Rasmussen College Names Michelle Beedle Director of Knowledge Universe Partnership

MINNEAPOLIS, April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rasmussen College is proud to announce the promotion of Michelle Beedle to Partnership Director, Knowledge Universe. The partnership between Rasmussen College and Knowledge Universe highlights a specialized 9-month, online, Early Childhood Education training program developed specifically for Knowledge Universe employees preparing to earn their Child Development Associates (CDA) credential. Knowledge Universe, which is widely known for its more than 3,700 Kindercare and Knowledge Beginnings facilities worldwide, selected Rasmussen College from over 20 colleges and universities to become its new preferred education provider in November 2011. Over 500 learners have already enrolled in the program.

Beedle spent the past four years serving as the School of Education Coordinator at the Rasmussen College Lake Elmo/Woodbury campus in Lake Elmo, Minn. She is credited with helping to develop and build the early childhood program at the campus.

"Michelle has worked tirelessly to improve the early childhood student experience and to forge strong relationships in our local community," said Rasmussen College School of Education Director, Cecelia Westby. "Her focus has always been on providing a strong and positive experience for our students whether online or in the classroom, and Michelle has been instrumental in building and growing our partnership with Knowledge Universe. We are very proud and excited of her new appointment."

Prior to her career at Rasmussen College, Beedle spent 14 years working in the Early Childhood Education field as a center director, a teacher and supervisor in the local public school system, and as an Early Childhood Education teacher. 

She holds a Master of Arts in Education degree with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Marquette University. Beedle is an active member of the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The Rasmussen College CDA Prep Program developed for Knowledge Universe is a fully online program consisting of three courses: Foundations of Child Development, Curriculum and Instruction, and Health, Safety and Nutrition. The program helps prepare employees to receive their Child Development Associate credential, the most widely recognized and only national credential in early childhood education. The program culminates with students finalizing their CDA application to the national Council for Professional Recognition.

Knowledge Universe employees that complete the CDA Prep Program will be able to transfer the credits earned into degree programs for future advancement.

For more information about Rasmussen College CDA prep program for Knowledge Universe, visit www.Rasmussen.edu/KU.

To view this release in full, visit http://www.rasmussen.edu/press-release/2012-04-11/rasmussen-names-michelle-beedle-director-of-knowledge-universe-partnership/.

ABOUT RASMUSSEN COLLEGE
An innovator of higher education, Rasmussen College is a regionally-accredited, private college that specializes in offering the most in-demand degree programs in a highly supportive, student-centered educational environment.  Rasmussen College offers market-relevant programs from the certificate and diploma level through the associate's and bachelor's level online and across its 22 campuses in the Midwest and Florida to more than 15,000 students. By combining its expertise in career development with high academic standards and with unparalleled student support services, graduates of Rasmussen College leave with the most up-to-date knowledge, the skills that employers look for, and the tools to succeed in their chosen field.  Since 1900, the primary focus at Rasmussen College has remained constant: student achievement is of the upmost importance, the employer who hires its students continues to be a valued partner, and Rasmussen College is dedicated to being a primary contributor to the growth and development of the communities it serves. For more information about Rasmussen College, please visit www.Rasmussen.edu.

SOURCE Rasmussen College