Spokane Students Mentor Preschoolers at School
Local high schoolers earn childcare certification while supporting younger children during special campus events.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Child Care
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Preschoolers recently enjoyed a trick-or-treat event at Ferris High School, where they were guided by students from the school's early childhood development program. This annual tradition offers young children a festive experience while providing high schoolers with direct hands-on childcare training.
Why it matters
The program creates a practical educational pipeline for Spokane students pursuing childcare careers by pairing them with younger children for mentorship. This hands-on approach ensures future caregivers gain certified experience in developmental settings.
Ferris High School is one of 3 schools in the Spokane Public Schools district that host preschool education programs. The initiative requires high school students to earn professional childcare certification as they mentor children, including toddlers as young as 2 years old.
The players
Ferris High School
A secondary school in Spokane that hosts a specialized early childhood development training program for student-caregivers.
Spokane Public Schools
The local educational district that manages high school vocational pathways including childcare and development certification.
The details
High school students enrolled in the childhood development course act as mentors to preschool children during classroom hours and special events. During the Halloween trick-or-treat activity, these student-mentors escorted toddlers through school hallways to visit classrooms and collect candy. By assisting in these classrooms, high schoolers earn clinical hours toward their professional certification in child development.
Timeline
October 31, 2026: Preschoolers participated in a trick-or-treat event at Ferris High School.
The Home Front
The program functions as a local implementation of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) national framework. This model integrates vocational childcare training directly into the high school curriculum, preparing students for early education careers while serving local preschool families.
Families in Spokane should contact their local school district office to verify if their neighborhood high school hosts a similar preschool or early learning center. Checking for these integrated programs can provide your child with unique social development opportunities and lower-cost childcare options.
The takeaway
Student-led mentorship programs provide a mutually beneficial connection between high school career training and early childhood socialization. Parents should inquire with their district about enrollment windows for vocational-based preschool programs for the upcoming school year.
Further reading
For more on local education programs, explore Child Care.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Spokesman Review.
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