Gustavo Freitas Amora, Brazil
I have a master degree in Political Science at University of Brasilia. In the last few years I have been working helping civil society’s organizations to advocacy on public policies and to implement legislation for Human Rights. In 2008 I accepted the responsibility of being a part of an ambitious project, so I became the Executive Secretary of the National Alliance for the Early Childhood Development.
Nowadays, my first objective is to articulate civil society, government organizations and the international community in defense of early childhood. My main goal is to improve the early childhood policies in Brazil and turn it into a national priority. To achieve that aim, we have to create a national deal that includes family, society and the State in defense of the priority for the Early Childhood in the process of designing of every public policies.
Monica L. Duncan, United States
Monica Duncan is the Michigan Director for First Children’s Finance (FCF). She works with early education
and care providers, community leaders and
policy makers to improve the quality and
financial stability of child care programs,
especially those serving lower income
families.
Before joining First Children’s Finance, Duncan served as
Executive Director of the South Oakland Shelter. Duncan,
who holds a master’s of social work from Wayne State
University, has been a program supervisor for Black Family
Development, clinical social worker for the Neighborhood
Services Organization and an educational and recreational
coordinator for the Catholic Youth Organization. She is also
active in many professional and civic organizations.
First Children’s Finance (FCF), a national nonprofit organization, is an expert in the business of child care. It helps expand the availability of quality child care by providing loans, technical assistance, and consulting and training through public and private partnerships. Founded in 1991, the First Children’s Finance mission is to help children thrive and learn by forging relationships that bring economic power and viability to the business of child care. Our primary target is early child care programs that serve children from low income families.
Lisa Marie Sams, United States
First Children’s Finance announced the appointment of Lisa M. Sams as its first director in Iowa. In her new role Sams will work with early education and care providers, community leaders and policy makers to improve the quality & financial stability of child care programs, especially those serving Iowa children from lower income families.
Before joining First Children’s Finance, Sams was the executive director of Walter Hammond Day Care in Quincy, IL. She also worked with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services supporting a variety of program areas related to parenting. During that time, Sams also served as a trainer for Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, IL, specializing in education advocacy and transracial parenting.
“Lisa is well-known for her superior management abilities and her expertise in quality child care. For 30 years she has made a significant difference in the lives of children and families – and the communities where they live.,” Cutts continued.
She is a certified Effective Parenting and Confident Parenting instructor for the Center for the Improvement of Child Caring, certified Program Administrative Scale assessor (PAS) at the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership, and is a consultant and certified Child Development Association (CDA) credential mentor for the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Lisa worked with the Action for Children’s Advocacy Group for Early Child Care programs, helping to pass many Bills that have impacted the early child care field.
Served for a year as a member of the Model Classroom Project for the Illinois State Board of Education, under the leadership of Lillian Katz and Sallie Beneke.
Mrs. Katz is instrumental in bringing the Reggio Emilia, approach of learning to Illinois Early Child Care Providers.
She has received the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award and was recognized in 2007 as the “Tri-State’s Best” by Quincy, IL, area media. Active on several nonprofit boards in the Quincy area, Sams is regularly called on to help lead initiatives improving the lives of children and their families. Sams also received a Key to the City from the Quincy mayor prior to her relocating to Iowa.
Betsy van de Grift, Netherlands
I started working as a psychiatric nurse when I was 17 years old and have been working in the care industry since then for about ten years. After that I worked as a social worker with children and mentally disabled children and adults. In the mean time I studied social work, too.
When it came to a point that I became a manager, I shifted from care and social work to childcare.
After finishing a study business administration a became a managing director of three childcare companies in a row.
The most interesting phase in my carrier was, when the childcare industry was privatised in my country: in 2005. That was – by law- a very big change for everyone: both for the parents and the providers of childcare as well. From that point the companies were no longer subsidised, but now the parents are! You can imagine the change that has caused…
Now, since 2008 I’m working as a publicist and consultant. I’m very much interested in the developments in early care and education, developments in my own country and all over the world. I think we have so much to share and to learn from each other. And, on top of that, our World Forum is so much fun!
