Program of Work

October 2007 through to September 2010 represents the Developmental Phase for Una. The focus for work during this initial three year period has been to establish the networks and structures for Una as well as the website and the dissemination of existing knowledge and practice. The key objectives that will be achieved by September 2010 are outlined in more detail below.

From October 2010, the work of Una will be focused on three core activities associated with: the website; a biennial international conference; and the support of associate projects. These activities are also described below.

The DEVELOPMENT PHASE (2007 - 2010)

The four key objectives for this phase have been to:

1. establish an international network of leading researchers, policy-makers and early childhood practitioners. This has been achieved through the establishment of the Steering Committee and the six Learning Groups.
2. establish a website that will: seek to provide a space for linking researchers, policy-makers and practitioners and connecting people to resources; include a fully-searchable and comprehensive database of all research studies and reports published on ethnic diversity and young children as well as all known early childhood programs that include such a focus with relevant contact details; and detailed message boards and links sections. This is on course to being achieved. The website is now live and the Database and Resources sections are being built up.
3. produce 12 key Working Papers that seek to distil existing knowledge and expertise and to draw out the key action points and guidelines for those wishing to develop, deliver and evaluate early childhood ethnic diversity programmes. These Working Papers are being produced through the Learning Groups and are the first six are in the process of being finalised. Further information on these Working Papers can be found on the Learning Group pages of this website.

4. organise a series of regional conferences aimed at practitioners and relevant national and international organisations and agencies with the goals of: promoting Una; disseminating existing work completed; and beginning to prepare for the development of the first series of associate projects (see below). Extremely successful regional seminars have been held in Belfast (Northern Ireland), Nairobi (Kenya) and Medellin (Colombia) and a forthcoming one is due to take place in Yogyakarta (Indonesia) in May 2010. Further details of the regional conferences held can be found on the Events page of this website.

The Future (2010 onwards)

From October 2010 onwards, the work of Una will be organised around three inter-related strands.

1. Maintenance and development of the website

The website will become the key vehicle for:

• promoting the work of Una;
• creating and enhancing networking and information sharing between researchers and practitioners; and
• continuing to share and disseminate existing knowledge and practice.

While the website is currently available in English and Spanish, there is a commitment to seeking sponsorship to enable it to be available in other languages as well.

2. Biennial International Conference

Alongside the website, the other main vehicle for fostering and developing collaborative working and information sharing will be the biennial international conference. The first conference will be held in The Netherlands in 2011 and further information on this will be provided through this website in June 2010. There is also a commitment to alternating the venue of the conference between the global north and south.

The conference will include a variety of sessions that will appeal to researchers, policy makers and practitioners. The sessions will also be organised in themes that may, in part, reflect some of the themes of the current six Learning Groups. The plan would be to provide an opportunity for participants to explore particular issues in depth while also being able to attend and participate in a wider variety of sessions. Decisions on the precise nature of the conference and the core themes around which it will be organised will be made shortly by the Steering Committee and shared through this website in June 2010.

3. Associate Una Projects

The third and final strand of Una's work will be focused on providing practical support in relation to the development, delivery and evaluation of early childhood programs. Such programs could range from a very small pilot project involving just one or two early childhood settings through to the development of a much larger regional or national initiative. For a program to become an Una Associate Project, it would need to:

• include a focus on issues of ethnic diversity and young children;
• share and reflect the three core values of Una; and
• be initiated and led by people locally.

The support that Una could provide would depend upon what people locally decide that they need. Some projects may already have a program that has been designed and delivered and now just requires support in terms of undertaking an evaluation of its effectiveness. Other projects may be at a much earlier stage, requiring support in relation to formative research to help decide upon the focus to take and/or help with the development of the curriculum.

The benefits of a program becoming an Una Associate Project would include the ability to:

• draw upon the network of expertise from within the six Learning Groups;
• be linked with and thus be able to share and learn from other Associate Projects;
• promote the project itself through its association with Una; and
• while Una is not in a position to provide grants or funding for Una Associate Projects, it will help support applications for funding wherever possible.

Initially, the Steering Committee have agreed to support the development of Una Associate Projects in five countries:

• Australia
• Colombia
• Indonesia
• Kenya
• Northern Ireland