EDUCATION OF TODAY CREATES THE CULTURE OF TOMORROW

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

140 million children are born into the world every day.  Each one of is unique, yet their needs are the same: protection, security, healthy nourishment, and loving human beings to nurture and care for them so that they may grow and flourish.

Organizations and groups in many countries around the world strive to provide at least a minimal material standard of life for children in need.  All are concerned to provide children with time and space in which to unfold their unique individualities.  For this to be possible, warm-hearted an reliable human beings are needed who act and work in such a way that the children in their care may orient themselves around the example of the adults as they take their first steps in life.

Working with the pedagogical ideas of Rudolf Steiner, educators around the world are devoted to this task.  Together they have founded a world association for Waldorf education in the first seven years of life – the International Association for Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Education – IASWECE –with the goal of offering research, education and training, exchange of experience, and financial and human support to training centres, kindergartens and child care centres who work on the basis of their educational ideals.

In 2010, IASWECE intends to support the following projects:

The development of kindergartens and training programs in the People’s Republic of China and in Ethiopia.
Training and professional development in Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, India, Poland, Romania, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine.
Lectures and training courses for educators in Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, and Lithuania.
Training courses and mentoring for child care providers in the townships of South Africa.
Participation in the early childhood debate for the working group on the quality of childhood within the European Parliament.

Our association's financial means are not sufficient to fully cover the costs of these projects, however. Thus we turn to you. Please help by sending a donation; become a Supporting Member of our Association!  Please help Waldorf educators and caregivers and teachers around the world, so that through their work today, the culture of tomorrow can be created.

For the children, we thank you, on behalf of the council members of the IASWECE!
Clara Aerts, Belgium

Geseke Lundgren, Sweden

Susan Howard, USA


Donations can be made through our office in Stockholm as follows:
IBAN: SE07 9500 0099 6026 1681 8841
BIC: NDEASESS
Account Name: IASWECE
Nordea Bank AB
S-10571 Stockholm, Sweden

Or: If you are a member of one of our Member Country Associations, you may choose to make a donation to the IASWECE through your country association. See the contact information and links under "Home Page/ World Lists/Country Association Members".