Immigration in Early Childhood Education CTLE Course
About the Course
This virtual module will equip early childhood educators in PreK-2nd grade settings with the tools and knowledge to better support our youngest students and their immigrant families. The module will allow educators to examine their own stances and assumptions about immigration and adopt a strengths-based approach towards their students.
Grounded in the idea that our youngest students are deserving of meaningful instruction that centers their immigrant-origin identities, this course will offer strategies for creating welcoming and nurturing learning environments. Participants will explore diverse readings, videos, and resources to develop practices for supporting immigrant-origin students in early childhood settings.
All early childhood educators are encouraged to apply, including teachers, social workers, paraprofessionals, school leaders, and other professionals. Educators from all early childhood settings–including preschools, schools, Head Start programs, childcare centers, and community-based organizations–are welcome to apply.
Course Instructor: Kellie Griffith Tanaka, Project Researcher at CUNY-IIE, Adjunct Lecturer, City University of New York, and former Bilingual Dual Language Teacher.
Virtual Session Dates:
Session 1: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 from 6:00-8:30 pm
Session 2: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 from 6:00-8:30 pm
Session 3: Tuesday, December 1, 2026 from 6:00-8:30 pm
An additional 6.5 hours of asynchronous group and independent work.
CTLE hours: 15 credits
Deadlines:
Complete this Registration Form by Monday, October 19, 2026
Confirmation of Placement on Thursday, October 29, 2026
The application form will close once we reach capacity. Please note that completing this form does not guarantee acceptance. All submissions will be reviewed in the order received, as long as space remains available.
CTLE Professional Development Opportunities
The City University of New York - Initiative on Immigration and Education (CUNY-IIE) is offering free virtual professional learning opportunities to PreK-12 educators across New York State!
Upon successful completion of an immigration and education focused module, educators will earn 15 hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credits.
The modules will include:
a 1-hour assignment prior to the start of the course (found in the registration form linked above)
7.5 mandatory hours of synchronous sessions (divided between three 2.5 hour sessions)
and an additional 6.5 hours of asynchronous small group and independent work.
These modules take a strengths-based perspective (Gándara, 2018) of the resilience, multilingualism, and multiculturalism of immigrant students that prime them for 21st century learning. Whatever your area of certification, grade level, or position, you have the power and opportunity to educate yourself, your colleagues, and your students about current immigration issues.
These issues impact the freedoms, fears, hopes, and futures of our students and families in the U.S. and beyond.
Please note that we can only offer participation to educators working in public PreK-12 schools in New York State at this time.
