Our "Strong Foundations" project will improve the early childhood education experience for hundreds of children ages 3-5 in 18 classrooms in Ramdhuni Municipality, Nepal. ETC and partner Save the Earth will: 1. Provide classroom materials, furniture, and recreational items; 2. Offer best-practice-based teacher training; 3. Host training/networking opportunities for the teachers (all women) multiple times per year; and 4. Encourage parents' active involvement and support.
Quality early childhood education (ECE) isn't consistently available to children in rural Nepal. Classrooms - where they exist - can be overcrowded, lacking in basic materials and furniture, and generally insufficient to provide an enriching early education experience. ECE teachers lack access to the types of professional development that can help them perform their important jobs more effectively and enjoyably.
ETC and local partner Save the Earth are working to improve the ECE experience for 450-500 children and their teachers in 18 ECE classrooms. We do this via provision of both tangible and intangible resources: classroom materials and furniture, recreational items, teacher training and networking opportunities, and interactions to encourage parents' active and positive involvement with their children's early education experience.
Among the many benefits accruing to children who participate in quality ECE programs are: 1. Development of basic skills (e.g., counting, sorting, vocabulary-building) that will support their future academic success and overall literacy/numeracy throughout life; 2. Development of important "soft" skills such as smart decision-making, cooperation, regulating emotions, and regular attendance habits; and 3. Development of creativity, curiosity, and inquisitive minds!
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
