French diversity conference in January
On January 29th in Paris, foundation parter ACEPP is hosting a conference on pedagogy and diversity: Construire une pédagogie à partir de la diversité des enfants et des familles : un enjeu pour la petite enfance.
20 December 2007
Spanish partner wins UNICEF recognition
Foundation partner Preescolar na Casa has been recognised (pdf, Spanish) by UNICEF for their work with parents and young children in rural areas of Galicia during the last 30 years. More on Preescolar na Casa's website.
19 December 2007
Teaching conflict resolution skills in Lebanon
Foundation partner the Arab Resource Collective recently ran a workshop on conflict resolution education in Lebanon. This article discusses the workshop and its context.
18 December 2007
Photos help Brazilian fathers to stay close
For Portuguese-speaking readers, this newspaper article (pdf) from Sao Paolo describes the work of foundation-funded Hine Fellow Emma Raynes with foundation partner Centro Popular de Cultura e Desenvolvimento on helping fathers who work far from home to maintain bonds with their children. Emma's translation of the article is here. More about Emma's work on her website.
18 December 2007
Kenya partner's new website
The Kenya Community Development Foundation, which operates the foundation-funded project Capacity Building and Early Childhood Development, has a new website.
11 December 2007
Evaluation of Multicultural Kindergarten work
Now available from Venezia Institute for Differences and Multiculturalism, read an evaluation report (pdf) on work with teachers in Southern Tel Aviv as part of the Developing a Multicultural Kindergarten Educational Environment project.
11 December 2007
Translations of Young Children and HIV
Now available courtesy of AIDS Alliance, French and Portuguese translations of the foundation-supported Building Blocks material Young Children and HIV (all links to pdf documents).
22 November 2007
A letter to George
Courtesy of Israel's Venezia Institute, an uplifting story from a kindergarten teacher who was able to make use of her training in Multicultural Education in Early Childhood when an Arab-speaking child joined her Hebrew-dominated kindergarten class. See also the letter referred to in the teacher's story (both pdf files).
19 November 2007
Negev educational centre opens
Pictured here are children attending the opening ceremony of a new educational activity centre located at Kaser Alseh in the Negev, Israel. Opened with foundation support by the Arab Jewish Centre for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation - part of foundation partner NISPED - the centre is aimed at improving opportunities in life for disadvantaged young children from Bedouin villages. Read the background to the centre's opening.
19 November 2007
NISPED honoured for work with Arab-Bedouins
On November 16, Amal Elsana Alh'jooj of foundation partner NISPED will be honoured by Seeking Common Ground at their second annual Circles of Change Awards Breakfast in Denver, Colorado. That evening, Amal and colleague Vivian Silver will be speaking in Beverly Hills, California, on the subject Sharing the Same Space: A Common Vision for Jews and Arab-Bedouin in Israel’s Negev.
7 November 2007
Jewish-Arab preschool news from Israel
Read the latest newsletter (pdf) from our Israeli partner Hagar Jewish-Arab Education for Equality, detailing progress with Jewish-Arab pre-schools for the 2007-2008 school year.
1 November 2007
Conference on children's linguistic diversity
On 6-7 December in County Donegal, Ireland, foundation partner Children in Scotland is organising a conference entitled In My Own Words: Supporting and promoting the linguistic diversity of young children in an increasingly multilingual society. See this brochure (pdf) for further details.
1 November 2007
Italian translations of ECM
Our partner Bambini Senza Sbarre has translated the editions of the foundation's journal, Early Childhood Matters, on the subjects of critical thinking and transitions. The translated versions are available for a small fee.
25 October 2007
Kinderschapsvorming conference to be held
On 25 October, foundation partner Stichting Child Care International hosts a Netherlands national conference at MUSEON in The Hague. The main theme of the conference, Kinderschapsvorming, is "Towards a Social Agenda for the Early Years Services". It will review practice and research on quality childcare provision in relation to social inclusion and respect for diversity. A book of essays will follow the conference.
17 October 2007
Research findings into changing educators
The Active Nurturing Playground project, funded by the foundation and implemented by Israeli partner Ezer Mizion, trains kindergarten staff to address developmental difficulties among young children in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community. Download the findings of in-depth qualitative research into the project, Processes of Change Undergone by Educators in the Haredi Community (pdf, 0.8mb).
21 September 2007
News on Aleh’s Community Awareness Workshop Program
Aleh, a foundation partner in Israel, outlines on its website the continuing Community Awareness Workshop Program funded with foundation support - including workshops on infant massage, ADHD, early awareness, and home and school.
19 September 2007
Dutch partner organises conference
Dutch speakers may be interested in attending a November 6-8 conference organised by foundation partner Stichting Pedagogiekontwikkeling (information - invitation, both pdf).
19 September 2007
MUTANT organises Dutch diversity day
Foundation partner MUTANT, which implements the Social Inclusion and Respect for Diversity agenda in the Netherlands and across Europe, is organising a day for the Dutch childcare and education sector on 22 October 2007, with special guest Glenda MacNaughton. More details (pdf, Dutch).
6 September 2007
French diversity conference announced
On March 19, 2008, a workshop in Lyon entitled Nouveaux Paradigmes pour repenser l'éducation préscolaire will mark the publication of a book which aims to launch a debate between English and French-speaking specialists on paradigms for innovative thinking about young children, social inclusion and respect for diversity. More details (pdf, in French).
17 August 2007
Bible Lands Museum in magazine feature
The monthly lifestyle magazine of the Haaretz, "Essence", has published a feature on foundation partner the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. The article (pdf) describes how the BLMJ, which this year celebrates its 15th birthday, seeks to foster understanding and cooperation between Jews, Arabs and Christians through its museum displays and educational outreach efforts.
15 August 2007
Hand in Hand wins Calouste Gulbenkian Prize
Hand in Hand, the Jewish-Arab school network, has won the inaugural Calouste Gulbenkian International Prize, worth €100,000. Read more here, and the latest newsletter from Hand in Hand here.
15 August 2007
My Living Positively Handbook published
My Living Positively Handbook, the fruits of a collaboration between the foundation and Duke University's Centre for Documentary Studies, is now available in English, Xhosa and Zulu from the Children's Rights Centre website (follow the "publications" link). The handbook gives young children age-appropriate advice on living with HIV. This press release (pdf) gives background information on how Sarah Leeper's time as a Hine Fellow led to the creation of the handbook.
23 July 2007
JLICA symposium on children and HIV/AIDS
On September 24, leaders in science, policymaking, advocacy and implementation will convene at Harvard Medical School for a one-day international symposium to explore new directions in the global response to HIV/AIDS and children, organised by the foundation-funded Joint Learning Initiative on Children and AIDS (JLICA).
20 July 2007
Children in Europe conference - October 2007
Foundation partner Children in Europe announces a conference, entitled Practice and Policies, to be held October 10-12, 2007, in Denmark (more details - pdf). The conference will present views on the care and education of children from 0-10, focusing on young children’s rights to services of high quality.
6 July 2007
Conference on Dutch SPOREN programme
Stichting Pedagogiekontwikkeling 0-7, which runs the SPOREN programme for the foundation, announces a conference to be held in November (more details - pdf, Dutch). The SPOREN programme emphasises parent and child participation and is suited for a learning environment characterised by respect for diversity.
4 July 2007
Child rights and child participation reports
These two recent reports from our Indian partner organisation CHETNA are likely to be of wider interest: on a pilot programme in ten villages on promoting child participation, and on a capacity-building workshop on child rights (both files pdf).
