Childhood Explorer Summer 2015
Exploring the Lives of Children Worldwide Association for Childhood Education International
Childhood Explorer (ISSN 2377-2883) is published quarterly by the Association for Childhood Education International, 1101 16th St., N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036 Articles published in Childhood Explorer represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions taken by the Association for Childhood Education International. Copyright Š 2015 by the Association for Childhood Education International. No permission is needed to reproduce materials for education purposes. ACEI HEADQUARTERS STAFF: Diane P. Whitehead, Executive Director Michelle Allen, Director of Operations Anne Watson Bauer, Editor/Director of Publications Emebet G/Micheal, Accounting Manager Olivia Kent, Communications Manager Deborah Jordan Kravitz, Production Editor Yvette Murphy, Director of Advocacy and Outreach Nana Ama Oppong, Director of Development Karin Rosenberg, Global Advocacy Coordinator Dione Walters, Membership Assistant
Photography Credits: cover photo: Lucian Coman/shutterstock p. 4: Zurijeta/shutterstock pp. 6-7: Michael Zysman/shutterstock pp. 9-12: photos courtesy of author p. 13: Anne Bauer p. 14: Hatchapong Palurtchaivong/shutterstock p. 15: Nina B/shutterstock pp. 15-17: photos courtesy of author p. 19: milosk50/shutterstock pp. 20-21: photos courtesy of author p. 22: Dana Ward/shutterstock p. 24: Rawpixel/shutterstock p. 25: rook76/shutterstock pp. 25-27: photos courtesy of author
Exploring the Lives of Children Worldwide Association for Childhood Education International
Childhood Explorer Summer 2015 Vol. 2, No. 3
Contents 5
A Step Forward: Sustainable Development, Sustainable Futures
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A Friend Indeed: Reflecting on a Pivotal Adult-Child Relationship at School
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Abstract Art Exploration in a Chinese Preschool: The Role of Open-ended Creative Arts in the Education of Young Children
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Outdoor Classrooms
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“I Felt Like I Had a Purpose There�: Becoming a Global Citizen Through International Service-Learning in Costa Rica
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A Safety Net in Zimbabwe: Early Care and Development Provided by Nhaka Foundation
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Happy Children, Happy Bangladesh: A Quick Look at the Condition of Education in Bangladesh
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Lending a Helping Hand: A School in India for Children Who Are Blind
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Childhood Explorer
A Step Forward:
Sustainable Development, Sustainable Futures As global citizens, we must identify and act on our obligations to future generations. What do we owe the world’s children? Right now, world leaders are tackling this question and deciding how best to direct funding and allocate resources to ensure that every person on earth has the tools and opportunities to thrive. In September, at the UN General Assembly, world leaders will adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Successor goals to the Millennium Development Goals, which expire this year, the SDGs are designed to foster global peace, stability, and prosperity. This is an important time for all of us, and if effective, these new goals will eliminate poverty and hunger and ensure economic and educational opportunities for all people, including the most vulnerable and marginalized. Children are our future, but they are unfortunately very vulnerable to forces beyond their control. They have no choice about the world into which they are born, and it is our obligation to make sure that world is a happy and safe place for them. It is children who will inherit the problems and opportunities we create today and over the next 15 years the SDGs are in effect. While several of the Goals deal specifically with child health, education, and well-being, all of the goals, if achieved, will contribute to bright futures for the world’s children. The Sustainable Development Goals: 1. No poverty – end poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. No hunger – achieve food security, improved nutrition, sustainable agriculture
3. Good health – ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
4. Quality education – ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Gender equality – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Clean water and sanitation – ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Clean energy – ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
8. Good jobs and economic growth – Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth
9. Infrastructure – Build resilient, sustainable infrastructure and foster innovation
10. Inequalities – Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Sustainable cities and communities – Inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable
12. Responsible consumption and production patterns
13. Protect the planet – combat climate change
14. Life below water – conserve oceans and marine resources
15. Life on land – protect and restore ecosystems
16. Peace and justice – access to justice for all
17. Sustainable partnerships for the achievement of the Goals
Children are affected by policies and practices that affect their parents or families. Children of better educated mothers are more likely to survive to age 5. Children of families with full employment at safe and gainful jobs have better access to food, clothing, and medicine to help them thrive. One of the main approaches in developing the SDGs has been a systems approach – recognizing that all elements of human and environmental sustainability feed off of and into a greater whole. In looking over the SDGs, we can see the importance of each to achieving brighter futures for children and families for generations to come. Summer 2015
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A Friend Indeed:
Reflecting on a Pivotal Adult-Child Relationship at School By John Scalzi
Reprinted with permission from author Originally posted at http://whatever. scalzi.com/
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Childhood Explorer
The following essay was written by novelist John Scalzi after receiving the news that one of his dear friends had died. The memories he shares are a testament to the lasting, positive impact that caring adults can have on children’s lives, particularly in the school environment. Schools offer a stable environment for children and opportunities for kind and respectful interactions with adults. Schools and the adults who work there provide critical support for children who are experiencing difficult life circumstances; for some children, school is the only stable environment they experience. Those of you who work directly with children or with teachers may never know all the ways you affect the children in your sphere, or how that impact may resonate down the years. We share the following story as a sample of just how important and valued our caring interactions with children can be. We extend our deep appreciation to John Scalzi for granting us permission to share this personal reflection with our readers.
