RESEARCH COURSE FOR LATINAMERICAN MEMBERS OF KEY INSTITUTIONS OF THE CHILDWATCH NETWORK Marta Arango Cinde Colombia

GENERAL OBJECTIVE Promote and strengthen ECD research practices among Latin American Institutions belonging to the Childwatch network (CWI) through a training course for junior researchers. To develop a pilot training course for junior" researchers that can serve as a work model for other regions of CWI.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1.Strengthen the research capacity of Latin American Institutions belonging to the CWI network and others institutions of the extended CWI LA network. 2.Create practical options for cooperative research projects among Latin American CWI Institutions. 3.Make optimal use of the research capacity of the different Latin American Institutions of the network as well as the strengths of its senior researchers to train group of junior researchers.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 4.Encourage the interchange of knowledge and research practices among organizations, based on lessons learned by the institutions themselves. 5.Advance collectively in the creation of knowledge regarding child and youth participation, through the implementation of one or more projects among countries.

WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS PaísParticipanteInstituciónLíneas de acción social de interés MéxicoRuth Pérez López xUAM- XOCHIMILCO México Comunication Integral care of street children ECD Erick Julián Hernández Morales Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana de México Children rights, participation and ECD public policies Fernando Gaal Rodríguez Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Poverty and migration -Evaluation and follow up ECD policies Early Childhood Brasil:Alexandre Bárbara x Soares Centro Internacional de estudios e pesquisas sobre a infancia - CIESPI Community development Defense of child rights -Participation Renata Tavares da Silva Centro Internacional de estudios e pesquisas sobre a infancia - CIESPI - Community development Defense of child rights -Participation xVenezuelaMaría Fernanda Rodríguez Riera CENDIFCitizenship and nation building. -Violent contexts and natural disasters

TO WHOM IT IS ADDRESSED PaísParticipanteInstitución Líneas de acción social de interés ColombiaVicky ForeroCINDE ManizalesChildren Participation Networking in Education Edwin GómezCINDE ManizalesECD in violent contexts Networking Polítical Socialization Isabel Cristina Quiroz CINDE MedellínParticipation Public Politicies ECD care and development Beatriz CárdenasCINDE Bogotá-Conditions of children and youth -Participation NicaraguaLuis Alfonso Martínez González Fundación Para el Desarrollo de la Juventud DESAFIOS Children Rights Comunication Networking ArgentinaFernando FabrisUniversidad Nacional de La Matanza – Argentina. Youth life projects Social Networks

CRITERIA USED FOR THE SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS Participants from the Latin American CWI KI network that are interested in participating and who are doing research in an area of interest to the network and were recommended by a senior researcher of the Institution. Several participants from organizations that are not members of CWI were selected because of the potential of their institutions to become CWI KI to strengthen the network in Latin America.

CRITERIA USED FOR THE SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS The participants have a Masters Degree or have demonstrated successful research experience of minimum two years in the in the areas to be addressed in the course. The participants have communicative abilities in the Spanish language, to be able to participate actively during the course and in the off-site phases.

CRITERIA USED FOR THE SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS The participants expressed interest and motivation in promoting and managing research in an area agreed to be priority for the CWI LA KI network: migrations, movements, displacement, early childhood, poverty, marginalization, violence, children and youth participation, models of political socialization.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE STRUCTURE The course will last one (1) year, with six phases of development. The process is being coordinated by a committee integrated by: Irene Rizzini, (Ciespi, Brazil) Yolanda Corona (Metropolitan University, Mexico) Marta Arango, Sara Victoria Alvarado and Marta Suarez (CINDE, Colombia). CINDE is the host organization. First Phase: Development of the curriculum, selecting reading materials and elaborating workshop guides.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE STRUCTURE Second Phase: Selection of participants This phase took longer than expected, because some KI institutions did not answer on time and after three collective communications without answer, the decision was made to close the registration. Other institutions with potential to become part the network were contacted and three additional candidates were invited. One from Nicaragua, one from Perú and one from Argentina.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE STRUCTURE Third phase: conceptual and methodological leveling Some study guides were prepared to assist the participants in the preparation for the course. They have been well received. Fourth phase: conceptual and methodological strengthening This will take place in Colombia from the 14th to the 25 of November. Two senior researchers from Childwatch KI and two junior researchers from CINDE will take on this tasks.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE STRUCTURE Fifth: Project design This phase will take place in the participants own context, with permanent online communication (or via Skype) with researchers of other institutions that are working on the same project and with the tutorship of the senior researcher within its own institution. The participants will advance and complete the project design whose products shall be presented at the final phase.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE STRUCTURE Sixth phase: On-line seminar On this phase there will be an online gathering of the participants, through teleconference or use of skype to share and present the projects. A plan of the conditions to get the project on the way shall be discussed with the tutor in each institution, and some mechanisms will be established to keep the communication flowing among the institutions involved, strengthening in this manner the CWI network in Latin America.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE STRUCTURE Follow up activities: Evaluation of the preparatory guides and the workshop and course guides using a format designed especially for that purpose. Translation to English of the revised guides. Systematization of the experience. Fundraising for additional resources needed for the projects. Putting the information about the course, the evaluation and the projects of the Childwatch and KI websites. Plan a second phase.

LESSONS LEARNED 1.It has been very easy to team up with some members of the KI, but two of them have been passive. 2.This has been an opportunity to identify which KI meet the basic conditions to be part of the network. 3.This has provided the opportunity to identify and define mechanisms to keep communication flowing in the network 4.Great interest in the region for the course. 5.The participatory aspects of defining curriculum and teaching strategieshave not been as easy as expected for lack of time, but we envision this dimension to be stronger from phase three on.

1.Analysis of the national and socio economic political contexts and their impact of the lives of children. Alejandro Acosta PH.D and participants. 2 days. 2.Childhood, youth and human development María Teresa Luna Ph.D, 1 day. 3.Political Socialization and children and youth participation. Sara Victoria Alvarado, 1 day. CONTENTS AND METHODOLOGY

4.Epistemological Bases of Social Science Research: Theoretical, methodological and ethical implications of doing participatory research with children and youth. Research paradigms in social sciences: positive (descriptive and experimental). Comprehensive (ethnography, phenomenology, case studies); participatory (IAP). How to build theories, an approximation to the object of study, implications for field research 2 days. CONTENTS AND METHODOLOGY

Data collection and building: Techniques and instruments for data collection, 1 day. Quantitative statistical analysis 2 days. Qualitative analysis (hermeneutical and narrative analysis 2 days. CONTENTS AND METHODOLOGY

WORKSHOPS BASED ON ANALYTICAL GUIDES Preparatory guide: 1.Analysis of institucional practices. 2.Analysis of needs and actions. 3.Analysis and visualization of contextual forces.

WORKSHOPS BASED ON ANALYTICAL GUIDES Guide provided the workshop: 4.Definition of research problem. 5.Development of outline for conceptual framework. 6.Development of the research methodology for the project. 7.Socialization of the projects and development of agreements for work in the countries.

EVALUATION ASPECTS TO BE EVALUATED: 1. THE LEARNING OF THE PARTICIPANTS The academic team and the participants Evaluating the projects: Technical quality Relevancy for the country and institution Contribution to the objectives of CWI Every one involved 2, THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM The participants, the professors, the KI and the Secretariat of CWI Contents, methodology, materials, consolidation of the research relationships of the network and contributions to the capacity of each KI to strengthen their research capacity.

3. THE ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION Organization, communications, institutional support. 4. The possibiity for adapting to other contexts KI, Secretariat, participants 5. SYSTEMATIZATION OF THE EXPERIENCE AND REVISION OF THE MATERIALS To improve, simplify and adapt the materials for use in other contexts where CWI works in LA Collect all instruments used for the organization and implementation of the course. Translation to English for use in the Caribbean and other regions.