Safe, Inclusive Participative Pedagogy: Improving Early Childhood Education in Fragile Contexts
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Moray House School of Education
Abstract
Early childhood is a critical period for all children. It has been conclusively recognised by research that this period is significant for young children's rights in the here and now, for children's future educational, economic and health outcomes, and ultimately societal flourishing.
As attention to early childhood education increases, and governments across the world are moving to compulsory pre-school and early education, this is a pivotal moment for: a) understanding the challenges/opportunities for such provision in different cultural and political contexts; and b) radically rethinking future directions of early childhood education globally. We have significant questions to ask at this very time about the quality of learning experiences and professional support, how early childhood education can be culturally meaningful and appropriate, and ensuring it is affordable, inclusive and accessible.
This project responds to an urgent research need within four overseas development countries - Brazil, Eswatini, South Africa, and the West Bank and Gaza -- where new provision models are emerging in fragile contexts experiencing violence, inequalities and concentrated poverty. It builds on the innovation of the Brazilian academic partner (the International Centre International Centre for Research and Policy on Childhood at PUC-RIO), who researched how to strengthen and increase safe places of early learning for young children in two low-income communities in Rio de Janeiro (2014-17). Expanding from this, the academic partners in Brazil, Eswatini, South Africa, the West Bank & Gaza, and the UK will identify and develop safe, inclusive participative pedagogy that is implementable in fragile contexts and sustainable for governments, communities and families. While differing in socio-economic and cultural contexts, all four partner countries are poised for early childhood education development through national policy, are experiencing implementation quandaries and have fragile settings due to extreme and pervasive violence, inequalities and/or poverty.
To do so, the research will address these four questions:
1. In what ways and how do current policies, systems and organisations support inclusive participative pedagogy in fragile contexts?
2. What information, knowledge, expertise can be mobilised to understand fragile contexts and the threats, assets and opportunities for early childhood learning, young children and their families?
3. How can inclusive participative pedagogy become embedded and sustainable in communities, their formal and informal contexts, so as to support children's early learning?
4. Is there an economic case for inclusive participative pedagogy? If so, what are the relevant components and what are the short- and long-term costs and benefits?
Inclusive participative pedagogy is a novel concept, which this project will develop, test and challenge. It draws on the respective fields of early childhood pedagogy, inclusive education and violence prevention, and the combined disciplines of the research team which range from child development to public health to economics. It has the potential to provide the answers to the policy and practice questions about quality, culturally appropriate and accessible early childhood education for young children and their families.
Through this research, and its accompanying strategy to share learning and influence change, the project will substantially contribute to partner countries achieving their Sustainable Development Goals in terms of early and inclusive education and preventing violence against children.
As attention to early childhood education increases, and governments across the world are moving to compulsory pre-school and early education, this is a pivotal moment for: a) understanding the challenges/opportunities for such provision in different cultural and political contexts; and b) radically rethinking future directions of early childhood education globally. We have significant questions to ask at this very time about the quality of learning experiences and professional support, how early childhood education can be culturally meaningful and appropriate, and ensuring it is affordable, inclusive and accessible.
This project responds to an urgent research need within four overseas development countries - Brazil, Eswatini, South Africa, and the West Bank and Gaza -- where new provision models are emerging in fragile contexts experiencing violence, inequalities and concentrated poverty. It builds on the innovation of the Brazilian academic partner (the International Centre International Centre for Research and Policy on Childhood at PUC-RIO), who researched how to strengthen and increase safe places of early learning for young children in two low-income communities in Rio de Janeiro (2014-17). Expanding from this, the academic partners in Brazil, Eswatini, South Africa, the West Bank & Gaza, and the UK will identify and develop safe, inclusive participative pedagogy that is implementable in fragile contexts and sustainable for governments, communities and families. While differing in socio-economic and cultural contexts, all four partner countries are poised for early childhood education development through national policy, are experiencing implementation quandaries and have fragile settings due to extreme and pervasive violence, inequalities and/or poverty.
To do so, the research will address these four questions:
1. In what ways and how do current policies, systems and organisations support inclusive participative pedagogy in fragile contexts?
2. What information, knowledge, expertise can be mobilised to understand fragile contexts and the threats, assets and opportunities for early childhood learning, young children and their families?
3. How can inclusive participative pedagogy become embedded and sustainable in communities, their formal and informal contexts, so as to support children's early learning?
4. Is there an economic case for inclusive participative pedagogy? If so, what are the relevant components and what are the short- and long-term costs and benefits?
Inclusive participative pedagogy is a novel concept, which this project will develop, test and challenge. It draws on the respective fields of early childhood pedagogy, inclusive education and violence prevention, and the combined disciplines of the research team which range from child development to public health to economics. It has the potential to provide the answers to the policy and practice questions about quality, culturally appropriate and accessible early childhood education for young children and their families.
Through this research, and its accompanying strategy to share learning and influence change, the project will substantially contribute to partner countries achieving their Sustainable Development Goals in terms of early and inclusive education and preventing violence against children.
Planned Impact
Who will benefit from the research?
The project will make a substantial contribution to the 4 Overseas Development Aid partner countries - Brazil, Eswatini, South Africa and West Bank and Gaza - meeting their Sustainable Development Goals in terms of inclusive and equitable quality education (Targets 4.2, 4a) and ending violence against children (Target 16.2). It will directly benefit policy-makers (politicians and officials) at these countries' national and local levels, early years providers and practitioners, and non-governmental and community-based organisations, by supporting them to meet these Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, the project aims to improve the welfare and economic outcomes of young children and their families, for improved early child education, in these countries. Further, the project will share its learning and capacity-building more widely, with other Overseas Development Aid countries.
How will they benefit from the research?
The project has developed in concept and design from the existing partnerships within each country, between the research team and local and national research users. These partnerships identify that the project comes at a pivotal moment, with Governments' support for early child education but implementation complications and difficulties in quality early child education, particularly in fragile contexts. The project will have direct benefits for improving early child education within the 4 case study communities (one in each country, each a fragile context) and more widely in developing, testing and sharing the concept and application of safe, inclusive participative pedagogy locally, nationally and cross-nationally for early child education providers and practitioners. The project will investigate the burden of violence in the early years on children's subsequent learning and transition to formal education, which will aid the investment case for countries who are developing their early child education in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
What will be done to ensure that they have the opportunity to benefit from this activity?
