ISSA Member from Croatia Joins Children in Europe Network

ISSA is pleased to announce the launch of the first Croatian language issues of the magazine Children in Europe by ISSA Member Open Academy Step by Step, who has joined the Children in Europe (CiE) network.

The official promotion of the magazine took place on 8 May 2009, with the distinguished guests Jan Peeters and Ferruccio Cremaschi, both members of the CiE editorial board, participating as presenters. Mr. Cremaschi spoke about the history of the magazine and explained the process of its making, while Mr. Peeters presented the CiE position paper Young Children and Their Services: Developing a European Approach. Mr. Peeters pointed out that Children in Europe will not only be a window for Croatian teachers into European early childhood practices, but also a means to showcase what is happening in Croatian early childhood education to European colleagues. The presence of many preschool teachers and principals, as well as representatives of the local government and Ombudsman for children, demonstrated great local interest in the magazine.

Children in Europe aims to reach professionals working with children from 0-10 and those interested in children’s issues. It is published twice a year simultaneously in 16 countries and in 15 languages by a network of national magazines. It provides a forum for exchange of ideas, practice and information, explores the relationship between theory and practice, contributes to the development of policy and practice at European and national levels, and celebrates diversity.

The Croatian edition is co-funded by the City of Zagreb and the Bernard van Leer Foundation.  This year, the Open Academy Step by Step has already published two issues, Exploring the world and beyond: young children as researchers and Twenty years of children's rights. So far, Open Academy has printed 1,000 copies of each issue, distributing them among preschool teachers, education specialists (pedagogues, psychologists ), local government offices for education, ombudsman for children, and students of faculties of teacher education.  The response has been overwhelmingly positive. As one teacher said, “it is like a window into European preschool education.”

Open Academy Step by Step publishes two other magazines within Croatia: Child, School, Family, which has been in print since1999 and is aimed at school teachers, education specialists working in kindergartens, and students of faculties of teacher education, and Child, Kindergarten, Family, which has been in print since 1995 is aimed to preschool teachers, education specialists working in schools, and students of faculties of teacher education.

For more information visit www.childrenineurope.org and www.korakpokorak.hr.