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World Forum Projects
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World Forum 2009 Sponsors The Atlantic Philanthropies  At The Atlantic Philanthropies, we are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. We award grants to carefully selected organisations that serve disadvantaged people to help these organisations increase their reach and impact, and advocate for social change. Our grantmaking is strategically focused to have an impact on critical social problems related to older adults, children, people with little or no access to health care, people who are being denied basic human rights, and people struggling to live in peace with their neighbours. We chose these programming areas because they provide profound opportunities for us to make lasting improvements. We concentrate our work in seven regions of the world where the problems we seek to address are acute and where we believe grantmaking can have an impact in the next 15 years: Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam. Atlantic is a limited-life foundation, one that is committed to spending its entire multibillion-dollar endowment by 2020, in order to make greater and more immediate improvements in the world. Our self-imposed expiration date is in keeping with the spirit and philosophy of our founder, who personally believes in "giving while living" and follows in the philanthropic footsteps of other notable foundations, including the Julius Rosenwald Fund, the Aaron Diamond Foundation, the Lucille B. Markey Charitable Trust and many others. Our goal, simply put, is to do as much good as possible, for as many disadvantaged and vulnerable people as possible, as soon as possible. The limited-lifetime approach gives our work a sense of urgency and motivates us to concentrate resources on the achievement of a few carefully chosen objectives.
The Atlantic Philanthropies Early Years is the largest organisation in Northern Ireland for young children. We are a non-profit making organisation and have been working since 1965 to promote high quality childcare for children aged 0 - 12 and their families. On 1st November 2007 we changed our name to Early Years - the organisation for young children. When we started our work in 1965 NIPPA stood for Northern Ireland Pre-School Playgroup Association, but as our work developed we realised that this did not fully reflect all that we do so we changed our name to NIPPA - the early years organisation. In 2005 we realised that our work had moved on again and after consultation with members and stakeholders we voted to change our name to Early Years - the organisation for young children. Currently Early Years provides information and training for parents, childcare providers, employers and local authorities. We hope this website will help you to find out more about early childcare and education.
Early Years The Allianz Group 
The Allianz Group is one of the leading integrated financial services providers worldwide. We operate as an international insurer on almost every continent. We have deep roots in our home market, Western, Northern and Southern Europe. In Central and Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific Allianz is one of the leading international insurance companies. With nearly 155,000 employees worldwide, the Allianz Group serves approximately 75 million customers in about 70 countries. We are convinced that we earn the trust of our customers and partners by offering the highest level of expertise, integrity and sustainability. Our services set the standard in our markets. Our highly qualified employees enjoy the respect of customers and competitors and we are successful in our efforts to achieve continuous improvement in the Allianz Group through a combination of global capabilities and local entrepreneurship. For us, integrity means more than just keeping our promises, it means only making promises that we can keep. We maintain a strong focus on securing our financial stability in all circumstances. In addition, we review our services regularly to ensure the appropriate balance between the needs of our customers and distributors and the interests of our shareholders. Our product portfolio includes a wide array of property-casualty and life/health insurance products for both private and corporate customers.
The Allianz Group ICF's Early Education Institute 
ICF's Early Education Institute evolved from ICF International's commitment to ensure high quality care and education for young children by advancing the professional development of those working in the early education field. For more than 15 years, ICF has supported government, military, and private organizations domestically and internationally to enhance the capacity of early childhood professionals to influence positive outcomes for young children and their families.
ICF's Early Education Institute provides training, technical assistance, and a suite of tailored services designed to help programs meet mandated requirements and demonstrate accountability to funding sources. Our services are research based and culturally relevant. Along a continuum designed to advise, implement, and improve, we offer innovative approaches to building essentials skills. ICF's Early Education Institute draws upon the experience of more than 50 veteran early childhood professionals across the globe with expertise in family child care, child care, school-age and youth, Head Start, pre-kindergarten, rating systems, and program management and oversight. Our staff are thought leaders in the early childhood field who also have the practical experience that makes them key contributors to many early childhood advisory boards and committees. We match the best member of our team to each program's unique needs.
