Exploring the resources on the International Child Resource Institute has been informative and encouraging. There are so many incredibly organizations focusing on early childhood issues in our world today. What an honor it is to be able to study and partner with these organizations as we advance the field of early childhood education.
In exploring the International Child Resource Institute, the section of the webpage that I found most relevant to my current professional development was the blog. Posts on the blog spread a wide range from informative, inspiring, and applicable. There are posts about their development work in the Himalayas after the earthquake in Nepal, posts from staff explaining their motivations to be in the early childhood field, and updates on the work of their projects worldwide.
I loved the idea of their Watoto Water Bus, a mobile program that brings teacher training, and innovative materials to low income schools and child care programs in Kenya. In Nepal, they have an interesting program supporting prisoners and their children, focusing of HIV/AIDS prevention, vocational training, and psychosocial education. In Sweden, the ICRI is being asked to establish child care centers for immigrant students taught in home languages. What a beautiful, proactive, liberal minded program in a world that is facing immense controversy over the European immigration situation.
Reading through the resources in the ICRI website, the work of economists, neuroscientists, or politicians is minimally evident, but absolutely concurrent. Third world development is a huge focus of the ICRI, so the world of economics is obviously important and an underlying theme. Political decisions are clearly influencing the ability of the ICRI to have influence. For example, it is because of changes in the legislation in Sweden that private and not for profit organizations like the ICRI are able to begin establishing early childhood programs for immigrant children.
I look forward to reading about what everyone else has discovered!
Amy
International Child Resource Institute (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.icrichild.org/ourvision/
Amy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the information on this organization. I believe it is important for all teachers around the world to support and encourage each other through the sharing of personal experiences.
Shanon
Great post, Amy. I found it very informative. I also love the idea of the bus bringing schools and teachers the things that they need to provide quality early childhood education. It is really related to scientist, economists, and politicians, because somewhere along the way it was proven that this was a need and that by meeting this need the world could benefit. Without research showing this and politicians finding the funding, these people and these areas would still not be getting any early childhood education. It is sometimes very easy to get bogged down and to think that people don't care or get it, but reading stories like this inspire us and help us to remember that there are a lot of good people who do care. There are a lot of people out there working really hard to prove the benefit of early childhood education and finding the money and a way to ensure that children are getting what they need at a young age to help them be successful later in life.
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