The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has appointed a third term of ECDA Fellows, which includes 20 re-appointed ECDA Fellows and four newly appointed ECDA Fellows. These 24 pinnacle leaders will work closely with ECDA on quality improvement initiatives for the early childhood sector and contribute to the professional growth of the current and next generation of early childhood leaders.
Uplifting the Professional Quality of the Early Childhood Sector
2 The ECDA Fellows Programme recognises pinnacle leaders in their respective
areas of strength and provides opportunities for them to develop themselves further. In turn, they help to uplift the professional quality of the early childhood sector through sharing their extensive experience and deep expertise.
3 The ECDA Fellows will contribute to sector-level development in 3 key areas
a. Professional Development – leading/facilitating master classes/workshops at the sector level and mentoring/coaching centre leaders and senior teachers from other centres;
b. Curriculum Leadership – guiding centres in the design, implementation and review of centres’ curricula or teaching and learning pedagogies; and
c. Sector Partnerships – partnering ECDA to spearhead sector-wide improvements such as piloting or championing new initiatives and providing constructive feedback for effective implementation.
4 Since its launch in 2015, the ECDA Fellows Programme has contributed significantly to the sector. Their contributions include
a) Implementation of 12 Inquiry-Based Action Plan (IBAP) projects, covering a wide range of topics such as curriculum innovation, parent engagement and quality interactions with children.
- The IBAP projects are evidence-based projects initiated, designed and led by ECDA Fellows to guide and equip centre leaders with early childhood-specific knowledge and skills.
oMore than 1,600 Centre Leaders and Senior Teachers have been trained and mentored by the ECDA Fellows through IBAP to deepen their knowledge in early childhood and improve their centre management skills and teaching practices. - More than 98% of the participants responded that interaction with the Fellows had deepened their professional knowledge and leadership skills and improved their quality of work.
- b) Sharing of service experiences, best practices and practical leadership tips at various platforms, such as
- The 8 Community of Early Childhood Leaders engagement sessions, which were attended by close to 1,900 Centre Leaders and Senior Teachers. More than 99% of the participants found the events useful for their professional and leadership development;
- The Keep Calm and Lead On e-newsletters – a Leadership in Practice newsletter series sent to Centre Leaders on a quarterly basis; and
- The ECDA Fellows Talk Series – a collection of short videos on various topics relating to early childhood, such as Mother Tongue Language teaching, Pedagogy, Leadership and Mentoring.
- The 8 Community of Early Childhood Leaders engagement sessions, which were attended by close to 1,900 Centre Leaders and Senior Teachers. More than 99% of the participants found the events useful for their professional and leadership development;
5 Moving forward, this fraternity of pinnacle leaders will continue to spearhead initiatives and share their expertise in different areas in the early childhood sector.
ISSUED BY
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY