Programs > Alaska SEED

Alaska SEED

In an effort to assure that all Alaska's children spend their early years in a safe, healthy, respectful, loving and nurturing environment, the Alaska System for Early Education Development (Alaska SEED) is being implemented to promote professional development among those who care for and educate young children.

Alaska System for Early Education Development (Alaska SEED) is a system of professional development for Alaska's field of Early Care and Learning. The new system:

• Builds and expands existing education and training opportunities.
• Promotes professionalism.
• Moves trainees towards the CDA credential and college credit.
• Stimulates specialized training that may not be currently available.
• Standardizes documentation of education and training in the field.
• Makes more training accessible to more people.
• Documents individual education and training.
• Offers recognition for continuing professional development.
• Promotes pay that is commensurate with knowledge and skill.

The system is built on a career development philosophy. It assumes that, while some workers will enter the field with college degrees ready to assume roles with high levels of responsibility, the majority will enter the field without degrees or other credentials. They will participate in some limited pre-service training followed by ongoing training while they are employed. The ongoing training serves, in a sense, as a pre-service training for their next role. In order to maximize opportunities for professional development and career advancement, training should count towards recognized credentials. The levels recognized have been the subject of much debate by the SEED Advisory Council. Quality Assurance, the recognition of various methods of training, and equivalencies have been at the heart of the debate.