Each country has an embedded strategy to ensure locally and nationally the benefits are achieved. National and local stakeholders will be engaged from the start, with three 'Think Tank' stakeholder meetings planned throughout the project and establishing community-based project advisory groups of children and parents/ carers. They will shape the locally-relevant outputs and knowledge exchange activities that will make a difference in their communities and countries, with project resources set aside to do so. The learning will be shared more widely, with other early years stakeholders in Overseas Development Aid countries, through virtual communication (websites, social media, webinars, audio-visual resource, capitalising on existing networks), capacity building and resource development (including developing a training module through a Winter/ Summer School and parallel regional workshops), and utilising regional and global networks to amplify the research outputs (including 10 accessible briefings and films). The project will use a form of contribution analysis, facilitated by the external agency Matter of Focus, to ensure impact plans are in place from the start, are effective and focused, as well as providing the framework for evaluation.
The project will make a substantial contribution to the 4 Overseas Development Aid partner countries - Brazil, Eswatini, South Africa and West Bank and Gaza - meeting their Sustainable Development Goals in terms of inclusive and equitable quality education (Targets 4.2, 4a) and ending violence against children (Target 16.2). It will directly benefit policy-makers (politicians and officials) at these countries' national and local levels, early years providers and practitioners, and non-governmental and community-based organisations, by supporting them to meet these Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, the project aims to improve the welfare and economic outcomes of young children and their families, for improved early child education, in these countries. Further, the project will share its learning and capacity-building more widely, with other Overseas Development Aid countries.
How will they benefit from the research?
The project has developed in concept and design from the existing partnerships within each country, between the research team and local and national research users. These partnerships identify that the project comes at a pivotal moment, with Governments' support for early child education but implementation complications and difficulties in quality early child education, particularly in fragile contexts. The project will have direct benefits for improving early child education within the 4 case study communities (one in each country, each a fragile context) and more widely in developing, testing and sharing the concept and application of safe, inclusive participative pedagogy locally, nationally and cross-nationally for early child education providers and practitioners. The project will investigate the burden of violence in the early years on children's subsequent learning and transition to formal education, which will aid the investment case for countries who are developing their early child education in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
What will be done to ensure that they have the opportunity to benefit from this activity?
Each country has an embedded strategy to ensure locally and nationally the benefits are achieved. National and local stakeholders will be engaged from the start, with three 'Think Tank' stakeholder meetings planned throughout the project and establishing community-based project advisory groups of children and parents/ carers. They will shape the locally-relevant outputs and knowledge exchange activities that will make a difference in their communities and countries, with project resources set aside to do so. The learning will be shared more widely, with other early years stakeholders in Overseas Development Aid countries, through virtual communication (websites, social media, webinars, audio-visual resource, capitalising on existing networks), capacity building and resource development (including developing a training module through a Winter/ Summer School and parallel regional workshops), and utilising regional and global networks to amplify the research outputs (including 10 accessible briefings and films). The project will use a form of contribution analysis, facilitated by the external agency Matter of Focus, to ensure impact plans are in place from the start, are effective and focused, as well as providing the framework for evaluation.
Publications
Biersteker L
(2023)
In whose best interests? The ECD regulatory framework, understandings of the best interests of the young child and access to quality early education
in South African Journal on Human Rights
Blaisdell C
(2021)
The emotional relations of children's participation rights in diverse social and spatial contexts: Advancing the field
in Emotion, Space and Society
McNair L
(2022)
The Impact of the Covid-19 Global Health Pandemic in Early Childhood Education Within Four Countries
in Social Inclusion
Reid K
(2022)
Children's rights impact assessments in times of crisis: learning from COVID-19
in The International Journal of Human Rights
Tisdall E
(2021)
Beyond the familiar challenges for children and young people's participation rights: the potential of activism
in The International Journal of Human Rights
Wright L
(2021)
Taking emotions seriously: Fun and pride in participatory research
in Emotion, Space and Society
| Title | Black Girls: the Story of My Black |
| Description | One CIESPI staff member, her daughter, and two other authors published their story "Black Girls: the Story of My Black, an account of two young girls dealing with severe racial discrimination at school because of their hair. CIESPI published the book and is exploring ways for it to reach a national audience to help young black girls facing similar discrimination. |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | ongoing |
| Title | Listening to Children in Brazil about Covid |
| Description | Part of the CIESPI SIPP team worked with a small group of other organizations from the National Coalition on Early Childhood to use creative methods to elicit children's views. The project, "Listening to Children" created a video where adults interviewed children about the impact of Covid 19 on their lives. The children were asked two questions: What do you think about this pandemic and what you feel about the pandemic. The replies were such as "I hate the pandemic; I cannot leave the house and I cannot play with my friends". "It is horrible, I have to use a mask all the time." The video, to which we will add English subtitles for an international audience, is a vivid lesson in how articulate and passionate children can be about the situations they are facing and hence an encouragement for all researchers to use such methods to permit child participation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Impact | None as yet, but discussions are underway to use the video to facilitate asynchronous discussion between children in different cultural contexts. |
| Description | 'Safe Inclusive Participative Pedagogies: Early Childhood Education in Fragile Settings' (SIPP) has made important and demonstrable social and economic impacts with its country partners, contributing towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, gender equality and inclusivity. This has been achieved by establishing governmental and community partnerships, since the project began in January 2020. SIPP works with academic and community partners in 4 ODA countries: Brazil, Eswatini, Palestine and South Africa. Societal and economic impact of the award on the DAC list countries The SIPP project to date has directly encouraged Early Childhood Education (ECE) development within its community case studies, with societal impacts. These indirectly have economic impacts, in fostering parents' and particularly women's ability to take on paid employment and providing paid employment opportunities within ECE. The project's focus on safe, inclusive participative pedagogies has specifically had impact on ECE practice and family relationships within the focus communities. Further, partner country teams are currently influencing policy and service development at local and, in some cases national levels, with societal impact. As further detailed in the common question set, all partner countries have developed partnerships with local organisations and stakeholders within their case study community in order to ensure effectiveness and sustainability. • In South Africa, a strong partnership with a third sector organisation, True North, has resulted in an active community advisory group. This group has fostered new and stronger interagency connections, benefitting ECE provision, and child well-being more broadly. The community advisory group is now using the research findings to develop its own community impact plan based on changes that they would like to have in the community. • The University of Eswatini works closely with National Children Services Department (the Eswatini Government's coordinating agency for