ICF's Early Education Institute
Dimensions Educational Research Foundation The mission of the Dimensions Educational Research Foundation is to inspire children, families and educators to connect more deeply with the world around them. We do this by providing innovative, research-based programs and resources. Dimensions Educational Research Foundation provides research-based workshops, design consultations and hands-on resources to elementary schools, early childhood programs, nature centers, arboretums, botanical gardens, parks, zoos, wildlife refuges, national forest visitor centers and other organizations throughout the United States interested in helping children connect more deeply with the natural world. Dimensions collaborates with the Arbor Day Foundation on the national Nature Explore Program. It also runs the Dimensions Early Education Programs, which serve as primary research classrooms for on-going research efforts. Dimensions works with a cadre of workshop consultants, designers and researchers throughout the United States. Through Dimensions' research and programs, children and families develop a profound engagement with the natural world, where nature is an integral part of children's daily learning. The Early Education Programs Research Classrooms have been in existence since 1967, and the national cadre of Dimensions researchers and consultants began their work in 1998. Dimensions Foundation is proud to be a member of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children.
Dimensions Educational Research Foundation Lakeshore Learning Materials 
Lakeshore Learning Materials is the premier supplier of education products for every classroom for over 50 years. Our Lakeshore Early Childhood catalog features age-appropriate materials for infants, early learning, special education, kindergarten and elementary schools. The Lakeshore Elementary catalog features innovative educational materials that promote active, hands-on learning for the elementary grade students. We keep all of our items in stock, which means your order will be on its way to you within three business days from the morning we receive it. Whether you need to design an early childhood program or enhance learning activities in you elementary classroom, Lakeshore Learning Materials has the right solution for you.
Lakeshore Learning Materials Pyramid 
THE PYRAMID APPROACH TO LEARNING
During Quartet One you will become oriented to the principles that underpin the PYRAMID APPROACH to LEARNING. You will leave with a basic understanding of how to implement the APPROACH through the use of projects that broaden and deepen children's learning.
Intrigued? Find out more or sign up for the training on www.pyramidprinciples.com or send your questions to info@pyramidprinciples.com.
Cito USA Inc. The Sunshine House 
The Sunshine House, Inc. is the sixth largest private child care provider in North America, with more than 140 locations in ten states. The Sunshine House early education centers were founded in 1975 by a young mother who was seeking quality child care for her daughter. The first center opened in Greenwood, South Carolina where the company headquarters currently operate. The Sunshine House uses a nationally recognized curriculum for young children and offers learning programs for infants through the early school years. The company employs approximately 3,000 early childhood education professionals. More information can be found at The Sunshine House, Inc. official web site www.sunshinehouse.com.
The Sunshine House Corporate Campus Pikler/Lóczy Fund USA 
The Pikler/Lóczy Fund USA's mission is to actively support the work of Dr. Emmi Pikler and the Pikler Institute in Budapest, Hungary. Its' goal is to inspire adults to embrace the wonder and harmony of a close and personal relationship with infants and toddlers based on the Pikler Approach in home and group settings. It is committed to service, training, and research and demonstrates the belief that all children have the right to be respected as competent and autonomous individuals by a caring adult.
To learn more about the Pikler Institute, see www.pikler.org or www.aipl.org or write to lbriley@dayschoolsok.com or Laura Briley, 2437 South Sheridan, Tulsa, OK 74129 USA. |
The Institute was established in 1946 by the pediatrician, Dr. Emmi Pikler. She was commissioned by the city of Budapest to organize a home for young children who were deprived of their parents until satisfactory living arrangements could be found. Dr. Pikler's concepts and practices included ideas on respecting the child as a person where he/she could be an active individual and allowed to move freely in a safe environment. The Institute is still in operation today and is directed by Anna Tardos (Dr. Pikler's daughter). It is a training and research center and model for institutional care worldwide.