College of Education and Human Development
Early Childhood Education for Immigrant and Roma Families
October 1, 2012
CEHD was the host for a high-level meeting to discuss early childhood education policies for immigrant and Roma families.
The "working group" met to review and consider early childhood education programs, policies and associated research needs that could enhance services for immigrants to the United States and Roma families residing in Europe.
Held on September 12 and 13, 2012, at the College of Education and Human Development's Thompson Hall, the group was comprised of leaders from the early childhood research, policy, and practice community. Participants discussed model early childhood education programs that focus on marginalized families, particularly low-income, undocumented immigrant families in the United States and Roma families in Eastern Europe.
The dialogue was a follow-up to a recent project, funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation of the Netherlands, which resulted in the publication of a monograph entitled "Exploration of the Status of Services for Immigrant Families in Early Childhood Education Programs." The initiatives are overseen by Mark R. Ginsberg, dean of the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, and Colleen Veselsy, assistant professor of early childhood education.
The participants' goal was to be a catalyst for further work and engagement in this important area. Among those attending were: John Bennett, former head of the early childhood and family unit at UNESCO; Shannon Rudisill, director of the Office of Child Care for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Joan Lombardi, former deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development; Kyle Snow, director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Center for Applied Research; Suzana Kirandziska, executive director of Step by Step Macedonia; and educational leaders from the region as well as local public school systems.
For additional information:
- Contact CEHD Communications: cehdnews@gmu.edu
- College of Education and Human Development: cehd.gmu.edu
- Graduate School of Education: gse.gmu.edu
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