EUGENE, Ore. — Lane Community College is launching its first fully Spanish-language Early Childhood Education (ECE) course during Summer Term 2025. The course, Child Development (HDFS 226E), will be offered online as an eight-week session beginning June 23.
This course is designed for native and fluent Spanish-speaking students and provides a foundational understanding of child development from birth through adolescence. It is a required course for Lane’s AAS degree in Early Childhood Education and is also appropriate for students pursuing studies in the health professions, psychology, or social sciences, or as an elective.
Instructor Mari Lopez, a native Spanish speaker from Ecuador, brings more than nine years of experience teaching young children. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, a Master of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language, and multiple teaching certifications in bilingual and bicultural education. Lopez joined Lane in 2024 as a part-time Spanish instructor for the Humanities Division and now brings her expertise to the ECE program.
HDFS 226E does not require any academic prerequisites. However, students must be proficient in reading and writing Spanish. The course will be delivered entirely online and will include assignments and collaborative class discussions. Students should be comfortable navigating Moodle and the college’s enrollment systems.
“We welcome all students, keeping in mind that Spanish proficiency is a requirement for success in this course,” said Kathleen Lloyd, Faculty Member and Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator
The course is part of a broader initiative within the ECE program to increase access for multilingual students and to build connections with Lane’s PASS (Pathways Academic Skills and Services) program. There are plans to develop additional ECE courses in Spanish, including ECE 130: Guidance of Young Children.
HDFS 226E is a three-credit course listed under CRN 10382. It runs from June 23 to August 13. To reduce barriers to participation, textbooks in Spanish will be made available for students to check out during the term.
The college aims to enroll at 15 students in this initial offering and is welcoming both current and prospective students who meet the Spanish proficiency requirement. For more information, interested students should contact Mari Lopez at lopezm@lanecc.edu.
Lane Community College educates over 15,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $675 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 8,900 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.