood education college coursework and certificate and degree attainment.  You must be current on the Montana Practitioner Registry to apply for the PDIA-HE.   An individual may receive this award a total of two semesters per year for $250 (for 2-5 early childhood credits) with a maximum of $500 per year and $750 (for 6 credits or more) with a maximum of $1500 per year  Applications are posted under "What's New" on this website's homepage in the summer and fall of each year.

 

  Updated 7/28/2010