My friend Jacqueline Kahn died yesterday morning. I want to tell you a little bit about her, and what she meant to me.
she would be sad that I was no longer there, so every day after that, as I headed to the bus to take me home, I would stop in and tell her a joke before I left.
First, you have to know that in the 4th grade, I broke my leg. I broke it by hitting a moving Ford Pinto. Technically I was at a cross walk so I was not at fault, but there was a parked car directly in front of me and I ran out into the street, and the poor man who hit me couldn’t have possibly stopped in time. Regardless, my leg was well and truly smashed up, and I was in a cast and wheelchair for a big chunk of my 4th grade year.
I did that every single day through the end of my sixth grade year, my last year at elementary school. Most of the jokes were terrible. Jackie, bless her, continued to be kind to me.
The folks at my school decided it was not a great idea to have me tooling around the playground in a wheelchair, so for recess and lunchtimes I was carted into the school office, where Jackie was working, I believe, as a receptionist/secretary. I was ten and very very very chatty, so naturally I spent a lot of time blathering in her direction. Jackie, to her credit, was kind to me and talked back, rather than just genially ignoring me. Later, when my leg healed, I in my ten-year-old egotism thought that
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And more than that. My mother went through a terrible divorce early in my sixth grade year, after which my mother, sister and I were briefly homeless, and then moved several times in the course of that last year, to cities other than Covina, which is where my school was. When we moved out of Covina, I should have no longer been able to attend Ben Lomond, the elementary school I was in. But of course I didn’t want that, and my mother didn’t want that, and I’m pretty sure that my mother didn’t go out of her way to tell anyone we had moved. But sooner or later it got out, and I think there was some question about whether or not I would be able to continue at Ben Lomond.
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What happened then, as I understand it, is that Jackie said that if I was made to leave the school, she would quit her job. And that was that. I stayed. I didn’t know any of this at the time, of course. I learned about it much later. But I can’t tell you how important it was. As I said: Rough divorce, homelessness, and shuttling around to several houses, all in the space of a few months. We were terribly poor and because my mother had to find work where she could, when she could, I and my sister were left alone to our own devices a lot of the time. What stability I had — honestly, the one place I could depend on not suddenly changing — came from my elementary school, where I had Jackie, my teachers (particularly Keith Johnson, my 6th grade teacher) and my friends. If I were to have lost that, among everything else I lost, I couldn’t tell you how I would have dealt with it. I suspect I would have dealt with it poorly. So I think I can say without exaggeration that Jackie’s act saved me, in ways I wasn’t aware of at the time, but am aware of now. Jackie’s kindness to me didn’t stop once I left elementary school. We became friends and she was someone I depended on. She stayed in contact with me in junior high and high school. She took me to movies — a lot of movies, and good movies because she was a
film buff — and let me visit her house, where she kept [Welsh] corgis before corgis were cool. In many ways she made me part of her extended family. I knew it and loved it, and thought of her in so many ways as another grandmother, equal to, and in most ways one I was closer to, then my own actual grandmothers. In high school she read my stories and came to all the plays I was in. When I went off to college I would come back on holidays to see her and say hello. When it became clear Krissy [my wife] and I were a serious item, I took her to Jackie’s house so she could meet her (she approved). She was there for my wedding. When I moved away she kept in touch with me through e-mail, sharing her own writing (she was a playwright, and a pretty good one) and keeping me up to date with her family, as I kept her up to date with mine. When my very first book came out, in 2000, I co-dedicated the book to her. She liked that. I knew she was proud of me and the life I’ve made. And now she’s gone. I had advance warning of this day, so I was able to prepare for it, which I think in many ways was a kindness. She was so important to me that having the news cold would have come like a hammer blow. Instead I had time to think of her and the totality of her life and everything I owe to her, in ways obvious and not so obvious, so that when this final door closed I could feel, not pain, but joy in a life that was well-lived and was generous enough to encompass me in it. Jacqueline Kahn was a woman who was good to me as a child, a friend to me as an adult, and always, a home spirit—someone I knew cared for me, no matter what, and with whom I felt safe, and cherished, and loved. I love her, and will miss her, and will carry her and her kindness in my heart all of my days. All my love now goes to her family, and to all of those who knew her and cared for her, and for whom she cared. May her memory be a blessing to each of them. And thank you for letting me share a little bit of who she was with you. When you see me, you see a little bit of her in me. I’m glad of that. She was the best of people.
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Childhood Explorer
Abstract Art Exploration in a Chinese Preschool: The role of open-ended creative arts in the education of young children
During the summer of 2014, I took advantage of an opportunity to participate in an ongoing exchange of early childhood educators between San Francisco State University and the 16th Kindergarten in Chengdu, China, focusing on teacher research.
During my time in Chengdu, I implemented a two-week creative arts lesson with a group of ten 4-year-olds. This is a glimpse into the experience I shared with these children, and how they helped shape my views regarding the role of open-ended creative arts in the education of young children. By Christine Dryer Sarigianis Graduate Student, Elementary Education, San Francisco State University Summer 2015
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I was thrilled by the primary school in Chengdu, with its rows of classrooms stacked three stories high; the ambient sounds of hundreds of students and teachers starting their school day; and the fresh smell of fruit, rice, and Szechuan spices. The classrooms in this Chinese preschool were filled with candy-colored, meticulously created play sets, bulletin boards, and manipulatives. Children’s drawings and writings honoring the Chinese Year of the Horse covered many of the walls. There were also colorful, whimsical cartoon cutouts created by the teachers to highlight the students’ projects. Typical of most preschools I have experienced, the majority of the student projects were teacher-directed, student-created arts and crafts.
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As I walked into the 16th Kindergarten, I experienced some sensory overload, but soon focused on the group of children glancing at me while attempting to continue with their morning routine. Ms. Zhang (Cathy), the classroom teacher, and my assigned translator, introduced me to the other teachers and staff in the room. She asked me to explain how the next two weeks of lessons would be conducted. I quickly covered the lesson logistics and an outline I had created with the Chinese educators, then scrambled to set up my materials. Like the classroom I was visiting, many early childhood classrooms in China and the United States tend to
Childhood Explorer
emphasize teacher-directed lessons that prioritize product over process. However, children gain the most from experiential learning during these early developmental stages. What I proposed in my lesson was to divert from teacher-directed lessons, allowing the students to experiment freely with a collection of openended art materials. The abstract action art movement of the mid-20th century would act as a framework and guide for this creative arts lesson. Harold Rosenberg, the art critic who coined the term “action painter,” defined abstract action art as the process of channeling emotions, ideas, and self, while simultaneously manipulating materials to produce an image. Rosenberg maintained that “what matters always is the revelation contained in the act.” My hope was that this creative arts lesson would allow students to delve into a form of expression and experimentation that would expand their cognitive processes, allowing them to let go of what they had done in the past and thereby experience creating art as a form of inquiry and self discovery. After Cathy introduced me to her class of about 35 children (a typical number for a Chinese preschool), the children and I conducted a dizzying questionand-answer session while Cathy translated as much as she could. The teachers selected 10 students from the group to take part in the activity, and dismissed the rest to continue their regular class routine. I stood in front of a large screen hanging from the wall, and Cathy began to translate the introduction to our lesson. While the children stared at me eagerly, I began showing them pictures of Kandinsky’s Composition IV and Pollock’s Convergence, asking them what they saw. The children started to call out, as Cathy translated, “a mountain, a house, a small window”—all objectbased words. After the children called out some more comments, Cathy turned to me and said, “They think it’s night, and some see light; another says they [have a feeling of ] flying.” Excited by their interest and their use of abstract descriptive words, I moved on to show an action art video of Ushio Shinohara, a Japanese NeoDada artist.
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In the video, Shinohara, his body bare and thin, sops up paint with his boxing gloves. As he lifts them out of the buckets, they look heavy as they drip with colorful, fluid paint. He pulls his right hand back, and then uses the force of his whole body to project his gloves toward the wall-sized canvas. He moves first right then left, “boxing” his way to the other end, periodically stopping to refill his gloves with the wet, sticky paint. I asked the children to stand, loosen their bodies, and act like the artist. “Reach up to the ceiling,” I called out, “and then down to the floor.” At first, the children and teachers timidly followed my lead, glancing at one another and smiling with an
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slipped their shoes off to use their feet as brushes, each picking a bowl of paint.
occasional giggle. When the “boxer” on the screen is finished, he turns to the crowd. His body splattered with paint, he raises both arms topped with visibly worn gloves and smiles, showing the whites of his teeth. At the end of the video, the children looked at me again, not knowing what to expect next. We moved to the intimate rooftop classroom that became our studio for the next two weeks, and the children explored the materials with both excitement and a sense of hesitance. The walls were covered by large swaths of white paper and the floor was scattered with an array of materials and bowls of paint. I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about what was to come. Peering into the various containers, the students made sure to keep a certain distance. I announced to the class, as Cathy translated, “These materials are for you to play with. Think about the pictures and video we just watched, and play with the materials.” The children started to explore some of the objects scattered around the floor, at first slowly, experimenting with how the cups and sticks printed on the crisp paper. After a few minutes, one of the students, May, looked at us and asked, “Can I dip my foot like the man?” Cathy conferred with me and I eagerly agreed. May slipped off her shoes, and calmly dipped her foot into the bowl of the cool, slick paint. She hopped over to the clean, white, paper-covered wall, and gave her most steady kick, leaving a mark that incited excitement and more action from her classmates. A few other students
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The children became entranced with the process of mixing paint colors, whether it was on their paper, in buckets of water, in puddles on the floor, or dripping down their arms. These budding artists were now open to experimenting with new mediums, locations, and subject matter. As the days passed, the children welcomed, with increased ease, larger areas on which to paint. They began to request certain paper sizes and to position them specifically each day. They embraced the use of full-body movements to create their work, quickly realizing that their hands, feet, and even elbows, are valuable tools to be utilized. At a few points, they broke out into dramatic play, experimenting with gestural representations of math and science. Side-by-side with the children as they created, Cathy and I assumed the role of co-learners, observing, enquiring, and scaffolding when the timing seemed right. What impressed me most about these children was their unwavering drive and focus while creating their art. In a lesson with wide parameters, basic materials, and few guidelines, the children seemed to be inspired with endless creative thought and passion. At no point did the children seem stuck or lost. In fact, in the absence of direct instruction, the children began to incorporate other disciplines and life experiences into their creative artwork, elevating the lesson into areas I never could have foreseen. To me, this strongly reinforced the idea that young children need space, personal time, open-ended materials, and teacher support without explicit direction in order to complete the learning process. These are the necessary tools of learning and development, and should be a part of a child’s basic rights. Resource: Rosenberg, H. (1952). The American action painters. ARTnews, 51(8), 22-50.
Childhood Explorer
Outdoor Classrooms
Close your eyes and imagine a classroom. . .
What did you picture?
Desks, chairs, a blackboard? Benches and bare walls? Chances are, you did not picture a garden and a babbling brook. But that’s just what you might find in an outdoor classroom. Every day, children around the world go to school outside. In some contexts, children attend school outside because their communities lack the resources to provide traditional school buildings. In other contexts, outdoor classrooms are created to prioritize outdoor play and highlight the lessons of nature all around us. By Olivia Kent Summer 2015
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Outdoor classrooms respect the role of children as born naturalists. Even from a very young age, children delight in the sounds, sights, textures, (and even tastes!) of the outdoors. Babies will gaze up at the sky and listen to the sounds of birds chirping; as they do so, they are learning about distances, colors, contrasts, and more. In outdoor classrooms, children of all ages can use the environment around them as a testing ground for new information. When learning to count, children can collect and arrange sticks and leaves to reinforce their learning. Teachers can guide children on nature walks and discuss biology, meteorology, poetry, and literature.
Then, they go out exploring, seeking inspiration for their own naturalist poems. After a picnic lunch, the children pick up their trash and discuss why it is important to leave things as they find them, and why humans should try to minimize their negative impact on the natural environment. At the end of the day, Aoife goes home to her parents and tells them about a new type of caterpillar she and her classmates have found. Her mother, Matilde, says, “I am so grateful to be able to send Aoife to a school with outdoor classrooms. As an active child, she gets lots of time to run, and jump, and play, all while learning about maths, science, writing, and reading.”
In outdoor classrooms, the boundaries—both metaphorical and physical—presented by walls and doors in traditional classrooms are completely eliminated, allowing children (and their imaginations) to run free. Outdoor learning through play also promotes physical fitness and environmentalism. Children learn to value and respect the natural world through lessons based on childdriven exploration.
By their very nature, outdoor classrooms require flexibility, on the part of both the teachers and the students. Having to adapt to changes in climate and the natural environment promotes creativity and critical thinking skills, and encourages collaboration. Outdoor classrooms give children the opportunity to learn and grow in the most natural possible environment—equipping them with the skills and competencies they’ll need to become globally focused, sustainability-minded adults.
Aoife, age 10, attends school under a thatched roof supported by wooden poles. There are no walls in her classroom. She and the other children spend every school day exploring the environment around them. Today, for their first lesson, they take turns reading poems about nature.
Resources http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/ blog/2014/april/learning-outside-the-box http://outdoorclassroomproject.org/about/the-outdoorclassroom/
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Childhood Explorer
“I Felt Like I Had a Purpose There”
Becoming a Global Citizen Through International Service-Learning in Costa Rica
Dreonna Richardson is a 2014 graduate of Ballou Senior High School in Southeast, Washington, D.C.,
and just finished her freshman year at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, as an English education major with a minor in global studies. She was always a bright student with strong aspirations to make her family proud. While she always had a plan to go to college, she never anticipated getting a passport, going abroad, and ultimately selecting a path that would lead her to a career teaching internationally. “I grew up with the rats and the roaches. I grew up in the hood, in the struggle,” says Dreonna. Some of her siblings had run away and gotten into trouble, and she had seen many of her peers get caught up in the wrong crowd. She felt like she was the only hope for her family and so “at school I stayed to myself, I didn’t really have friends.” But then she found her niche, making lasting bonds with friends who had similar goals. She flourished and found herself. Dreonna says the transformation was largely a result of her participation in the Ballou International program. By Allison (Baugher) Crowell and Dreonna Richardson
Summer 2015
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Ballou International is an organization at Ballou Senior High School that offers an after-school global citizenship curriculum year-round, as well as culminating international service-learning opportunities for participants during the spring or summer. Students develop leadership and teambuilding skills as well as global competencies and follow up this experience with a mandatory community presentation and action plan to outline how they will take what they’ve learned and apply it in their own lives and communities. Ballou International, dedicated to exposing low-income students to the great big world outside of Washington, D.C., is entirely funded by private donors and was started by a group of teachers with students exactly like Dreonna in mind. When Alli Baugher began teaching at Ballou Senior High School in 2008, she quickly realized that her students had a very narrow view of the world, mostly because of their limited access to opportunities for exploration and exposure to different places and people. One day during her first year, she asked her students, “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” A few responded with the expected “Paris” or “Hawaii,” but the majority had answers that were surprisingly close to home—New York, Florida, and even Virginia (adjacent to Washington, D.C.). Alli knew firsthand the potential impact of global education, because she had been fortunate enough to travel and study abroad, but she did not realize just how valuable this sort of experience could be for her student population.
Dreonna speaks about her time in Costa Rica with a smile on her face and a certain lightness and peace of mind as she recalls her favorite memories. “The air was different, the breeze; all I saw was smiles. Everyone was holding hands and happy. I thought, I’m not in D.C. anymore. I thought I was in heaven. In the U.S., you talk to someone on the bus and they look at you like you’re crazy. I felt like I could’ve walked up to someone in Costa Rica and given them a hug and they would’ve hugged me right back. I tell my friends at school all the time, in Costa Rica even when it rains you can’t be sad. [Laughs] I just got real happy just thinking about it.” It was her first time seeing the ocean, her first time on a plane, and her first time being away from family. It was the first of many things for Dreonna. Thinking about the ways in which Costa Rica was different from home, she spoke as if she were describing a different world. “The animals are just free to walk around, like they live there, too. It was so weird, but cool, too. In D.C., you see a wild animal and people run. I overcame a lot of my fears, but not my fear of bugs. I’m still afraid of bugs.” While she was in Costa Rica, she did face many fears— she went kayaking and horseback riding, she hiked and zip-lined through the cloud forest, and she even learned to swim. The highlight of her experience, however, was working in a rural elementary school in the mountains; her time at the school will not be quickly forgotten. “I remember how the kids just clung to us; they treated us like we were special. I felt like I had a purpose there, that they were actually learning from me and I was
As a junior in high school, Dreonna had never imagined leaving Washington, D.C., as she is someone who is very connected to her home and family, and her life circumstances seemed to preclude international travel. When, as a thriving Spanish language student, she heard about an opportunity to go to Costa Rica, she initially thought, “This isn’t for me. I don’t want to go.“ But her favorite Spanish teacher, Ms. Kulsum Vakharia, wouldn’t take no for an answer. She knew the experience would be transformative for Dreonna, and wanted to make sure her dedicated student participated and reaped the benefits.
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Childhood Explorer
making an impact. When the kids started talking about their careers, I realized how English was critical for them to be able to accomplish the goals they had for themselves. I felt like I had this amazing privilege to be able to teach them English and give them the opportunity to possibly venture out of their small towns and even [out of their country], just like I had had the opportunity to do. At the time I wasn’t necessarily thinking about it being my major in college, but I was definitely thinking about coming back and doing something, maybe volunteering again, or working in Costa Rica. I wanted to figure out how to make that happen.” Since her time in Costa Rica (now over two years ago), Dreonna has remained committed to that vision, with a goal of studying abroad in college and getting her teaching license so that she can teach English abroad after graduation. However, despite her dedication and academic preparedness, her first year in college was not easy. The same homesickness and culture shock that she struggled with in Costa Rica challenged her as she settled into the freshman dorm. “I was longing to be home and be back in my comfort zone, but then I realized I had so
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many great things and opportunities around me and that I had to focus on those things. It was the same exact feeling I had in Costa Rica and I used the same skills I learned there to overcome it. While traveling, I learned that I can give into my fears easily, but I can also conquer them. Once I get out of my head, I can overcome them, and I feel like I can do that with anything.” Dreonna feels that her opportunity to travel while in high school, having an “away” experience while still in a structured and supportive environment, prepared her for the challenges she faced during her first semester in college, and even convinced her she was capable of going away to college. “Costa Rica made me openminded. Some people don’t get to get out of D.C.; they don’t even get to travel to other states. They just stay where they are. And I would’ve been the same. Because, honestly, if I hadn’t had that experience, I probably wouldn’t have left D.C. and gone off to school somewhere else. I know [my college is] only 6 hours away, but it’s a different world. And that forces me to meet new people and learn more than I ever could at home. I learn new lessons every day. And the challenges I faced this past year made me even stronger and more motivated to do better next year.”
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Dreonna aspires to travel, because she now knows the value of such experiences. She also knows travel is something that is accessible to her if she makes it a priority and sets long-term goals. Not traveling is not an option. “I was afraid of traveling before and I didn’t think it was something for me. But now I’m like, I’ve got this passport, and if I go to school I can have the opportunity to continue to fill up this passport. I don’t want to have a passport that expires in 10 years and has one stamp in it. Traveling would not have been part of my future plans if I hadn’t gone to Costa Rica with Ballou International.” Dreonna carries herself like a true global citizen now, but she hadn’t thought about global citizenship before because until she experienced travel she could not really understand the concept. “It’s important to be a global citizen because you’re always going to be better off when you venture out into the world than if you stay in your comfort zone. If you stay where you’re most comfortable, you’ll never really grow. As a global citizen, you not only learn about the world, but you learn more about yourself. You learn what you’re capable of. In D.C., I have a certain image of myself. In Costa Rica, I had to start all over. I’m in someone else’s environment; I have to learn how to react. I’m out of my element, miles away. You step outside of yourself and see who you really are. When your environment changes, your whole image of yourself changes.” Even after some struggle during her first year of college, Dreonna’s dreams have not been quenched. When asked about her plans after graduation, she speaks with excitement about her goals. “Once I graduate, I plan on getting in a plane and going back to Costa Rica. That’s all I want to do.” Dreonna certainly has the travel bug, but she recognizes that travel not only fills a personal desire, but also gives her the opportunity to contribute to a real need around the world. She wants to use the skills and knowledge she has gained through her travels and through college to help provide others with the same opportunity for cultural exposure and education. “Traveling to Costa Rica made me more grateful. We get to take
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a foreign language class in school for free, we have opportunities to travel, and we have easy access to education and transportation. They just didn’t have as many opportunities as we do, even compared to where I come from, and it made me more appreciative of what’s offered to me. We Americans can be very spoiled, and … we [don’t always] appreciate what’s been handed to us.” Ballou International has been offering global learning experiences to students for six years, traveling to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Zambia, Ghana, China, and the Dominican Republic. While the initial goal of this program was cross-cultural education, the mission has evolved based on what they have learned from students like Dreonna about how crucial these experiences are for developing global leaders who are committed to service and have the social and emotional preparedness to be successful in college. Adapting to a new environment, embracing the unknown, and learning lessons from your mistakes are some of the most important skills for high school graduates to acquire before embarking on the sometimes scary, lifelong journey of education and self-exploration. “When we go out into the world, we often develop an even stronger understanding of and commitment to the injustices that exist in our own backyards. And we come home with a newfound energy, hope, and commitment to doing something about it. I am proud that our program has instilled a passion for travel and education in our students, but I am even more proud that many of them are now graduating from college with an interest in using the global perspectives they have acquired to ignite change in their home communities,” says Alli Baugher, founder of Ballou International. “As a teacher I can’t think of a more powerful educational tool than actually showing our children the world.” Continuing to grow this program at Ballou and thereby ensuring that students have access to global experiences is so important for the future of young people like Dreonna. For more information about Ballou International, or to show your support, please visit www.ballouinternational.com.
