International Contacts - Alternative Assignment

     Since I still have not had the pleasure of getting in contact with an international professional in the early childhood field, I have chosen the alternative assignment once again. For this week, we were asked to review the "Global Children's Initiative" as seen on the Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child web page.
     As I reviewed the website further, I found more in-depth information about the program's commitments to early childhood development. Currently they are working on trial assessments in countries like Zambia to measure assessments that are linked to malaria control. They are also trying to effectively assess children programs on a diverse level which includes expanding preschool programs in Chile. 

     The Global Children's Initiative has specifically designated faculty that focus on issues in early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations. This is important as it relates to our current discussions in class about equity and excellence in early childhood programs. The Global Children's Initiative is helping to support low-income areas by providing more access to preschool programs (such as the program in Chile), as well as researching how disease affects child development (as in Zambia's studies). Organizations like the Global Children's Initiative help educators to provide the best learning environments based on the needs of the children. 

References:

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from 

    http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/