Maria Thereza Olivia Marcilio, Brazil
I have a master degree in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and presently I’m a doctorate student in Education at University of Sevilla. Since my graduation as a teacher, I have been involved with education: as a kindergarten teacher, as a professor in Teacher’s college, as a member of the Early Childhood department at the Mininstry of Education of the federal government, as the head of the department of Teaching at the municipal government. In the last fifteen years, I have been working at an Ngo Avante either developing, or in
the leadership of educational projects for children and young people
who are at risk.
It’s also part of our mission to help civil society’s organizations to advocacy on public policies and to implement legislation for Human Rights. In this direction I have been involved in different situations, settings and activities which aim to improve policies towards children, mainly early childhood. In order to accomplish that, my organization is involved with many groups, and, organizations, both public and private, working as a network in order to contribute to effective public policies and to help improve quality in education.
Ana Maria Gonzalez Garza, Mexico
1980 B.A. Educational Psychology. UIA. 1986 M.D. Human Development. 2000 Ph.D. Human Growth and Transpersonal Psychology. UIA Mexico City. Director of the Education and Human Development Department, (1991-99).
Books: Teacher’s training program & Workbook. Person centered approach education. The toddler and his world. The child and education. From shadow to light. Paths to transcendence: Historic and personal evolution of consciousness. Paradigms Collision: Towards a psychology of unity consciousness. More than 70 articles on: Education, Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology, Nature and Evolution of Human Consciousness, Existential/Humanistic Approach to Education, Science & Spirituality
May Abou Ajram, Lebanon
My name is May Abou Ajram, I am currently working at the Arab Resource Collective (ARC); a regional NGO located in Beirut, Lebanon; as the project coordinator of the ECCD program. I am a holder of a Master degree in Environmental Sciences from the American University of Beirut (AUB), a Bachelor Degree in Environmental Sciences (AUB) and a teaching Diploma (AUB).
Before working at ARC, I was living with my family in Jeddah, KSA where I worked in different educational institutions as a teacher, head teacher, and administrative assistant. I am the proud mother of two boys: Samer and Karim
Priyanka Zutshi, India
I work as a Program Manager at Sesame Workshop India. The Workshop is a non-profit organization that focuses on the development and delivery of educational content to children (aged 2-6 years) and caregivers in India using multiple media. I manage and execute the educational outreach initiatives here.
I have experience in educational project management, advocacy and communication. I hold a Masters in Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics and a Diploma in Social Communications Media from Mumbai University. Prior to joining the Workshop, I worked at BBC World Service Trust on a “HIV/ AIDS Awareness Project” and at Azim Premji Foundation on their advocacy and communication initiatives.
Indu Capoor, India
Founder Director-CHETNA
After completing my Masters in Foods and Nutrition in 1979, I started CHETNA in March 1980.
I feel proud of developing CHETNA into a unique support organisation of national importance and international repute.
Beginning with a Child Survival project for ensuring Early Childhood Care, I realized the need to ensure health and empowerment of the mothers without which children cannot survive and thrive in a patriarchal society like India.
In India, discrimination in the entire life cycle of the Girl Child leads to disempowered and undernourished mothers which results in low birth babies who are at disadvantage throughout their life.
Joyeeta Sengupta, India
My role – contribution in the field of ECE has been as a teacher educator, counsellor, facilitator, activist, and researcher. I am privileged to be associated with a number of academic institutions in the past two decades. My Doctoral studies (through the Tata Institute of Social Sciences) on ‘Understanding Beliefs of EC Teachers’ has enabled me to get an in-depth understanding of the socio-cultural context of urban India. I am part of a national voluntary organization Association of Early Childhood Education and Development (AECED) towards empowering concerned adults in creating a joyful childhood for each and every child.
I am part of a knowledge research lab (www.illumine.info) which works towards enabling scalable and sustainable transformations in human systems. Some recent projects include designing think tools for children, building a scalable values-based program for school children, enabling college students to design fulfilling careers, building a knowledge intervention for developing self esteem in petrol pump attendants, and enabling contribution-thinking in bankers. My core concern is human enablement.
