BY MAYSOUN CHEHAB & RANA ISMAIL Global Leaders for Young Children Lebanon Project

Project Goals + Target Group Goal: To reach ECD professionals, practitioners, community representatives, and governmental bodies and raise their awareness regarding: The importance of investing in ECD by focusing on: 1. ECD: Conception to eight 2. Transition from KG to primary The importance of the holistic integrated approach to ECD The issue of teachers preparation Target Group: Teacher preparation colleges/universities coordinators, NGOs and institutions, Community active Syndicates, PTAs, Governmental bodies, Municipalities, Media. Support Team: Group of six ECD advocates - the support team assisted in organizing, implementing, and evaluating the advocacy project. - Dr. Basma Faour – Assistance Professor at Hagazian University - Boushra Kadoura – ECD specialist and nursery director - Shaza Ismail – Adjunct lecturer and ECD Specialist - May Abou Ajram – ECCD Project Coordinator - May Darwich – Early Childhood Program Coordinator - Layal Mansour – Early Childhood Art Teacher

Steps of implementation Preparation phase: Brainstorming and discussion with ARC pool of resource persons. 3 brainstorming meetings between Maysoun and Rana Advocacy project proposal Short listing of our advocates team 9 preps meeting with the support team Cooperation with the Higher Council for Children - MOSA Outputs: Our Children Zero to Eight- Booklet: drafting, editing, layout and design, printing, dissemination in the seminar and by mail. The Early Childhood Development: from Research to Practice Seminar: Invitations, preps of 5 presentations, discussions, and recommendations. Early Childhood Poster: hand made by a teacher, and printing Media appearances : Contacting media representatives and discussing the issue with them. Our Children Zero to Three Seminar: Invitations, preps of 5 presentations, discussions, and recommendations. Evaluation: Evaluation meeting and planning for “what is next??

Presentations of both Seminars: What is early childhood development? Why zero to eight? Cornerstones of the Holistic Integrated approach to ECD Transition from KG to primary National ECD Strategy in Lebanon Children 0-3 in Lebanon 0-3 regional successful models 0-3 international successful models 0-3 Program Quality Indicators ECD Strategy updates in Lebanon

Results and impact 500 copies of the booklet disseminated to schools and parents ECD Arabic posters were placed in schools, MOE, MOSA 100 participants from all sectors attended our national seminars. Concluding remarks and recommendations from both seminars Reactivation of the ECCD National Strategy in Lebanon Focus on the issue of children 0-3 More understanding about the issue of transition – Two Associations started in their schools a structured program for transition and introduced the HIA for 3-8 including lower elementary. 3 media appearances Newspaper coverage 9 Presentations were posted online and available to everybody

Lessons Learned Never too late to start – start where you are most confident. ECD should always be a priority no matter what the challenges are. Advocacy needs a lot of efforts, team work, and strong networking mechanism The desired change will not come easy or soon. All sectors should build bridges between each others and not work in an island oriented approach. Need to work more on local research Need to focus on the issue of 0-3 and transition Advocacy work should be based on research and numbers. The Holistic Integrated Approach is a key tool for ECD advocacy. Always highlight the importance of ECD from zero to eight. We still have a long way to put ECCD as a priority in the minds of policy decision makers…

Challenges Political instability in the country (May 2007-September 2008: 120 days of violent events= assassinations, bombs, strikes…) ECD still not a priority = no special governmental budget for ECD No agreement about the zero to eight ECD period Lack of a common language regarding ECD issues and the HI approach Budget restraints! (number, quality, language) No local research and data especially on disadvantaged children Parent participation was not possible Participation of decision makers in teacher preparation programs: conservative and negative attitude