children's issues), the SOS Children's Villages Eswatini and Alliance of Mayors Initiative on Community Action on AIDS at The Local Level, to undertake their community fieldwork and make connections between data being collected from different sources. • Bethlehem University has strong relationships with three communities over the project's span. In Masarah village, a partnership between the research team and community members resulted in the establishment of an ongoing childcare setting within a local centre, managed by the community and with children supported to take active roles in decision-making and implementation (December 2020 onwards). In 2021, two new partnerships were established with Thabra village, with a campaign to rehabilitate a caravan for parent-child activities, and the Aida Refugee Camp where, in addition to research activities, workshops have been provided to promote participative ECE pedagogy. In the Refuge Camp, the research team has observed that, where mothers previously acted on behalf of their children and rarely engaged with the kindergarten, they are now playing an active role in their young children's education, both engaging with their children's experiences and engaging with ECE professionals. A group of women are leading a campaign to end violence in the camp, with a particular focus on violence in educational settings and for mothers and children traveling to and from school. The women are conducting their own research with their peers and with children and are using arts to express their findings and concerns. • The International Center for Research and Policy on Childhood at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CIESPI at PUC-Rio) works closely with a community advisory committee involving key partners locally and a youth action group. Members of the research team work within the case study community and continue to build trust between the community and CIESPI. The team are working with local media and resources (Rocinha Resists Community Radio Katana, the community newspaper Fala Roça and the museum Sankof) to facilitate key conversations about improving the context of early childhood education in the community that set the stage for more intense priority planning in year 4 of the project. They are advocating for including early childhood information into Fala Roca's already published cultural map. Six young residents were trained to work with young children and now have worked with over 100 children. Not only is this having immediate impacts, addressing the additional family and community pressures due to COVID-19, but the plan is for sustainable impact, with the young activists' commitment to long-term community contributions and future work in ECE. CIESPI has supported a mother and child to write and publish a storybook about the child's experiences dealing with severe racial discrimination at school because of their hair. CIESPI published the book and is exploring ways for it to reach a national audience to help young black girls facing similar discrimination. SIPP provides a framework for the research team to learn from each other and to build cross-national partnerships that link these contexts. We are currently developing cross-national outputs from the project focusing on knowledge exchange with ECE practitioners and communities. SIPP is developing and strengthening links with existing networks and partnerships related to ECE. For example, as a result of the SIPP project, CIESPI team members have intensified their engagement with several key local and national institutions: CIESPI team members are key members of the national childhood coalition for Brazil (RNPI National Coalition on Early Childhood, with over 250 organisations); CIESPI contributes expert advice to the Children's Rights Council of Rio and of Sao Goncalo; and CIESPI had established a campaign to encourage parents to vaccinate young children, after identifying this as a need during SIPP fieldwork. Bethlehem University has strong connections across Palestine and the Arab region. A new member of the research team has links with The Qattan Institute and together they have plans to use findings from and approaches developed in SIPP to build activity programmes in more remote regions of the West Bank. The research team is working with the Arab Network on Early Years to develop online learning opportunities across the region. The Children's Institute is a founding member of a coalition aimed at bringing about law reform to improve ECD provision (Real Reform for ECD) and has presented on opportunities to strengthen ECE policy to the coalition members. The Institute works with the Children's Commissioner in the Western Cape, the region where the case community is located. University of Eswatini is working closely with the National Children's Services Department to ensure the collection of useful ECE data in the country. Sustainability Development Goals The project is an 'accelerator' in addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), as it works across a number of key SDGs. Sustainable Development Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. (especially Targets 4.2, 4.a and 16.2) SIPP contributes to this SDG through demonstrating the economic case for ECE, influencing policy, and direct participatory research in the four case study communities. Certain impacts are evident from three years of the project. As described above, a Childhood Centre has been established in Masarah village (December 2020). The village had lacked ECE provision for children below the age of 4. In response to engaging with the project's preliminary scoping, including establishing a community advisory group and undertaking a needs assessment survey, the community donated space in the women's centre building to act as a Childhood Centre. Reflecting the diverse population of Palestine, in 2021 Bethlehem University also began working with two other communities including the Aida Refugee Camp where they are supporting staff, volunteers and parents from the Youth Centre to build capacity to support ECE. While limited ECE provision was available in these two communities, the research team has been able to explore new ways of working in line with the project themes. The research team is leading a review of the Early Years teaching curriculum at the University of Bethlehem. The government of Eswatini's Early Childhood Care and Development and Education (ECCDE) Policy has been in draft form since 2009. It transpires from consultation with UNICEF that the policy development has been put on hold. UNICEF has supported the mapping of the ECCDE centres in the country through funding support from Global Partnership for Education. This mapping exercise establishes the ECCDE scope in the country and also determines gaps and challenges faced by these centres. The SIPP project in Eswatini is in constant consultation with UNICEF, National Children Services Department and Ministry of Education and Training (where two members of the Eswatini SIPP team are currently employed) to keep track of the process and establish where they can contribute. Members of the SIPP team from CIESPI have been advising two municipal Children's Rights Councils. A Rights Council is a federally mandated body that acts at the municipal, state and federal levels to develop and monitor policies for children and youth. The work is ongoing and they propose changes to the Plan based on emerging SIPP findings. The CIESPI SIPP team engaged with members of the National Coalition on Early Childhood to promote early childhood issues in the run-up to state and municipal elections. The CIESPI team contacted candidates in 2 municipalities with information about key early childhood issues and asked the candidates to sign a letter of commitment to prioritise early childhood. After the election in November 2022, several CIESPI team members participated in research meetings with government representatives to help set priorities for public policies. In South Africa, a member of the SIPP team from The Children's Institute presented learning from SIPP at a curriculum planning workshop for Takalani Sesame - the South African version of Sesame Street is popular in communities and widely used by practitioners as educational support material. The workshop provided guidance related to suitable content for the next season of Takalani Sesame and the outreach component to teachers and parents. In relation to SDG 16.2 ('end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children'), in particular, SIPP have been building an economic case, showing the burden of violence in early childhood on children's subsequent learning and transition to formal education. The first step of this modelling - systematic reviews to identify studies reporting on the incidence and consequences of early childhood violence against children globally - is complete. Sustainable Development Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development: Significant effort has been put into strengthening the SIPP team, especially due to COVID-19. This includes the academic team and wider key Early Childhood Education (ECE) partners. All partner countries were highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Dec 