The project aims at answering an identified need of establishing a reference point for sharing, exchange of resources and points of view, peer learning and support, common understanding about the addressed topic and common research on curriculum development, by means of a network focused on ECEC workforce.

The project therefore aims at establishing a network able:

- to establish permanent working groups in specific topics and issues of the field, such as (a) curricula for ECEC staff development and comparison; (b) monitoring of the state-of-the-art of ECEC staff in Europe, starting from the available data; (c) exchange of practices and models for ECEC staff training (pre-service, in-service); (d) identification of innovative case studies and description of them in order to make practices transferable across countries and institutions; (e) research in ECEC topics;
- to set up an online website as pool of learning resources, information and reference point for workforce of ECEC and institutions involved in ECEC at all levels in Europe, as well for others groups (i.e. parents, association of parents);
- to link the actors of ECEC across Europe, by fostering communication and by organizing/promoting meetings;
- to build a community, and promote peer learning and support among staff involved in ECEC;
- to promote and enlarge the community, through dissemination and exploitation of results;
- to establish an effective system for monitoring and evaluate the network.

At present, there are little available services, mainly country-based, and a European network devoted to the topic of staff development in ECEC.

The network aims at establishing links between teachers, childminders, nurses and all the profiles included in the EU varied ECEC-staff environment, as well researchers and policy makers in the field. The main reason for the network establishment stands in this fragmented background, that doesn’t allow sharing of experiences, building of communities of childminders and other concerned actors (like researchers), awareness on the relevance of the topic which is the first step for change and improvement. It is a fact that demand of services for education care for children under school age has grown in past few years: it is a fact however that common curriculum, educational paths, professional profiles and models of intervention, and quality concerns on staff development for ECEC has not been accordingly pursued yet. ECEC workforce appears to be in need of learning and support across Europe, especially in countries where the ECEC systems are underdeveloped: to other hand, there are already developed learning resources and sharing opportunities that should be disseminated and made accessible.

The networking action therefore will not have relevance and impact at national or local level, and can exploit its potential only at European level. In this way, a double outcome will be achieved: as a short term impact, teachers/childminders could access resources, information and peer support and researchers could work on curriculum development and related issues providing updated information and advices to policy makers; as a medium term impact, the networking action will contribute to raise awareness and stimulate the action of EU bodies as well by Member States on ECEC staff development. In addition, the network will provide a unique pool of resources and information on ECEC with a EU perspective, that at present doesn’t exist, for the benefit of all stakeholders involved.

Do you want to join us? e-mail us comunicacion@waecemail.org

Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. The Innovation in Learning Institute (FIM NewLearning) at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, is a research organisation dedicated since 1976 to lifelong learning and technology-enhanced learning.

University of Macerata. The University of Macerata, funded in 1290, is one of the oldest in Italy, and the oldest in its region. The University of Macerata has seven Faculties to choose from: Cultural Heritage, Economics, Law, Literature and Philosophy, Media Studies, Education Sciences and Political Sciences.

SCIENTER CID. SCIENTER CID is a research, consulting and services organisation, active in the field of education and training that was created as a Limited Company at the beginning of 1999.

AMITIÉ. Amitié is an Italian research centre, focusing on education and training, with a large experience in the provision of support and management services.

IPAK. The main research area of IPAK Institute are development of new approaches in education using ICT technologies, development of web applications, development of creativity and creative communities, development of innovations and invention and lifelong learning.

EDUCODE. National Centre for Professional Development in Education, Educode, is a state owned expert organization (staff is 30 people) operating both nationally and internationally. It is an expert for continuing education in the field of teaching and education with activities like implementing and organizing in-service, continuing and further education according to the national education policies and priorities etc.

The World Association of Early Childhood Educators (AMEI-WAECE) is a participative and democratic non-governmental organization, not for profit, to service the educators of the smallest children to facilitate the elements that in any part of the world are demonstrating a better adequacy to their interests and development.

EDEN is the most comprehensive European association in the field of open, flexible, distance and e-learning. Its aim is to foster developments in distance and eLearning through the provision of a platform for collaboration between a wide range of institutions, networks and individuals concerned with ODL and e-learning in Europe.

Militos Emerging Technologies & Services offers an integrated range of innovative consultancy services in a wide spectrum of fields, such as environment, women entrepreneurship, gender equality, employment and VET, culture, media, R&D, etc. A prominent field of activity for Militos includes dissemination, awareness raising, media relations and information campaigns. It regularly initiates and participates in national and transnational EU co-funded projects, where it commonly undertakes the role of dissemination and exploitation expert.

The Budapest University of Technology and Economics established its Distance Learning Centre in 1997, which, with new tasks operates as Centre for Learning Innovation and Adult Learning since 2007 as a division of the Institute of Applied Pedagogy and Psychology.