Twenty (20) Caribbean and international researchers in Early Childhood Development (ECD) will meet with selected policy and programme persons from the region at a regional “Learning Event” in St. Kitts-Nevis from June 23 -26, 2008. The “Learning Event,” is being held under the theme “Child Rearing in the Caribbean 2: Early Learning” and is facilitated by the Caribbean Child Support Initiative’s Learning Community Programme (LCP).

The “Learning Event” will address a range of topics within a regional context by researchers who are currently conducting or have completed work in specific areas. Topics such as “Early learning practices within the home and community”, “Learning to speak and to read”, “Learning in adverse circumstances”, and “Evidence from what works: in school-based programmes for children.

Mr. Larry Schweinhart, President of High/Scope Research Foundation, will be the special guest speaker on the June 25 and will speak to the application of the High/Scope model in the Caribbean. Other presenters include: Dr. Carol Logie, Dr. Rose Davies, Dr. Herbert Gayle, Professor Christine Barrow and Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan from the University of the West Indies. Also presenting are: Dr. Isabel Rios Leonard of the Latin American Reference Center for Preschool Education (CELEP), Havana, Cuba, Fiona Scott, Director of Research, Roots of Empathy programmes, Toronto Canada, Dr. Tessa Livingston of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Dr. Jaipaul Roopnarine of Syracuse University, USA, Sian Williams ECD Adviser UNICEF Caribbean), Dr. Eleanor Wint of the University of British Columbia, Canada and Dr. Wendy Janssens of the Amsterdam Institute for International Development.

On Thursday June 26, 2008 regional policy makers and ECD practitioners will join for an Applications Day. This will afford them opportunities to hear summaries of the research presentations, and to discuss ways to develop policies and sustainable programmes in early learning based on best practices and evidence of effectiveness.

From 2008 through 2011, the LCP will organize annual Learning Events to facilitate exchanges among researchers, policy makers and practitioners. The general topics for subsequent Learning Events are:
2009 - Gender Roles and Child Rearing Practices, 2010 - Sibling Relations and 2011 - Early Attachment.

The Learning Community Programme is designed to develop informal working networks of researchers and research institutions examining selected aspects of child rearing practices within the Caribbean, giving special attention to the early years. The Caribbean Child Support Initiative (CCSI) is a programme of the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration, CARICAD, with support from the Bernard van Leer Foundation.

For more information, please visit the website at www.ccsi-info.org