2020, a celebration of the project's achievements was held that included the academic team plus third sector representatives (South Africa), staff from Ministry of Education (Eswatini), International organisations (Eswatini) and field researchers/ community members (Brazil, Palestine). Subsequent webinars have shared findings from policy (December 2021) and initial community case study fieldwork (September 2021) again with academic and policy stakeholders. Drawing from a June 2021 webinar on COVID, early career and established researchers from all country teams contributed to a peer reviewed journal article, published in Social Inclusion (February 2022). A further co-authored publication has been submitted to a special journal issue of British Education Research Journal (September 2022). Findings have been shared in cross-national presentations, at such conferences as International Society for Children's Indicators (May 2022) and European Early Childhood Education Research Association (Aug 2022). Monthly meetings are facilitated for the SIPP team to share information and discussion about creative research methods that we are using in the community case studies and wider research. The project emphasises capacity building across the teams and builds opportunities for team members to learn from each other: for example opportunities for team members to receive training to review academic papers for the WS5 literature review. As further detailed in the common question set, all partner countries have developed partnerships with local organisations and stakeholders within their case study community in order to ensure effectiveness and sustainability. Three country teams (Brazil, South Africa and UK) have further built on their children's rights partnerships, involving both early career and established researchers, to be part of the Management Committee for the successful 7 year Partnership grant for the International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership (2021-2028). Gender Equality • Measures to ensure equal and meaningful opportunities for people of different genders to be involved SIPP ensures equal and meaningful opportunities for people of different genders to be involved. This is built into the community fieldwork, in ensuring equitable participation by gender of both children and carers. One example of this is mothers in the three Palestinian communities who have approached the research team seeking support for ECE and have been received support based on their expressed needs (support to develop spaces for ECE in Masarah and Thabra, and capacity building/training in Aida Refugee Camp). • Impacts of the project on people of different genders SIPP's research team is providing opportunities for female leadership --including the PI, key leadership in every country team and many of the workstreams being women, and several early career researchers -- representing a positive shift in development research funding. Research now conclusively demonstrates that quality ECE improves outcomes particularly for those most disadvantaged (1). Thus the focus on safe and inclusive pedagogy in ECE is particularly advantageous in contexts where girls face potential inequalities. For example, in South Africa girls' and boys' experiences in early learning programmes are for the most part gendered and there is little attention to the importance of a gender-responsive pedagogy to equip children to benefit from schooling and to mitigate against gender-based violence later on. Safe and inclusive ECE protects children from gender-based violence (2). The role of schools in protecting children from violence is increasingly well established, and this recognition is being extended to ECE. For example, violence was endemic in the Brazilian community (favela) before COVID-19 and CIESPI's consultations have found accelerated domestic and community violence experienced by young children and their families. The community consultations have prioritised the need for ECE to address these issues. The ECE workforce is dominated by women in all 4 countries. The ECE sector is fragile, largely informal and has experienced widespread job losses following COVID-19. The project's focus on sustainable ECE, co-produced to maximise community and other resources, will support the female ECE workforce. ECE provision supports mothers, who in all 4 countries and case communities provide the majority of domestic care for young children. Built into SIPP is recognition and support of the role of mothers and other female kin carers, while also considering men's contributions. Demands have only increased with COVID-19, with increased rates of domestic instability and violence and rises in unemployment and poverty (3). Therefore SIPP team members have increased their focus on ECE within the home and family. In June 2021, SIPP held a successful public webinar on the impact of COVID-19's impact on how women and children in the community case studies have experienced the effects of the pandemic disproportionately due to historical marginalisation based on politics, poverty, racism and colonialism. The WS5 systematic review considers studies that report on the consequences of any of the mentioned forms of violence perpetrated against children aged five and below, including but not limited to child physical abuse, gender based violence, domestic violence, community violence, child maltreatment, child sexual abuse, rape, child emotional abuse, witnessing violence. The decision was taken by the team to include violence against unborn children in these reviews. The research team are also conducting subgroup analysis to check if the consequences of violence against children vary with the participant characteristics (age, gender etc). • Impact on the relations between people of different genders and people of the same gender As above. Aspects of ECE provision (e.g. learning and play), violence and safety, female employment are highly relational. Thus SIPP outcomes will directly impact on relationships between people of different genders and people of the same gender, with the aim of positive societal and economic impacts. Specific activities by team members are having societal impact. For example, CIESPI supported a mother and her young daughter to create a story book "Black Girls: the Story of My Black', an account of two young girls dealing with severe racial discrimination at school because of their hair. The aim is for the book to reach a national audience to help young black girls facing similar discrimination, and in the meantime CIESPI staff note the positive impact that telling their story and having it made into a published book has had on the mothers and daughters. Another example is the Campaign Against Violence in the Aida Refugee Camp in the West Bank. This is led by a group of women concerned about the threat of violence as they take their children to and from school. • How any risks and unintended negative consequences on gender equality have been avoided or mitigated against and monitored As part of its ethical approach, country teams are aware of power dynamics within communities and families in relation to gender. They are thus careful in terms of the methodologies used to ensure that power dynamics are suitably addressed. CIESPI's youth action group, who are being trained to work with young children, are more than half young women. The Campaign Against Violence undertaken at the Aida Refugee Camp is led by mothers and focuses on the places in the community where they and their children spend time. • Any relevant outcomes and outputs being measured, with data disaggregated by age and gender SIPP records the gender of participants in its community advisory groups in each country, and age and gender of community case study fieldwork participants. Age and gender are key components of WS 5 work on the economic case for ECE as stated above. • Any other impacts related to equality, diversity and inclusion In terms of the project's operations, recruitment of new research team members (Brazil, Palestine and South Africa) has been undertaken in light of equalities requirements. In particular, efforts have been made to ensure that the research teams reflect the ethnicities of the communities in which they will be working. The University of Eswatini has built its capacity as a team, during 2022 and 2023, particularly in fieldwork with young children and qualitative data analysis, working with local specialist consultants and linking with expertise across the SIPP team. Training opportunities have been offered on conducting systematic reviews, to at least one team member from each ODA country team. Secondary impacts As detailed in the common questions set, SIPP has fostered further collaborations. These include: the Children's Institute's partnership with Boston University, receiving seed funding to expand work in Vrygrond South Africa on violence prevention in families with young children; a successful funding application for UK collaboration with team members in Colombia, for a social enterprise pilot with marginalised Afrocolombian and Indigenous young people in the Colombian Pacific (2021),(2022) and (2023); a Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the