Childhood Explorer
A Safety Net in Zimbabwe: Early Care and Development Provided by Nhaka Foundation By Patrick Makokoro
The Nhaka Foundation, a Zimbabwean non-profit organization, was established in 2007 to provide
access to education and health care for vulnerable and orphaned children in Zimbabwe. It supports programs that are locally sustainable, environmentally sound, and respectful of the cultural values of the communities in which it works. Nhaka Foundation works with the community and in partnerships to restore the traditional safety nets that have been eroded through the social and economic upheaval that Zimbabwe has experienced. The photos and written reflections on the following pages provide insight about the kind of support Nhaka Foundation provides for young children and their families through their early care and development program. Summer 2015
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Sophia Muda, 69 years My grandchildren attend ECD classes at Mapfeni Primary School. My daughter passed on and I was left with custody of these two children. I am not employed and l do not have enough food to give them. Sometimes, l boil maize cobs to give them for breakfast. At the ECD classes, the children are benefiting from the feeding program sponsored by Nhaka Foundation. The feeding program is contributing a lot to the nutrition needs of my grandchildren. If they go to school hungry, they can have porridge or a nutritious drink called maheu. They will also receive lunch and so when they finish school they will walk back home on full tummies. When they arrive home, they will play until evening. The program helps me a lot because l can only afford to provide supper. Through various meetings with Nhaka Foundation l understand how my grandchildren learn through play. I have used my indigenous knowledge to make toys for them. In the photo, my grandson is holding a toy hut. I used to make these to sell, but these days because of my ill health I cannot travel long distances to sell them. I can only make a few for my grandchildren to use when they play. The ECD classes are helping my grandchildren to be ready for school, since they can now draw patterns on paper and name various shapes.
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Macline Mutarwa, 26 years I appreciate the ECD program provided by Nhaka Foundation. Since my child started attending ECD classes, I have noticed great changes in his life. What pleases me is the self-esteem and confidence that he is showing. He can now recite poems in English, which pleases me most because I know learning English is a stepping stone for a child to master other basic subjects that are taught in English. My child’s brain has been stimulated in such a way that he is keen to read books and observe pictures. He has also developed a tendency to ask questions that need explanations. This shows that he is preparing himself for formal learning. My greatest appreciation goes to Nhaka Foundation, which engages the ECD teachers in various trainings that equip them with skills to improve learning in ECD.
Childhood Explorer
Acusillia Tawonezvi, 30 years I am a vendor by profession. I sell vegetables in the nearby villages. I travel by foot to deliver vegetables from door to door. When my child was not attending ECD classes, I found it difficult to travel to sell my vegetables. But since he started going to ECD, l have time to sell my produce and raise money to pay for school fees and buy clothing for him. My child has developed intellectually since he started attending ECD classes. In the picture, he is holding shapes that he can identify without any difficulty. The time he spends in school has created an opportunity for me to sell without the burden of walking with the child.
Nhaka Foundation’s package of interventions provide much-needed support to bridge gaps and ensure that government policies for extending early childhood development services through primary schools become reality. The strategic interventions create demand for the services, and ensure quality teaching is being offered and that the physical environment is conducive to learning and play for the children. Visit the Nhaka Foundation website for more information, www.nhakafoundation.org, or send an email to patrick@nhakafoundation.org for partnership opportunities.