28 June 2007
Child-friendly police and child rights from CHETNA
We are pleased to make available some materials from our partner CHETNA, which others may find useful. This child-friendly police brochure (pdf) is aimed at sensitising police to dealing with children. CHETNA's child rights booklet comes in eight parts (all pdf) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - an accessible introduction to the concept of child rights, aimed at an Indian audience but dealing with globally relevant issues.
15 June 2007
Children as Catalysts for Change
Foundation partner CHETNA announces a six-day course entitled Children as Catalysts for Change (pdf) to be held in Ahmedabad, India, from 30 November to 5 December 2007. The course is designed for senior personnel from governmental and non-governmental with experience of programmes based on rights, health, education and development.
14 June 2007
"Stereotypes started to fall down"
"When I joined the training program last year, I perceived myself as an open minded and liberal person, free from prejudice and stereotypes..."; This story from the Venezia Institute, which runs the Educators in a Multi-Cultural Society project for the foundation, comes from a kindergarten teacher who participated in a training program. Read more
13 June 2007
Latest news from Eurochips
Now online - the June 2007 news from Eurochips, the foundation-funded, Europe-wide network for children of imprisoned parents.
12 June 2007
Jewish-Arab school founders recognised
Messrs Amin Khalaf and Lee Gordon, the founders of the Hand in Hand schools for Jewish-Arab education in Israel, are to be honoured on June 14th with the third annual Victor J. Goldberg IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East. The Bernard van Leer Foundation is proud to support Hand in Hand through the Early Childhood Education and Respect for Diversity project.
31 May 2007
Equal opportunities for all through ECCE
To mark the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, the DECET network is organising a conference (pdf) in October - funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation - on how early childhood care and education can lay the foundations for equal opportunities for all. DECET is a key partner for the foundation in implementing its Social Inclusion and Respect for Diversity agenda in Europe.
30 May 2007
Playground opens in Bedouin village
The first community playground and educational centre of its kind has opened (pdf) in Hasham Zane, an unrecognised Bedouin village in Israel. Foundation partner NISPED is working to bring more such centres, which combine opportinities for play with childcare training for mothers, to Bedouin communities in the Negev desert.
22 May 2007
Spanish ECE encyclopaedia online
Asociación Mundial de Educadores Infantiles, a partner of the foundation in Spain, has launched the first part of the online encyclopaedia (in Spanish) it is developing with foundation support. It will evolve into a comprehensive tool of information and training for early childhood educators.
22 May 2007
"Mile for mothers" campaign gathers force
This weekend sees several countries joining an awareness-raising campaign to march a "Mile for mothers", organised by the Union of Mother Centres in Slovakia. Read more (pdf) about how the campaign evolved from a world-record breaking pram-pushing event, with bulletins from Africa, Europe and the Americas.
10 May 2007
French forum on rural children
Partners from Portugal, Spain and France are to present the findings from the foundation-funded Enfants-parents des mondes ruraux (children and parents living in rural environments) project in Biarritz on May 25th and 26th. Further details (pdf, in French, Spanish and Portuguese languages).
3 May 2007
TREE wins South African award
South African partner organisation TREE has won the first national Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Development, awarded by ABSA Bank, the Sowetan Newspaper and the South Africa Congress for Early Childhood Development. Read more in TREE's press release (pdf).
3 May 2007
Moroccan princess supports childhood call
Read here (pdf) the text of a speech given by Her Highness Lalla Meryam, sister of the King of Morocco, to the UNESCO director general and goodwill ambassadors in Paris earlier this month. President of Morocco's Observatoire National des Droits de l'Enfant, Her Highness had participated in the Moroccan press launch of UNESCO's Education for All Global Monitoring Report in November 2006, which was co-organised by the foundation, UNESCO, UNICEF and our Moroccan partner ATFALE. In the speech, Her Highness supports the suggestion, arising from this event, that 2007 should be seen as the year of Early Childhood Education.
18 April 2007
Latest newsletter from DaalAdvies
Read the latest (in Dutch) from the partner organisation responsible for the Samenspel programme.
