Across the Valley, the need for professionals who support children and families continues to grow, spanning fields such as education, health care and social services. At UC Merced, new academic programs and hands-on learning opportunities are helping prepare the next generation to meet the demand.
More than 25 students from Merced high schools enrolled in the school district’s Education and Child Development program visited UC Merced on Feb. 27 with their teacher, Savina Sanchez. The students were enrolled in a course called Careers with Infants and Toddler Care.
The visit included a tour of the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) and descriptions of a liberal studies degree starting in fall 2026 and a child development minor degree projected to launch a couple of years later.
Director Danielle Waite led the ECEC tour. The center serves campus families and the Merced community, providing quality care and education for children from infancy through preschool. The center operates under a child-centered, play-based pedagogical framework that emphasizes individualized learning and developmental progress.
The ECEC also is a site for research and community engagement. UC Merced student organizations and volunteers contribute regularly to its programming. Initiatives have included health education activities led by the student Pre-Dental Club, as well as enrichment events hosted by fraternities, sororities and cultural organizations. The center also supports individual undergraduate volunteers pursuing careers related to early childhood development, and education.
The high school students then heard from Professor Catherine Koehler, who chairs UC Merced’s undergraduate program for liberal studies and is executive director of the Degree Completion Program. Koehler was joined by UC Merced student Cristina Carbajal, a psychology major with a minor in natural sciences education. Carbajal is an undergraduate researcher in the Interpersonal Development Lab.
Together, they sketched out the path for a liberal studies degree, which offers courses across the social sciences, humanities and arts, tailoring coursework to students’ interests and career goals.
Koehler said there is a strong support system built into the major, including academic advising, online course options, scholarship opportunities and paid internships. She said California’s statewide rollout of transitional kindergarten, offered to all four-year-olds, has increased the demand for early childhood educators. The coursework satisfies requirements for the state’s multiple subject teaching credential.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this new academic program to students in our region,” Koehler said. “UC Merced is one of only two UC campuses to offer a liberal studies B.A. The degree strengthens pathways for future teachers in the San Joaquin Valley, while creating opportunities for paraprofessionals and returning students seeking economic mobility.”
The child development minor, led by Alexandra Main, professor of developmental psychology, is expected to begin in 2028; related coursework is already offered. The prospective degree already has generated strong interest from students and is supported by current programs such as the ECEC, the Department of Medical Education, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education.
The minor draws from psychology, public health, sociology, biology and cognitive science and is well-suited for students pursuing careers in education, pediatrics or social work. The pathway includes a practicum option that allows students to gain hands-on experience working with children at the ECEC.
"The broader regional impact of this minor is substantial. Over one-quarter of UC Merced undergraduates are from the San Joaquin Valley, and many remain in the region after graduation,” Main said. “By equipping students with specialized knowledge in child development, this program will strengthen the pipeline of highly trained professionals serving Merced County and the Central Valley.”