Basque Government, at the University of Edinburgh, addressing ECE (2021-23); funding for Childlight, the Global Child Safety Institute (2021-2027); a successful grant application for the Mobile Arts for Peace (2022-24); and an ECE pedagogical programme in Scotland, Greece and the Czech Republic, funded by the Froebel Trust (2021-2024). Conclusion SIPP has completed its third year of funding, undertaken under COVID-19 restrictions which have substantially impacted all 4 ODA country contexts and especially in the community case studies. It faced immense and unexpected pressures when needing to cut 60% of its budget from April 2021 to March 2022. It is a credit to the SIPP team that they prioritised ensuring early career researchers' employment, the community case study fieldwork and to continue with the project. SIPP is successfully meeting its research objectives, building strong partnerships with communities and stakeholders, and sharing its emerging findings through webinars and publications. In year four the team's focus has turned firmly towards impact and creating useful outputs (both within cultural contexts and across the whole project) targeted at the full range of early childhood education stakeholders including children, families and practitioners. (1) Garcia, J. L., Heckman, J.J., Leaf, D.E., Prados, M. (2017) 'Quantifying the Life-cycle Benefits of a Prototypical Early Childhood Program'. Cambridge: MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Doi: 10.3386/w23479. (2) https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2015/12/gender-equality-child-development-job-creation (3) https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1473-3099%2820%2930568-5; Oliveira, A.C., Paiva, A.R., Rizzini, I. (2020) As/os assistentes sociais na linha de frente: violência e violações de direitos na pandemia da COVID-19. In: LOLE, Inez; STAMPA, Inez; GOMES, Rodrigo L.R. (orgs.). Para Além da Quarentena: Reflexões sobre Crise e Pandemia (E-book). Mórula Editorial, junho 2020. ISBN: 978-65-86464-15-3 |
| First Year Of Impact | 2000 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Connected Children partnership programme |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Development of practice and policy. |
| URL | https://lnu.se/en/research/research-projects/project-connected-children-partnership/#:~:text=Connect... |
| Description | Influencing content and outreach for the next season of Takalani Sesame |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Influencing content and outreach for the next season of Takalani Sesame |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Where is the voice of Scotland's babies?: Towards an arts-based methodology for participation with pre- and non-verbal children |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Developing competencies in practitioners and policymakers, to engage with young children and support their participation rights. |
| URL | https://starcatchers.org.uk/work/the-voice-of-the-child/ |
| Description | • Members of SIPP team appointed to the working group of the Rio de Janeiro Children's Rights Council to revise the Municipal Plan for Early Childhood. |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Description | Basque Government Postdoctoral Fellowship, Spain |
| Amount | € 46,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | Basque Government |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Spain |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Challenge Investment Fund |
| Amount | £9,653 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2022 |
| End | 07/2023 |
| Description | Changing The Story (Arts and Humanities Research Council) Follow on Funding |
| Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Children as innovators: harnessing the creative expertise of children to address practical and psychosocial challenges of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic |
| Amount | € 198,693 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | COV19-2020-017 |
| Organisation | Irish Health Research Board |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | Ireland |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 01/2023 |
| Description | Co-creating a social enterprise pilot with marginalised Afrocolombian and Indigenous young people in the Colombian Pacific |
| Amount | £32,680 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government of Scotland |
| Department | Scottish Funding Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 06/2021 |
| Description | Froebel Trust Hub and Spoke Programme, UK |
| Amount | £294,313 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Froebel Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2021 |
| End | 08/2024 |
| Description | International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership, Partnership Grant |
| Amount | $2,499,993 (CAD) |
| Funding ID | 895-2021-1003 |
| Organisation | Government of Canada |
| Department | SSHRC - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | 04/2021 |
| End | 03/2028 |
| Description | UKRI ODA Impact and Development Grant |
| Amount | £29,980 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2023 |
| End | 10/2023 |
| Description | Collaboration between University of Eswatini and Swaziland National Trust Commission (SNTC) |
| Organisation | Swaziland National Trust Commission |
| Country | Swaziland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | A member of the research team (Dr Fortunate Shabalala) sits on their Board of Directors |
| Collaborator Contribution | A member of staff presented on cultural aspects of childhood in Eswatini in a SIPP webinar. |
| Impact | Presentation at SIPP webinar |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Partnership between Bethlehem University and The Arab Network on Early Years |
| Organisation | Arab Network for Early Childhood Development |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Planning online learning opportunities to share learning and experience from the SIPP project. Discussions about a webinar run by the SIPP team are well underway but have been delayed by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing an exciting regional platform for SIPP team to share learning and build on connections |
| Impact | None as yet. The partnership includes academics, practitioners and policy makers |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Partnership between Children's Institute, University of Cape Tow in South African and True North |
| Organisation | True North |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Contributions from Children's Institute, University of Cape Town: contributions in the form of research knowledge and expertise, particularly in the area of child participation methodologies, ability to train, coach and mentor staff and community members in suitable participatory approaches and research methods, knowledge of the ECD sector, key government role-players and other decision-makers, knowledge and expertise in ECD programmes and interventions, financial contribution to staff time on the project is planned. |
| Collaborator Contribution | In-kind contribution from True North in the form of experience, knowledge and 'know-how' in relation to working in and influencing the case study community; access to key, influential community stakeholders; community development and ECD centre-based programming expertise |
| Impact | It is still too early in the partnership to note distinct outcomes. However, meetings have focused on stakeholder mapping processes in order to identify influential stakeholders who should be involved/approached for the project advisory group. Outcomes thus far relate to a deeper understanding of the dynamics and relationships between community ECD stakeholders, who the key stakeholders are and the services they offer in the site, and the challenges and obstacles to ECD service delivery in the site. Meetings have also focussed on the SIPP project outcomes mapping and joint discussion on these elements. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Bridge Community of Practice stakeholder meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on the Children's Act and Children's Amendment Bill challenges associated with ECD programme provision. The intention was to inform stakeholders and motivate them to make submissions to parliament toward reform of the law. Several stakeholders participated in a drive to collectively develop and submit submissions to call for legal reform for ECD. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | CIESPI SIPP bulletins |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A set of 4 newsletters written in Portuguese and translated into English looking at sharing findings and learning from the SIPP project beyond academia. Distributed these 4 bulletins on results of project so far emphasizing the views of parents, teachers, and community reference people to promote debate and action and the laws behind early childhood mandates. This together with participation in community webinars is provoking a new level of interest and awareness of early childhood issues. Local activists interviewed for the project tell us that they were newly encouraged by conversations with us and saw new avenues for action. Four additional bulletins were distributed in 2022: Project Bulletin 6: The views of the parents and responsible adults about the safety, inclusion and participation of young children in their education and in the community. Project Bulletin 7: The results of conversations with young children in Rocinha about safety, inclusion and participation. Project Bulletin 8: The views of early childhood teachers on the safety, inclusion and participation of young children in their education and the community. In December 2022, we published the CIESPI Research and Policy Bulletin # 12 focusing of the results of interviews done with parents and responsible adults about several issues related to their children's education in the community of Rocinha. In November 2022 CIESPI/PUC-Rio launched the Bibliographic Data Base on Early Childhood Education containing articles published in Brazil from 2015-2021 including the bulletins above, thus ensuring they reach a broader audience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/sipp/resources/publications-of-partners |
