International Organizations

I was very impressed when I was searching for international organizations that support early childhood education for all children. I have known there were local, state, national and federal organizations that share the vision of helping all children receive a quality education, but to know the struggle goes beyond these level to the international level has humbled me.

Below are three international organizations that support early childhood education.

1. International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education (IASWECE): Waldorf early childhood education, also known as Steiner early years education, is devoted to the education and care of the young child from birth to school entrance.

Waldorf early childhood educators seek to nurture the development of each child’s unique capacities by offering warm, homelike environments with opportunities for imaginative play, meaningful purposeful work, and experiences in the arts, in nature and in community. There are nearly 2000 Waldorf kindergartens, home programs, child care centers, and pre-schools in more than 70 countries throughout the world.

Some of the goals of the organization are to:

·         Foster co-operation among colleagues throughout the world, through meetings, conferences, working groups, etc.

·         Deepen and renew the work with the young child out of the sources of Waldorf education, and support for its quality

·         Foster training and continuing development opportunities for caregivers, kindergarten teachers and educators

·         Undertake and support collaborative research on contemporary questions regarding the care and education of the young child

·         Collaborate with parents, other educators, and the wider society about the needs of the young child

·         Provide resources, information and publications on Waldorf early childhood education

·         Offer support – human, educational and financial – for projects seeking to foster Waldorf early childhood education throughout the world.

http://www.iaswece.org/waldorf-education/what-is-waldorf-education/

2. Association of Childhood Education International (ACEI): ACEI is a global community of educators and advocates who unite knowledge, experience, and perspectives in order to exchange information, explore innovation and advocate for children. Their mission is to promote innovative solutions to education challenges and inspire action that creates positive, sustainable futures for children and youth worldwide and their mission is for child in every nation will have access to a quality education. This education will prepare children to become responsible and engaged citizens, ready for life in a changing world.

Some of their goals are:

·         Is sharing new approaches to the education of children and ensuring that these approaches are delivered in ways that enhance children's individual skills and abilities and provide opportunities for success in life.

·         They participates in global education coalitions and childhood well-being campaigns that advance policies and drive funding levels for education and other social services, thereby impacting vast numbers of children internationally.

·         They provide reports on global education trends and events that directly affect the efforts of classroom teachers, teacher educators, education advocates, and education consultants and provides access to cutting-edge research and information that enlightens perspectives and viewpoints on education practices.

·         They also create unique programs, events, and publications that help to expand horizons in areas of childhood education and well-being, worldwide.

I did not see any employee opportunities during my research but ACEI sometimes has internships available during the summer months. Interns are given the opportunity to gain work experience consisting primarily of online research and data gathering that will contribute to the development of briefing papers and other types of resources. The requirements are interns should be enrolled in a graduate degree program that focuses on global education issues with a particular interest in children's education. A focus on one specific aspect of childhood education, such as basic education or early childhood development, is also acceptable. I know I am in a master’s degree program but I will still contact them to see if there are other opportunities available for me to be a part of the organization.

http://www.acei.org/

3. Education International (EI): Education International main policy on ECE is shaped by the resolution passed at the 2nd World Congress of EI in 1998. They believes that early childhood education is of great value to all children and should be available to all.  Early childhood education is an education in its own right and an essential part of life-long learning. It provides a sound basis for learning and helps to develop skills, knowledge, personal competencies and confidence and a sense of social responsibility. By providing a protected environment for young children it also helps to prevent child labor.

The work of this organization in the field of early childhood education includes promoting early childhood education that will be public funded and universally accessible to children. They advocate for integration of early childhood into education systems and seeking continuous professional development for teachers and other professionals in the field. This organization is an advocate for early childhood education around the world.

  https://ei-ie.org/