Summer 2015
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Childhood Explorer
Happy Children, Happy Bangladesh A Quick Look at the Condition of Education in Bangladesh By Sheikh Sarahzin Ahmed, Gender-based Violence Fellow, Save the Children No, I am not going to share any negative stories about Bangladeshi children, because there are so many good stories to share. While the more than 57 million children who live in Bangladesh do face a range of difficult issues that hamper their survival and development, preventing the full realization of their rights and potential, they know how to survive and how to face challenges. They are warriors. In the morning, heavy traffic of rickshaws (two-wheeled vehicles pulled by humans), cars, and motorcycles can be found on almost every street in Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh). A significant part of this traffic is children dressed in uniforms making their way to school. Although the traffic can be stressful, it provides concrete evidence that the people understand the importance of sending their children to school. The same scenario also can be found in rural areas. An extensive campaign by the government and non-profit organizations has emphasized the importance of education. The 2013 annual primary school census provides the following data: • The total number of schools was 106,859. Of these schools, 35.28% schools are government primary schools (GPS); 21.18% are newly nationalized primary schools (NNPS); and 13.2% are kindergartens. • A total of 19,584,972 children were enrolled in school (in all types of schools); 9,804,020 (50%) were girls. The percentage of girls in the two major categories of schools—GPS and NNPS—was 51% and 50%, respectively. • The total number of teachers was 466,508 (all types of schools). Of these teachers, 265,776 (57%) were female
Summer 2015
teachers. The percentage of female teachers in the two major categories of schools—GPS and NNPS—was 64% and 45%, respectively. • The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) is the main primary education provider in Bangladesh, accounting for a total 68,373 schools (64%). The share of students in MoPME-managed schools was 79.9% and the share of teachers was 69.2%. • The primary education completion rate has risen from 60% in 2010 to 79% in 2013, including a gain of nearly 5 percentage points between 2012 and 2013. The main factor contributing to this rapid improvement appears to be the introduction of the Primary Education Completion Examination (PECE), as more pupils outside of GPS/NNPS now sit for the exam. The survival rate is the percentage of a cohort of students enrolled in grade 1 who reach grade 5. Similar to the completion rate, the overall trend of both completion and survival rates is significantly positive since 2010. It was 67.2% in 2010 and 80.5% in 2013. Current government projects to promote the education of children in Bangladesh include compulsory primary education for all, free education for girls up to grade 10, stipends for female students, a nationwide integrated
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education system, and a food-for-education literacy movement. A large section of the country’s national budget is set aside to help put these programs into action and to promote education and make it more accessible.
about the child rights situation of Bangladesh. Through the “Because I Am a Girl” campaign, Plan International has had an impact on every child in every community—both rural and urban—by supporting girls’ education.
In addition to these traditional schools, a substantial number of non-formal schools run by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) cater mainly to dropouts from the government and non-government primary schools. The largest non-formal education center program is run by the well-respected BRAC orgranization. Interestingly, the government has placed Non-Formal Education Bill, 2014 into Parliament, with the goal of developing a separate board to govern these programs.
Corporations also have become very responsible about the education and protection of children. As an element of corporate social responsibility, they are spending a significant amount of money on social issues and have launched very successful programs. Robi Axiata Limited, Grameephone, Banglalink, and Airtel are prominent corporations that are playing vital role in protecting child rights.
International NGOs, namely Save the Children and Plan International, are playing a major role in early childhood education in Bangladesh. These NGOs have empowered children by letting them know their rights. The children of Bangladesh are now very much concerned about their rights and the treaties Bangladesh has made concerning child and human rights. They are very much concerned about gender roles. Through the National Child Task Force (NCTF), a forum of children formed by Save the Children, children from all 64 districts of Bangladesh can express their opinions about their own rights. They are now bold enough to express their valuable opinions to the government before it can execute any legislation or policy affecting children. Through a Save the Children project, named “Our Report Towards Our Bangladesh,” children have prepared and submitted alternative reports about the Concluding Observations of the United Nations regarding human rights. They focus on major information
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Last but not least, media outlets have engaged children as “child journalists.” Radio and television channels are broadcasting programs on child rights and engaging children as reporters and/or producers. This has brought hope to the children of Bangladesh that their rights will be properly recognized. Despite many challenges, the children of Bangladesh are now progressing in many ways. They are exercising their rights, which was beyond imagination not so long ago. From this generation, an even more capable generation will certainly emerge. Sources: http://dpe.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/ dpe.portal.gov.bd/publications/e59c1e65_d871_446e_ a5f5_3ab69fee590b/Final%20ASPR%202014.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Bangladesh http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/09/16/nonformal-education-bill-tabled
Childhood Explorer
Lending a Helping Hand: A School in India for Children Who Are Blind
At the Calcutta Blind School, founded by Shree Lal Behari Lal in 1894 in the populous city of Kolkata (previously known as Calcutta), the students are encouraged to become independent learners. The teachers and administrators work extremely hard, with minimal funding, to make a difference in the lives of these children.
By Smita Guha, St. John’s University
Calcutta Blind School
Summer 2015
Shree Lal Behari Lal Founder of Calcutta Blind School
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When the school was first found, only one child was enrolled. Now there are 105 students, most of whom are residents. However, there are 22 non-resident students and the distance they have to travel can be a challenge. They are either on a waiting list to live at the school or their families want them to commute. Educational Philosophy of the School: Educating the Whole Child Although the children are educated as a group, education is individualized and focuses on addressing the whole child. In addition to the academic education curriculum, music is also compulsory for all children. In music education, the children are taught to sing and to play the tabla (a percussion instrument) and sitar (a stringed instrument). The children respond very well to the music education and music can be therapeutic. The children also take part in sport activities—physical exercise is mandatory. Often, blind children and adolescents are less physically active than those with vision, and obesity can be a concern. Some of the sports activities are running, jumping, and playing cricket. Children play cricket by listening; when they hear a particular sound they know when to strike the bat. Weight training is also another way that the institution strives to control obesity issues. On the playground, the children play with a ball that has a bell inside. They roll the ball on the ground and run in the direction of the bell’s sound. The children also engage in handicrafts and art work. They make their own greeting cards and candles, and weave or knit sweaters, scarves, etc.
