What's New in the ISSA Network:

Interview with Hea Algus, Estonia on Home Visiting

In 1997, Hea Algus, ISSA Member in Estonia, began implementing an innovative Home Visiting Program to support new parents and families in providing the best start in life for their children.  ISSA talks with Liivi Türbsal, Executive Director of Hea Algus, about the program.

Effective School Improvement in Azerbaijan

ISSA congratulates its Azeri member Center for Innovative Education (CIE) as it starts up the project “Effective School Improvement in Azerbaijan” – a joint project with the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan and the World Bank.  The project was conceptualized and developed as a part of the design, preparation, and appraisal of the Second Education Sector Development Project-Phase 2 (2009-2014) of Education Reform Program (ERP – 2003-1014).

Step by Step Czech Republic Prepares New Teachers in Child-Centered Methodologies

Step by Step Czech Republic Foundation has begun implementing a new project “Mentoring as a Support for Students of the Pedagogy Faculty.” The project is supported by the Open Society Institute and is implemented in cooperation with the Pedagogical Faculty of Charles University in Prague and the teaching faculty of the University of West Bohemia. Students of these universities are first introduced to the theory of Step by Step program and they then have continuous practice at primary schools, where they are supported by mentors. The mentors are teachers in the elementary school who are experienced in implementing the Step by Step methodology.  As part of the project, these mentors are receiving mentoring training from Step by Step Czech Republic Foundation. 

ISSA and Partners Work to Improve Access to Quality Early Education Provisions in Rural Kazakhstan

ISSA and its partners Community Foundation Step by Step (Kazakhstan) and the Comenius Foundation (Poland) recently completed the EU-TACIS-funded project “Civil Society Partnership for Rural Children.”  The overall aim of the project was to support every child’s right to quality education by developing models of child-centered, cost-effective early education services in rural areas in partnership with parents, local educational institutions, and municipal governments. To achieve this aim, ISSA and partners built the capacity of Kazakh civil society by empowering local communities, establishing and improving cooperation with local municipalities, and strengthening the Kazakh non-governmental organization Community Foundation (CF) “Step by Step”, a leading organization in the field of early education and ISSA’s Kazakh member.


ISSA Publications



ISSA Participation in International Initiatives

ISSA Participation at Eurochild’s 7th Annual Conference

The 7th Eurochild Annual Conference “Brighter futures – Building effective partnerships to end child poverty”, held in Örebro, Sweden, took place between 3-5 November 2010. The event was attended by over 170 policy makers, practitioners and academics from 26 countries from across Europe. The conference provided a platform for exchange of ideas and experiences on how all stakeholders can work together to end child poverty and how this will lead to better outcomes for children.

ISSA Representation at the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (WCECCE), Moscow, 27-29 September 2010

The World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (WCECCE) was organized by UNESCO in partnership with Moscow municipality, and was a notable event that convened official delegations from 65 countries, leading international donors, and experts in the field of early childhood.

Report from ISSA Representatives who attended the Consultative Group Meeting on Transitions

Dawn Tankersley and Cornelia Cincilei represented ISSA at the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development (CG) Meeting on Transitions in London in October 2010. The meeting focused on the factors that contribute to children’s success in school (in particular the early years of primary). Using the CG’s Cornerstone 2 (Provide new opportunities for discovery and learning for children aged 3-6) and Cornerstone 3 (Make schools ready for children aged 6 to 8), the meeting discussed ways to bridge transitions and align curriculum between those age groups. It should be noted that the CG recently switched the focus of Cornerstone 3 from children's school readiness to the responsibility of schools to be ready to provide scaffolding for all children to be successful in primary school. The reformulation of this Cornerstone paves the way for the recognition of early childhood education and development through the age of 8 with implications for the pre- and in-service teacher training and is a good entry point for discussing quality along this continuum of ages.

Eurochild Members’ Exchange Seminar

The Members' Exchange Seminar on “Ensuring quality: the path for early years in Europe & the role of community-based services", organized by Eurochild, took place in Tallinn from 29 September until 1 October 2010. Seminars of this kind are held annually to facilitate debate and exchange knowledge and experience on specific aspects of child poverty and social exclusion. This seminar took place in the context of Eurochild’s Thematic Working Group on Early Years Education and Care. ISSA was pleased to be a part of such an international meeting devoted to the exchange of good practices and experiences relating to the role of community based services in Early Childhood programs in various European contexts.  ISSA Member Organizations representatives Atina Tasevska (Macedonia) and Danilo Lekovic (Montenegro) participated and shared their insights on behalf of their respective organization(s). The delegates present at the conference came from various countries and organizations thus enriching the two-day discussions on the shores of the Baltic Sea.


International ECD News:



Resources:



Events organized by some of ISSA’s partners:

Call for Abstracts: University of York Conference of the International Society of Child Indicators   

27-29 July 2011 – York, United Kingdom

World Forum on Early Care and Education 2011

3-6 May 2011 – Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

21st EECERA Conference

14-17 September 2011 – Lausanne, Switzerland

NAEYC Annual Conference and Expo 2011

2-5 November 2011 – Orlando, FL, United States



Holiday Greetings from ISSA

As the year 2010 comes to a close, ISSA would like to extend its warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with peace.  As we enter the new year, may we all be filled with hope as we work together to ensure that all children have the best start in life, and that the early years of children around the world are filled with wonder, love, and respect.

ISSA would like to extend its warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with peace