| Description | Children's Human Rights Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was a virtual zoom conference with over 50 speakers that is sponsored by the Center for Childhood & Youth Studies at Salem State University, with co-sponsors such as Human Rights Educators USA, the Hope for Children CRC Policy Center, UNICEF USA, Child Fund Alliance, Child Welfare League of America, and others. It provided an opportunity to share children's rights developments across countries, and to discuss priorities particularly for the USA. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://hreusa.org/2022/06/09/childrens-human-rights-in-the-usa-virtual-conference/ |
| Description | Children's Institute Research Day, Cape Town, South Africa - January 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the SIPP project aims and objectives, methods and expected outcomes. This was an information-sharing opportunity, to share with colleagues the scope and nature of the intended research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Children's Institute University of Cape Town, South Africa, and True North partner meeting, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Presentation and engagement on the work and vision of local case study community partner (True North). The SIPP project was presented as an area of work in collaboration with the Children's Institute. This meeting had an information-sharing and networking purpose. Outcomes included better understanding of the vision and work of True North, introduction of the SIPP project to partners, and enhanced understanding of the linkages between True North and the SIPP project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Children's Institute mid-year Research Projects Update, July 2020 - Cape Town, South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the SIPP project, progress with deliverables and impact of Covid on project implementation. The purpose was to gauge the extent of the impact of Covid on project goals and implementation plans across the institute. Outcomes included receiving support and guidance on adjustments within the Covid context |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Children's Institute project review and strategic planning |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on SIPP project progress, immediate plans and impacts of Covid-19 at the institute review meeting. Outcomes included practical guidance and support with immediate steps toward project implementation in the context of Covid. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Children's Rights European Academic Network Online Webinar - Building Back Better? Learning from crises for children's human rights |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Crises have seemed ever-present globally over recent years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change. Both of these crises show what can be done collectively to uphold children's rights, should there be global attention and will. They also highlight extreme inequalities, their impacts and the precarity of human rights in times of crisis. This webinar will explore how to learn from these and other crises, to 'build back better' in relation to children's human rights. The webinar included presentations from Prof. Philip D. Jaffé, who is a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and young people from #CovidUnder19, an initiative aimed to foster intergenerational partnerships between children, young people and adult members of the children's rights community to develop evidence-based advocacy to uphold children's rights in pandemic recovery and response. After the presentations, we hosted an interactive panel with the speakers and others, providing an opportunity for questions and discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ed.ac.uk/education/rke/our-research/children-young-people/cyp-events/cyp-crean-building-... |
| Description | Children's Rights in the Early Years Video Youtube |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The description of the video is: "What kind of changes, tools and practices are needed in the system to allow infants' voices to be meaningfully heard and understood in decision making, given the incorporation of UNCRC into Scots Law?" In partnership with NSPCC, Carmel Faulkner, Unfearties Project Worker at Children's Parliament speaks with Professor Kay Tisdall, a Professor of Childhood Policy at the University of Edinburgh, about the essential requirements needed to ensure our systems can meaningfully listen to and understand infants' voices, and the challenges we face as adults when considering children's capacity. This conversation is the beginning of a much larger conversation Children's Parliament is hosting with NSPCC during the Year of Childhood 2021. It will be followed by a Sector Webinar later in the year." As a you tube video, it could be viewed by a global audience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTXEjJUQ0d0 |
| Description | Contribution to Launch of World Visions Centre for Excellence on Children's Participation in Advocacy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | World Vision International has established a Centre for Excellence on Children's Participation in Advocacy. This aims to nature collaborations and learning together, bringing together World Vision staff, policy-makers, children and young people and academia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.wvi.org/our-work/child-participation |
| Description | Coordinating assembly of NGOs in Eswatini: Children's Consortium Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Talk to introduce the SIPP project to the Children's Consortium because NGOs are working on the ground in communities. Looking at identifying organisations working in case study area and sharing information about the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Equal Education webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on an ECD campaign called 'Real reform for ECD', aimed at mobilising civil society actors to co-ordinate and develop submissions calling for change in a law impacting on ECD provision and informed by SIPP. The primary outcome was education/awareness raising about the campaign and the value of participating in collaborative action to influence ECD law reform. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | International Conference 'Rethinking vulnerability within a children's rights approach'. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a 3 day conference, organised by the Child law research group at the Law Faculty, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, is working on a project on Children's Right to Health. This is a four-year project funded by the Norwegian Research Council. As part of the project, we would like to invite to a small conference focusing on the topic children and vulnerability theory. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://uit.no/tavla/artikkel/763508/rethinking_vulnerability_within_a_children_s_righ |
| Description | International seminar 'Participation of children, adolescents and young people in public policies' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | A three-day international seminar was organised in Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile, to help influence their constitutional and national policy changes. The seminar was jointly organised by World Vision Chile, Universidad Autonoma and Catedra UNESCO at the Universidad de Valparaíso. There were further meetings with relevant Minister and policy makers, strategy meetings and interviews. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.wvi.org/content/events/child-participation/children-and-young-peoples-participation-publ... |