Jigisha Shastri, India
I have been working with and for children for the past 25 years. For the past 17 years I was teaching at the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Faculty of Family and Community Sciences, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. As a University teacher I have guided Masters and Doctoral students for Research. I was actively involved in teaching, research and outreach activities. I have taken an early retirement as I want to work in the field of ECCE, trying to make a difference especially in the Government programs. I have been involved in programs of Unicef to ensure 100% enrollment of girls in schools.
The program involved training teachers and other personnel to implement a package, “Meena Initiative”. I have worked extensively with families in community settings. The major focus of my work has been ‘Enhancing quality life of families’ with children as the key participants. I have been involved in training personnel at all levels-policy makers, teacher trainers, teachers, anganwadi workers, helpers. I am the national secretary for Association of Early Childhood Education and Development and have served as a secretary of the Indian Association for Preschool Education for past six years. I am involved in advocacy for developmentally appropriate early childhood programs and quality teacher education programs both in the private and public (government) sectors.
Personally, I like meeting and interacting with different people. Children are my passion. I love music and reading. My strength comes from my very loving family and my friends.
Anna Blumsztajn, Poland
Currently:
Social sciences teacher and social projects manager in an associative high school in Warsaw. Cofounder of the school.
Consultant for the Comenius Child Foundation for Child Development.
Teacher in an unformal open university inTeremiski (Eastern Poland).
Formerly:
Program Coordinator of the “Where There are no Preschool Program” in Comenius Foundation.
Assistant in the Institute of Labor and Social Policy
Assistant in Bemowo City Hall.
Educational and scientific career:
2 years of Doctoral Studies at the Warsaw Universtity and French
University of Versailles-Saint Quentin en Yvelines (Family policy)
Sociology Master at the University of Warsaw (Equality of opportunity for access to higher education in France and the U.S)
Interests: sociology of education, equality of opportunity in education, equality of opportunity policy, family policy (early access to education, early education).
Maggie Kamau-Biruri, Kenya
I am the Director of the International Child Resource Institute – Africa (ICRI-Africa), a nonprofit organization that equips communities to fight poverty and ensure the health and safety of vulnerable children and families. We are based in Kenya but work with groups in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. I oversee several ICRI-Africa initiatives including Daraja Early Care and Education – an early childhood program that provides tools and resources for early childhood teachers working with vulnerable children in Kenya; Kid Safe- a child protection program that trains community leaders on the rights of children; several micro-enterprise programs that provide individuals and groups with financial support to help them start or grow their businesses; and a re-granting program that provides funding to grassroots organizations working with children, youth and families.
I am highly engaged in promoting the rights of children, youth and families in Africa and serve on several boards including Project Baobab, an organization that provides opportunities for marginalized youth through youth entrepreneurship; Akili Dada, an organization that supports and nurtures the next generation of women leaders through provision of scholarships and mentoring of bright young women in Kenyan high schools. I also serve on the advisory Boards of several organizations in the US and in Africa including The Clarence Foundation, Women of Africa and Harambee Arts. I hold a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) and B.A in Education.
Janet Ndeto Mwitiki, Kenya
Janet holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Kenyatta University. She has worked as an administrator, pre-school teacher and a trainer in several early childhood institutions for over ten years. Currently, she conducts program assessments for ICRI-Africa’s early childhood programs, in addition to other primary duties, she works directly with the community and children in the early childhood centres.
Janet also facilitates and conducts several trainings for E.C.D teachers and in child abuse, prevention and child protection. Prior to joining ICRI-Africa, she worked as an administrator at Moi Air Base Pre- Primary School for over ten years.
Hannah Odjenma Botchway, Ghana
A teacher by profession, Mrs. Hannah Odjenma Botchway is the Country Director of the International Child Resource Institute (ICRI) in Ghana. A team player, actor and playwright, she is result oriented, self motivated and a very determined person who ensures that every good initiative is completed successfully.
Hannah is a Girl – Boy Relationship and Marriage Counselor, very fond of children and the youth, she coordinates and facilitates collaborations between ICRI and the Ghana Education Service and Community Development Groups in the Girl Child, Youth Development Project activities.
She oversees ICRI projects in Ghana which trains the needy and deprived children in skill acquisition. She also organizes HIV/AIDS programs throughout Ghana.