BlueSkies established the Neighborhood Accreditation Center (NAC) in 1987 to meet the education and training needs of Early Care and Education teachers. NAC has offered courses required by the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, as well as other classes providing insight to teachers working in Early Care and Education classrooms.

BlueSkies is not currently offering classes through the NAC program. However, we have produced instructional videos/DVDs with study guides which are a valuable resource for beginning and experienced teachers alike.

Second Home: A Day in the Life of a Model Early Childhood Program
By Claire Bainer and Liisa Hale
Redleaf Press, 2007

Available at Redleafpress.org
Poised to reinvent mainstream views of quality child care, Second Home narrates a typical day’s activities at BlueSkies, to help teach providers how to create thoughtful and developmentally appropriate programs that incorporate the best qualities of a loving home and the cognitive challenges of a preschool.  A chapter for each age group—from infants to 5-year-olds—describes typical teacher-child interactions, with an explanation of the research supporting the teachers’ methods.
 
Beyond the Curriculum: How Responsive Relationships and Thoughtful Teaching Enhance Quality
By BlueSkies for Children (formerly Association of Children's Services), 2003

Available on VHS and DVD at Redleafpress.org
Creating the calm yet productive classroom involves an understanding of children's relationships with the teacher, other children, and their environment. Beyond the Curriculum presents a child-centered approach that shows how creating a relationship-based foundation to curriculum planning gives children the social and emotional reference they need to become active, engaged, responsible learners and members of society.
 
Growing Through Play: Cognitive and Social Development
By BlueSkies for Children (formerly Association of Children's Services), 1991

Available on VHS and DVD at Redleafpress.org
Growing Through Play gives you a guided tour of how children learn important cognitive and social skills through their play, from preliteracy skills to social interaction. Containing authentic footage of children in a diverse classroom setting, this instructionally designed video shows each of Mildred Parten's Stages of Play in action and makes the connection between each stage of play and how it relates to the learning styles of children of different ages. Growing Through Play also demonstrates the role well planned environments play in a child's successful progression throughout the different stages of play.

Please check our Web site in the future for information on new workshops and classes.