WCI's Contribution to El Salvador's Early Childhood Development and Learning Standards
Please watch the video below of First Lady Gabriela de Bukele's speech at the event, complete with subtitles.
(https://www.facebook.com/GabrieladeBukele)
We are pleased to announce that Whole Child International (WCI) was invited by the First Lady of El Salvador's office to participate in the National Standardization of Development and Learning for children ages 0-7. We were honored to be one of the few non-governmental organizations to be able to contribute to these Early Childhood Development and Learning Standards. During this development process, we were given the opportunity to validate scientific research and determine how well it promoted children's development and learning and quality of care. We were also asked to examine the appropriateness of indicators, how well these indicators covered the relevant age spectrum, and if they were based on the most up to date research.
One of our staff members, Pilar Fort, attended the virtual "National Standardization of Development and Learning for children ages 0-7" event, and participated in the dialogue and discussion. Additionally, Mrs. Fort, was asked to send a 1-minute video recognizing the importance for the nation and Salvadoran children to have and use these National Standards.
We are excited and grateful to have been a part of the rigorous validation process. The new standards are defined as "a combination of skills, abilities and competencies that the consensus of the Salvadoran society considers that the children have to achieve at every age." We believe that these standards will align with both government and civil society evaluations and increase their capacity to respond to the needs of children.
We are happy that these new standards are focused on equity, inclusion and children's rights. We are honored to have made this important contribution in shaping these National Standards of Development and Learning, and we are pleased to have the acknowledgement and recognition of the government for our contributions.