VLS Go

- Select activity VLS Home Page About
  
  Knowledge, Skills, & Credentials
  for Childcare Professionals
  
  A Virtual Lab School program for publicly funded child care centers & direct-care teachers
  
  VLS-Go was created to increase the number of highly-qualified and credentialed childcare staff, that serve publicly funded children, to support best practices in programs and classrooms, provide top quality care to children and parents, assist programs in meeting SUTQ criteria, retain the ability to receive public subsidy, and improve reimbursement rates.
  
  Eligible, participating, early childhood professionals and programs will receive access to innovative, high quality professional development paired with research-based learning materials created by experts in the field. VLS-Go prepares teachers, caretakers and other childcare professionals for obtaining their Child Development Associate Credential (CDA).
  
  Interested in participating?
  
  go@virtuallabschool.org
  
  Benefits for Programs
  
  Dedicated On-Site Support
  
  Experienced VLS coaches assigned to your program to provide both on-line and on-site support for your employees as they work towards obtaining their CDA.
  
  Robust Resource Library
  
  Access to a digital library containing thousands of pages of well-researched instructional narratives, video examples, and training activities to improve every aspect of your program.
  
  Boost Retention, SUTQ, & Reimbursement
  
  Increased numbers of qualified staff to help boost workforce retention and assist programs in meeting Step Up To Quality criteria. Higher SUTQ ratings equal greater reimbursement rates for publicly funded childcare.
  
  Better Prepared Staff
  
  Staff are better prepared to support children and work with families at all levels of your program.
  
  Benefits for Professionals
  
  120hrs & CDA Assistance
  
  VLS-Go prepares teachers to apply for a CDA by offering 120 clock hours and assistance with their CDA portfolio.
  
  60+ Ohio Approved Hrs
  
  Participating staff earn over 60 Ohio Approved hours as they complete the VLS training.
  
  AA Degree Credits
  
  Eligible participants who successfully completes the VLS training receive 13 credit hours towards OSU’s online Associates of Arts degree.
  
  Learn additional skills and knowledge
  
  Increased knowledge and skills in the all areas of youth and child care including safety, family interaction, professionalism and development.
  
  Eligibility & Requirements
  
  Centers
  
  located in Franklin County, Ohio
  
  offer publicly funded child care
  
  ensure staff have access to internet-enabled devices to connect to VLS and complete 120 hours of free VLS professional development materials
  
  allow OSU to invite participating staff to a voluntary VLS research study
  
  support staff to be able to meet with their VLS coach for a minimum of 1 hour per week
  
  Professionals
  
  non-credentialed, non-degreed
  
  serve children within ages birth to 5
  
  works at a center located in Franklin County, Ohio that offers publicly funded child care
  
  has access to internet-enabled devices to connect to VLS and complete 120 hours of free VLS professional development materials
  
  willing and able to meet with their VLS coach for a minimum of 1 hour per week
  
  Interested in participating?
  Contact us for inquiries and registration application:
  
  go@virtuallabschool.org
  
  More about the
  Virtual Lab School
  and VLS-Go
  
  The Virtual Lab School (VLS) was originally developed at The Ohio State University by a team of early childhood experts with both research and practical experience in childcare settings. The VLS team continuously reviews cutting-edge, peer-reviewed research for translation into a comprehensive professional development system. Developed for the world-class network of early childcare educators and workers employed by the Department of Defense at all United States military child-care facilities around the world, the VLS content is aligned across functional roles, the Child Development Associate (CDA) competencies, as well as NAEYC, NAFCC, and CYD-AYD standards.
  
  VLS-Go is a new offering based on the groundbreaking work of the Virtual Lab School. VLS-Go combines university affiliated Support Specialists, regional education and advocacy groups and state-mandated best-practices, with the time-tested VLS materials. This powerful combination of expertise, outreach and regulatory knowledge enables the VLS team to tailor VLS-Go materials to address the specific needs of local and state programs.
  
  VLS-Go offers:
  
  Learning for new and advanced professionals
  
  6+ Functional Area Tracks that each cover 15 Foundational Courses
  
  4+ Focused Topics Courses and additional resources
  
  Expert narratives with emphasis on developmentally appropriate, inclusive, & family focused approaches
  
  An integration of research on child development, effective teaching practices, and principles of adult learning
  
  Relevant real-world video
  
  Reflective exercises & activities
  
  activities aligned to CDA Portfolio requirements
  
  Practical program tools & resources
  
  The Ohio State University
  
  U.S. Department of Defense
  
  U.S. Department of Agriculture
  
  The Department of Defense Child Development Virtual Laboratory School was originally developed by The Ohio State University for the US Department of Defense’s Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth under Grant 2012-48711-20101 of the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture.