Policy and Practice of Nurturing Care
MA in Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum focus: Human Development
Instruction focus: Relationship Building


The Policy and Practice of Nurturing Care Castleton University, the Addison County Parent/Child Center, and the Early Care and Learning Partnership, offer a cross disciplinary master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction for working professionals in education, health, and social services. These leaders/students will work as embedded researchers in their communities and will use their skills, knowledge, research data and networks to drive equity for all children and families. |
Semester | ID # | Course Name | Faculty | Format |
Summer 2020 Repeats Summer 2021 | EDU 5625 | Nurturing Care in Group, Home, Office and School Settings | Russell and Wallace | 4 days at the summer institute (virtual) 10 hours on-line |
Spring 2021 Began 1/21/21 Ended 6/24/21 | EDU 5515 | Introduction to the policy, practice, and research about nurturing care. Focus on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion | Mitchell and Crossman | Third Thursday evenings live on Zoom asynchronous work |
Summer 2021 July 19 – 30 | EDU 5626 | Building Strengths and Resilience: In the Face of Adversity | Murphey | A Summer Institute Offering: 4 days on the virtual campus plus 15 hours on line |
Fall 2021- Spring 2022 | EDU 5527 | Leadership: Promoting a Whole Person, Whole Family, Whole Community Approach: Includes practicum and reflective practice. | White & Mitchell, with guests lecutrers | Monthly Live Seminar on Zoom plus asynchronous work |
Fall 2021 Start 9/9/21 | EDU 5516 | Human Development Across the Life Span: Neurological, Physical, Cognitive, Social, Emotional. | Brakeley and Frankowski | Thursday evenings live on Zoom, asynchronous work |
Spring 2022 | EDU 5617 | Human Development Across the Lifespan: meaning making, purpose, empathy, mindfulness, competency, creativity, and spirituality | ECLP Team (with Pontius and Nichols) | Thursday evenings live on Zoom, asynchronous work |
Summer 2022 | EDU 5518 | Human Development in context: an ecological, nature-based approach | Black and Miller | A Summer Institute Offering: 4 days on the virtual campus plus 15 hours on line |
Fall 2022 | EDU 5100 | Introduction to Graduate Education and Research | Castleton Staff | Cohort members join via Zoom |
Spring 2023 | EDU 6121 | Quantitative and Qualitative Research | Castleton Staff | Cohort members join via Zoom |
Fall 2023 | EDU 6245 | Research Design in Education | Castleton Staff | Cohort members join via Zoom |
Spring 2024 | EDU 6601 | Thesis Seminar | Castleton Staff with ECLP Team | Cohort members join via Zoom |
Spring 2024 | EDU 7960 | Master’s Thesis | Individual Advisors | Independent Work |
Summer 2024 | What Have we learned from the research? How can this change practice going forward? | Cohort members, ECLP Research Team and faculty | A summer Institute presentation |
Sequence of Courses and Faculty All courses are on-line.
Early Care and Learning Partnership Board members have developed the syllabi of the first 7 courses in concert with other community, state, and national experts. They identify and orient Teaching Assistants, expert guest presenters and discussion group facilitators. An academic advisor from Castleton University’s Education Department is assigned to each candidate to monitor completion of the Core Nurturing Care courses, assist in planning for the research courses and support the candidate’s work through the Master’s thesis.
For more information about the courses, proposed faculty members, and proposed dates, please contact Cheryl.W.Mitchell@gmail.com.