16 April 2007
Evaluation of Roving Caregivers
The Amsterdam Institute for International Development is conducting a longitudinal impact evaluation of the Roving Caregivers programme funded by the foundation in St Lucia, and elsewhere in the Caribbean, as part of the Caribbean Child Support Initiative research project. Read more about the AIID's study here (pdf).
29 March 2007
Israeli partner collects Knesset prize
28 March 2007
HIV/AIDS and young children - Briefing note
Published by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance with financial support from the foundation, the latest in a series of "Building blocks: Africa wide briefing notes" is now available, entitled Young children and HIV: Strengthening family and community support (downloads as a pdf). The 40-page note identifies issues, principles and strategies both for care and treatment of young children with HIV and addressing the broader developmental needs of children affected by the pandemic.
20 March 2007
"Breakthrough Idea" from South Africa
The Family Literacy Project in Durban, South Africa, has been selected as one of six "Breakthrough Ideas in Education" by Global Learning Portal (free registration required), a website which aims to enable educators from around the world to share information, knowledge and ideas.
16 March 2007
Study day on diversity in France
Foundation partners ACEPP, ESSSE and Les Amis du Furet are joining forces to host a study day on young children and diversity in Toulouse on March 28th. More information (pdf).
15 March 2007
Update from the Adam Institute
Read a review (pdf) of the activities of the Adam Institute for Democracy and Peace in 2006, including winning the Yigal Alon prize for contributions to the advancement of education towards democracy and peace in Israel. The Adam Institute implements the Building Blocks of Democracy project, part of the foundation's respect for diversity portfolio.
12 March 2007
Time to register for ANPPCAN conference
There's still time to register (.doc) for the 5th African Conference (.pdf) on Child Abuse and Neglect, organised by ANPPCAN and to be held in Kampala from March 27-29. The conference, which is partly funded by the foundation, will explore strategies for developing and scaling up effective and sustainable solutions for the care and protection of children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
11 March 2007
Latest newsletter from Playtrain
Read the latest newsletter from foundation partner Playtrain, including a report on last month's "WOW! this is big" exhibition.
11 March 2007
Lecturer-parent meeting on diversity in France
Foundation partner ACEPP is holding a "day of reflection and exchange" for university lecturers in adult education to discuss with parents issues surrounding respect for diversity in early childhood education in regions of France. Further information (in French).
8 March 2007
Latest from the DECET network
Foundation partner DECET (Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training) has issued its latest newsletter (pdf), detailing the latest work of member organisations around Europe in promoting respect for diversity in early childhood education.
5 March 2007
Brazilian partner relaunches website
Centro de Criação de Imagem Popular, which implements two projects for the foundation in Brazil, has relaunched its website.
24 January 2007
Moroccan preschools project in Dutch media
The foundation's support for Moroccan partner organisation ATFALE is covered in this article in the Dutch daily newspaper Volkskrant. The foundation has translated (pdf) the article for the benefit of non-Dutch speaking readers.
17 January 2007
ATFALE's bulletin on Moroccan pre-schools
Read the latest quarterly bulletin (pdf, French language) from ATFALE (Alliance de Travail dans le Formation et l'Action pour l'Enfance), which runs a foundation-funded project aimed at mainstreaming preschool education and supporting parents in Morocco.
16 January 2007
Hand to Hand's 2005-2006 report
Read about the activities of Hand to Hand Centre for Jewish Arab Education, a partner of the foundation in Israel, during the 2005-2006 school year in this ten-page report (pdf).
15 January 2007
Latest newsletter from Bureau MUTANT
Read the January 2007 newsletter (pdf) from Bureau MUTANT (Dutch language only), which implements several projects for the foundation in the area of respect for diversity.
11 January 2007
Playtrain spring course programme
UK-based foundation partner Playtrain provides hands-on training for people who work with young children, with the aim of promoting children's creativity. Check out their spring programme (pdf) of courses.
9 January 2007