| Description | International webinar. Women, Young Children and Covid-19: Stories from Brazil, Eswatini, Palestine and South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This international webinar shared learning from SIPP on how women and children in communities in Brazil, Eswatini, Palestine and South Africa have experienced the effects of the pandemic disproportionately due to historical marginalisation based on politics, poverty, racism and colonialism. The webinar keynote speaker was Advocate Tseliso Thipanyane and each partner country shared stories from the communities in which they work. The webinar concluded with comments fromn our keynote listener, PI Kay Tisdall, and a lively panel discussion. The webinar |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/sipp/resources/events/women-young-children-and-covid-19-stories-from-brazil-e... |
| Description | Meeting with SIPP Co-I and SOS Children's Village in Eswatini |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with a partner working in the area coordinating neighbourhood care points: presenting the project, thinking about future collaboration, and inviting the representative of SOS Children's village to participate in SIPP webinar. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Met with National Children's Services Department (NCSD) under the Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister's Office |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Clement Dlamini (SIPP Co-I) presented to the NCSD to provide information about the project and invite them to participate in SIPP webinar with a view to consulting them regarding community advisory boards. NCSD is responsible for all ECD in Eswatini. NCSD went on to participate in webinar and will provide guidance on advisory groups and continue to be involved in Knowledge Exchange throughout the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Networking meeting with ECD stakeholder, Mikhulu Trust, Cape Town, South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of the SIPP project, methods and expected outcomes. MIkhulu Trust's director shared on interventions used and plans for adaptations/new projects in response to Covid. This meeting had a networking purpose, to assess how the organisations/projects could offer support to each other and share resources. Outcomes included sharing useful information and contacts, and agreeing to consider MIkhulu's book-sharing intervention as a possible method to support child participation and caregiver-child engagement for the SIPP project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | OMEP Ireland Early Childhood Conference 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The theme for the 2022 OMEP Ireland Early Childhood Annual Conference is Repositioning the Child in Early Childhood Education and Care. The conference had considerable engagement in identifying policy progress, and strategising about priorities and how to address the gaps. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://omepireland.ie/omep-ireland-annual-conference-2022/ |
| Description | Palestine - community meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A community meeting where the project was presented and the 15 parents from the community discussed their concerns and views about child participation and protection. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Palestine - feeding back to community about needs assessment |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A community meeting to share results from the needs assessment. Around 27 parents attended and they raised their needs to learn more about child development through play, theatre, drama and interactive science experiments. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Participation and Childhood Seminar Chile |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Organised by World Vision Chile, Kay Tisdall provided a key note speech as part of a seminar series aiming to raise children's rights up the political agenda in Chile and particularly for its constitution. In English, the seminar series was titled '"Constituent Childhood: Proposals and Challenges for children and young people's participation in Chile". Primarily aimed to a Chilean audience, it was also accessible internationally as it was online. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Policy Briefing. ECD programmes: A case for investment in times of crisis |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | A policy briefing looking at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on ECD in South Africa |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/sipp/resources/publications-of-partners |
| Description | Presentation at International conference, It is not enough to survive: the right to well-being in early childhood |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | An early career researcher provided a presentation from SIPP, at the ISCI biannual conference. The discussion was lively following the presentations, leading to contacts for further work. The symposium was part of the international conference, held in Brazil this year. "Children's Rights and Opportunities in an Unequal World: Research, Policy and Intervention" The general objective of the Conference is to bring together researchers from different continents in order to increase knowledge on the Indicators and Rights of Children and Adolescents. The event will provide a more critical view on Public and Social Policies and hopes to offer strategies, opportunities and strengthen spaces and contexts for the promotion of equality of well-being for all children. The ISCI 2022 Conference seeks to highlight excellence, innovation and originality in researches with political and practical implications. Academics working in the research of children's indicators in any country and of any theoretical reference are invited to send research abstracts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://isci2022.org/about-isci/#2021 |
| Description | Presentation at international conference, 'What can we learn from observing children and parents in play activities in contexts of oppression in Palestine?' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A team presentation was given at the annual EECERA Conference. This is EECERA's Annual Conference is the largest early childhood research conference in Europe, providing an exceptional forum and network for scholars, policy makers, researchers and practitioners. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://2022.eeceraconference.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/08/Conference-Programme-Final-v050... |
| Description | Presentation on SIPP project to Eswatini's Alliance of Mayors Initiative on Community Action on AIDS at The Local Level (AMICAALL) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The Alliance co-ordinates HIV response within Municipal Councils including community case study area for project. In Eswatini there is an important link between the HIV response and ECCE. AMICAALL have been responsible for neighbourhood care points and are gatekeepers for accessing the communities within the Municipality. The aim of the meeting was to share information about SIPP, and gain information about their work in the community with a view to a possible future collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Presentation to International Froebel Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lynn McNair and Kay Tisdall were key note speakers at the 9th International Froebel Society Conference 2021, held online. The intended purpose of the conference was: Social justice, equity and integrity are terms that often appear in twenty-first-century discussions of early childhood education and care (ECEC), but what do they mean and how might they be enacted in specific settings, particular locations, individual cultures and nations? What answers might be gleaned from social scientific or historical analyses? How can those who care about and work with young children - including practitioners, researchers and policymakers - develop and achieve visions of social justice, equity and integrity? How do these interact with other(s') goals for ECEC, such as improving children's educational attainment and achievement, and increasing parents' participation in paid employment, training or further study? How might Froebelian perspectives and practices help advance equity and social justice today and in the future? And what role does or should integrity play in all of the above?" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.ifsfroebel.com/?p=713 |
| Description | Rejuvenate Dialogue - Panellist |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lead by a team at IDS and UHI, the goal of the REJUVENATE project is to re-energise the field of child and youth rights in social justice processes through a growing networks of child rights actors and to further consolidate, evidence and develop the REJUVENATE principles. Upon publishing our working paper Learning from a Living archive: Rejuvenating Child and Youth Rights and Participation in December 2020, we issued a call to action to academics, practitioners, decision makers, advocates, and programme implementers involved in working with children and young people to enter into critical dialogue with our work 'as the start of an inclusive process of contributing to and building up international dialogue about children's and youth participation and creating regional networks to share learning on concepts, rights, and goals'. As part of this process, on 14 September we are hosting a virtual dialogue for thinkers and doers in the fields of child rights and children and youth participation. Panellists will share their work and respond and reflect on the REJUVENATE principles, leading to broader discussions with event participants. This was a webinar event, with a diverse audience from different parts of the world including ODA countries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://rejuvenate.global/rejuvenate-dialogue-on-14th-september/ |