They learn many practical household activities, such as how to peel eggs and potatoes and cut fruit with knives. The children also grow mushrooms and different vegetables. They enjoy planting the seeds and are very happy to eat the fruits and vegetables from their own garden. Academic Endeavors The children at the Calcutta Blind School use Braille for academics. According to the teachers, an academically strong child is fluent in Braille, and can state his/her need. Technology is available to enhance instruction in the form of computers, iPods, web cameras, audio CDs, and speech software. The teachers found that the other four senses are more powerful for children who are blind. They take in information through sound and touch, creating mental pictures that they memorize. Their memory is very sharp. Daily Routine for the Resident Students 5 a.m. Wakeup 6 a.m. Breakfast 7 a.m. Study 9 a.m. Bath 10 a.m. Dining hall 10:45 a.m. Prayer 11:10 a.m. - 4:20 p.m. School 4:25 p.m. - 5 p.m. Snack 5-6 p.m. Playground 6-7 p.m. Music 7-9 p.m. Study 9 p.m. Dinner 10:30 p.m. Bedtime
Students’ Handicrafts
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Childhood Explorer
Success Stories of the Children According to the administrators, the children who become fluent in Braille do better academically than the others. Some of the children who have graduated from this school have become barristers, advocates, lawyers, college professors, elementary and high school teachers, and telephone operators. Some of the graduates stay at the school as teachers. Assessment and Evaluation in the School Before coming to the school, the children take an admissions test that involves touch and sound. Familiar household items are placed in a tray, including a potato, an onion, different types of lentils, a bottle of vinegar, and bottles of other liquids. The child has to feel, listen to, or smell several objects and then identify each one. Children who correctly identify at least 50% of the items are admitted, provided there is a vacancy.
economically disadvantaged families. The families are generally illiterate and suffer from ill health. Often, the children are suffering from malnutrition. The children may be neglected at home and parents may feel the need to hide a child who cannot see. Children who feel neglected in such ways often demonstrate behavioral issues. Parents often only bring the child to the school when they feel they can do no more themselves. This late enrollment becomes a problem for the child, who may have no experience working to achieve and suffers from a lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. Some children even have to be trained to walk. They need to become accustomed to the new environment, and are given time to socialize with their peers. To overcome some of the potential difficulties of working with children who are blind, the teachers at the school need to attend seminars and professional development so they can get updated information about how to enhance learning for children who are blind. Although support is received from the state, finding funding for staff salaries and teachers’ professional development is always difficult. Usually, funding is received for 10 months; each child receives Rs. 1,000 (approximately $16) per month. Most of the funding comes from sponsors and individual donors. Sometimes, individual donors host events and offer lunch or dinner.
Admissions Test: Identifying Household Items
At the end of grade 10, the children take the standardized board exam. Therefore, the curriculum is followed from the very start. Assessment is done through an internal exam and the results are quite satisfactory. If a child struggles in academics, it is usually because the child has not mastered Braille. The child receives individualized attention from the teachers and spends extra time practicing Braille. A child who has visual impairment usually learns through mental mapping. Teachers take great care to teach the children these important skills. Challenges Faced by the Children and the Adults In general, the teachers at the school see a pattern. The children who come to this school are mostly from
Summer 2015
Plans for the Future The teachers and administrators feel very positive about helping children who are blind. It is hard work, but the staff members view it as a worthwhile challenge. With future funding, they have plans to grow more crops so that the children can have natural food to eat. The children will take part in planting the seeds. The children also need a playground with some play equipment. Most importantly, they need assistive technology. They need computers with screen readers and reading machines that can scan a printed page and read the material back to the listener through a synthesized voice. Voice recognition devices that allow users to control a computer by speaking could be beneficial. Such assistive technology tools can help children who are blind become more functional and independent.
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Childhood Explorer The Association for Childhood Education International, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the optimal education and development of children, is proud to be offering this new publication that focuses specifically on the experience of childhood around the world. Childhood Explorer is an online vehicle for sharing informative and inspirational stories about childhood and about projects and campaigns that provide quality education, care, and support to children and youth in diverse communities and circumstances. We invite you to submit short, 1- to 3-page, articles for consideration. We are seeking narrative, conversational articles that stay focused on a personal story of childhood, while connected to a global issue concerning childhood and children’s education. Visit http://acei.org/acei-publications/childhood-explorer for more information and to download guidelines and samples.
Topics of interest are: Daily life of a child in a particular geographic location/culture/socioeconomic situation/life circumstance NGO initiatives to support children’s well-being and education Programs/approaches and how they work through real-life application Global trends in education
For more information about this publication, contact editorial@acei.org.
Global trends affecting childhood
Exploring the Landscape of Childhood Worldwide Association for Childhood Education International