The Early Childhood Center of Excellence (ECCOE) at Santa Fe Community College uses multigeneration approaches to advance early childhood education, empower the early childhood workforce, and enhance family well-being across New Mexico.
ECCOE supports the early childhood ecosystem across New Mexico through the following programs:
History of the Early Childhood Center of Excellence (ECCOE)
The Early Childhood Center of Excellence (ECCOE) at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) was established in 2015 with a mission to strengthen New Mexico’s early childhood system through high-quality early education and professional development opportunities. Originally focused on delivering exceptional early childhood education, ECCOE’s mission has since expanded to include a range of programs that embrace a multigenerational approach that supports both children and families.
Our Roots: Kids Campus Bilingual Early Learning Center
ECCOE’s roots trace back to the SFCC Kids Campus, founded in 1996. Kids Campus provides high-quality early education and care for the SFCC community and serves as a laboratory school for training future early childhood educators. Under ECCOE’s umbrella, Kids Campus has expanded to include ten bilingual classrooms serving infants through preschool-aged children, embodying ECCOE’s commitment to inclusive and culturally responsive education.
Supporting Families: First Born and More
In 2018, ECCOE expanded its impact by bringing the First Born Home Visiting Model Office, originally founded in Silver City, NM in 1997, to SFCC. Rebranded as First Born and More, this program serves as New Mexico’s local home visiting program, offering vital support to families statewide through First Born Model Partners. In addition to direct services, First Born and More provides extensive training for home visitors and the early childhood workforce, empowering early childhood professionals and families with tools to promote healthy child development from the very start.
Innovating Workforce Development: APRENDE Teacher Apprenticeship | ECCOE Training & Learning
In 2022, ECCOE launched APRENDE, New Mexico’s first registered apprenticeship program for early childhood education. APRENDE offers pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities to recruit, train, and retain a strong early childhood workforce, addressing a critical need in the field. This program supports the early childhood workforce by creating career pathways for early childhood professionals in New Mexico.
ECCOE also supports the early childhood workforce through ECCOE Training & Learning, which includes professional development workshops, training, and conferences. Building the Earliest Years is our professional learning initiative focused on the Prenatal-3 workforce of infant and toddler teachers, home visitors, and early intervention professionals.
Supporting Student Parents: SFCC Student Parent Success Program | New Mexico Student Parent Alliance
ECCOE hosts the SFCC Student Parent Success Program and the New Mexico Student Parent Alliance, initiatives dedicated to the success of student parents in higher education. These programs offer resources and advocacy to empower student parents, foster educational success for both parents and their children, and advance policies that benefit families across the state.
A Vision for the Future
ECCOE is deeply committed to multigenerational approaches that address New Mexico’s early childhood ecosystem. By advancing workforce development, family support, and early education, ECCOE serves as a national model of excellence in early education and two-generation programs.
For more information about ECCOE Programs, contact us at eccoe@sfcc.edu