| Description | Series of meetings with SIPP CoIs and Eswatini Government Children's Services Department and SOS Children's Village |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The discussions were an information sharing exercise between SIPP Co-Is, the Director of The Children's Services and SOS Children's Village to avoid duplication of community advisory groups and maximise the community voice. As part of these conversations SIPP team members shared about the research project and its participatory ethos. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Symposium and presentations at ISCI Conference 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A symposium was organised, with presentations by team members. The discussion was lively following the presentations, leading to contacts for further work. The symposium was part of the ISCI biannual conference, held in Brazil this year. "Children's Rights and Opportunities in an Unequal World: Research, Policy and Intervention" The general objective of the Conference is to bring together researchers from different continents in order to increase knowledge on the Indicators and Rights of Children and Adolescents. The event will provide a more critical view on Public and Social Policies and hopes to offer strategies, opportunities and strengthen spaces and contexts for the promotion of equality of well-being for all children. The ISCI 2022 Conference seeks to highlight excellence, innovation and originality in researches with political and practical implications. Academics working in the research of children's indicators in any country and of any theoretical reference are invited to send research abstracts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://isci2022.org/about-isci/#2021 |
| Description | Symposium at international conference 'Learning from play: methodological impplications from community case studies in Brazil, Eswatini, Palestine and South Africa' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The project organised a symposium, with all country teams, to present a series of papers. This was shared at the international EECERA conference, which is the largest early childhood research conference in Europe, providing an exceptional forum and network for scholars, policy makers, researchers and practitioners. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://2022.eeceraconference.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/08/Conference-Programme-Final-v050... |
| Description | Thinking about children's rights in the early years - Knowledge exchange workshop with Early Childhood Educators China |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 16 August 2022, 9:00 am-11:00 am Three young school students. Shutterstock/CCO. Join this event which will discuss children's rights in the early years, with a focus on partnerships between family, school and community. This event is free. Event Information Open to All Cost Free Organiser Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education ioe.ctey@ucl.ac.uk Event recording The speakers will discuss children's rights in the early years from different perspectives. They will share research findings, practical case studies, and reflections on promoting children's rights through participatory pedagogical approaches. This is the sixth workshop of the "Knowledge-exchange workshop series for Chinese practitioners to empower young children for sustainability in Early Childhood Education", which aims to support Chinese ECE practitioners to better listen to children's voices, encourage children's participation and empower children's agency in everyday practice, which would support SDGs and promote sustainability education in early years. The discussion was lively and practitioners discussed their own examples. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2022/aug/thinking-about-childrens-rights-early-years |
| Description | Thinking about children's rights in the early years: learning from practices |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lynn McNair and Kay Tisdall contributed a presentation to a 2 hour workshop, on participative pedagogy and children's human rights. This was the sixth workshop of the "Knowledge-exchange workshop series for Chinese practitioners to empower young children for sustainability in Early Childhood Education", which aims to support Chinese ECE practitioners to better listen to children's voices, encourage children's participation and empower children's agency in everyday practice, which would support SDGs and promote sustainability education in early years. The workshop series is organised by UCL in the UK. This workshop series was funded by the UCL Global Engagement Funds and hosted by the Centre for Teacher and Early Years Education at IOE, and Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2022/aug/thinking-about-childrens-rights-early-years |
| Description | Two meetings with UNESCO in Eswatini to present the project and looking at synergies and collaboration |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Supporters |
| Results and Impact | Clement Dlamini (SIPP Co-I) presented to UNESCO about the SIPP project at the first meeting and the second meeting focused on possible synergies and ongoing collaboration between UNESCO and the University Eswatini around ECCE. The development of a co-operation framework between the two organisations was suggested in order to make collaboration possible and ensure that UNESCO are fully informed about the SIPP project findings and SIPP project is informed about future funding possibilities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Vrygrond ECD Forum (Cape Town, South Africa) executive committee meeting, February 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Lizette Berry presented and led a discussion of the SIPP project, it's intentions and envisioned benefits to the community. The meeting intended to introduce the project details and to gauge interest and obtain approval for proceeding with project work in the community. There was interest and support for the project's implementation in the site. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Webinar: Children's Images Online: exploring ethical issues in participatory research projects |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | SIPP, Covision and Froebelian Futures worked together to plan and facilitate this international webinar. SIPP team members provided multiple presentations looking at the ethics of using images of children within and from participatory research with children. Presentations came from multiple cultural contexts and perspectives, resulting in a debate including many different points of view. The webinar resulted in a blog and planned academic paper. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/sipp/resources/events/childrens-images-online-exploring-ethical-issues-in-par... |
| Description | Webinar: Enabling Participation in Early Childhood Education: learning from policy interventions in different cultural contexts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Drawing on policy reviews carried out for the SIPP project, this webinar brought together case studies from Brazil, Eswatini, Palestine, Scotland and South Africa to shed light on how policy interventions are aiming to enable children's participation within Early Childhood Education (ECE). Key questions included: How have policymakers across the world interpreted children's participation in ECE? Which policies have been implemented successfully and what were the drivers behind such positive change? What are the obstacles to meaningful policy implementation in this area and how can they be addressed? |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Webinar: Sharing 'Creative' Methodologies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | A webinar for the broader project team (including local partners) providing an opportunity for reflective discussion about creative methodologies and tools that the different project country teams are using in their communities to work with children and families. Each team gave a short presentation on the methodologies that they are using in communities and how they have adapted them for their cultural contexts - including the challenges and barriers. The webinar finished with a lively discussion and one clear outcomes is that the project has decided to have ongoing regular meetings to continue these discussions and learn from each other. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/sipp/resources/events/sharing-creative-methodologies |