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ISSA, a leading network of early childhood education and development organizations from Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, proudly invites you to participate in its 2009 Annual Conference and celebrate its 10th anniversary. This event is co-hosted by the Center for Education and Professional Development, Romania, under the patronage of the President of Romania, H. E. Traian Basescu. The conference is organized in partnership with and with support from the Open Society Institute, and also with the technical support and participation of UNICEF CEE/CIS, OSCE/ODIHR and the Romanian Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation. The conference will explore integrated approaches to early childhood development and education (ECDE), as the strongest foundation for well-being and success throughout life. Research shows that the first years in a child's life are crucial in ensuring the child's later success, quality of life and ability to contribute as a responsible citizen. At the same time, children are citizens of today's society; therefore effective investments in the early years are important not only from the point of view of building future human and social capital, but also to ensure that the rights and needs of young children are met and that they have a happy childhood today.

While many countries in Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia have developed national strategies that emphasize the early years, there are still many challenges in ensuring that every young child receives high quality care and education. When resources are scarce, especially in times of a global financial downturn, these challenges are even greater. In this context, partnerships among civil society and the public and private sectors, as well as cooperation among health, social welfare, education, and other sectors have proven to be effective and efficient ways to maximize the benefits of public sector investments in ECDE.

ISSA invites practitioners, policy makers, and researchers to take part in this event and engage in lively and informed discussions about the current situation and future tasks in ECDE for Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Special attention will be devoted to ISSA’s growing network of members and partners from the region and from around the globe and their successes over the past ten years in creating and implementing child-centered pedagogy, respect for diversity, and access to quality education for every child. The conference aims to develop a set of concrete recommendations to inform and support the work of policy makers and practitioners throughout the region.

CONFERENCE GOALS AND HIGHLIGHTS

The conference aims to develop a set of concrete recommendations to inform and support the work of policy makers and practitioners throughout the region. These recommendations will derive from keynote addresses, panel presentations and roundtable discussions, which will:

• Integrate research into practice, learning from important findings in neuroscience, developmental psychology, economics and education
• Emphasize links between ECDE and economics in the short- and long-term perspective, analyzing current investments and their impact on young children and their families
• Highlight examples of successful partnerships among different sectors, including best practices in corporate social responsibility
• Share innovations in providing diverse forms of child-centered, comprehensive, and integrated approaches to ECDE at the community, regional, or national levels
• Showcase research-based best practices in early childhood care and education, with an emphasis on those which ensure access, quality and equity
• Create a new research agenda aimed at the intersection of "seeds and soils" as applied to early childhood education and development
• develop a leadership agenda on how to create the global village where all children can reach their potential
• Explore the implications of living in the global village of knowledge society and priorities for education in the 21st century

To learn more about the keynote speakers, call for proposals, registration and other details, click here

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