An initiative of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation in partnership with Yale University

The opportunity

Much of the quality of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs flows through the relationships between the ECD workforce and the children and families. Therefore, a well-trained, motivated and stable workforce is a prerequisite for achieving positive long-term outcomes for children.

Goal

The goal of this program is to develop a cadre of trained early childhood leaders who are able to take forward the field of ECD in the country.

Duration &  format

The fellowship program will be a 18 month  program commencing in October  2014 and ending in May 2016.  Below is the format of the program:

October 2014 – May 2015: Courses in ECD: Two types of courses are proposed:

• One week-long in person classes in October and February of the year conducted by the director of the fellowship program from Yale University. These classes will be held in Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SHF) office in Abu Dhabi.
• Long distance learning (using the video conferencing system) where faculty from the Zigler Center and the larger Yale community will conduct online classes and discussion groups; and attendance in the Zigler center seminar. The online classes will be streamed by the video conference system of SHF office in Abu Dhabi. The course will cover the following core areas: policy, practice, advocacy, curriculum. A supervised practicum/project in Abu Dhabi in which students must participate to apply the learning from year 1, with reflective supervision facilitated by the fellowship director at Yale.

December 2014: A study tour to the U.S  to observe model early childhood centers that are affiliated with Yale University in New Haven, attend a national ECD conference.

May 2015-May 2016: The fellows will largely be working with their mentors via long distance. In addition, fellows will attend one day of fellowship classes in October , February and May 2016. The fellows may also be asked by the SHF to participate in events related to the program, conduct interviews or attend high level meetings to advance the importance of ECD field locally.

May 2016: Graduation  in Abu Dhabi.

Incentives

The duration of the program and the significant investment in these fellows requires an incentive structure that will ensure full participation. Incentives include:

• International trip to incentivize completion of academic portion of the program
• An opportunity to learn  from the staff of Yale University  and be affiliated with this prestigious ivy league university that is a leader in the Early Childhood Development field.

Eligibility

The fellows must be  young  professionals  from a diversity of fields who have strong commitment to continuing their careers in Early Childhood Development. Fellows must have  at least 3 years of working experience in the following  entities (but not limited to): Private or public schools (KG level),  Daycare centers, Hospitals (Pediatrics Department), Abu Dhabi Education Council, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Affairs, Education department at local universities  or in the field of journalism. Fellows need not to be exclusively Emirati although a significant majority of the fellows should be Emirati. This program is open for men and women.

Application Process

The fellows are required to provide the below information:

• Personal statement: Essay about yourself and what you hope to gain from the program
• Project description:  Each participant must make a contribution to the early childhood field by completing a project during the academic of their fellowship. Please describe in 400 words the project you would be interested in working on. Examples of previous projects include, research on the impact of nannies on the language development of children, measuring emotional development of children in schools, promoting the checks for children aged 2 years and 3 years
• A signed commitment to complete the program, to join the study tour and to participate in this mixed gender program
• A signed media release form
• A brief self-description (biography) of the nominee (limit of 120 words)  suitable for use by the media and/or the program, should the candidate be selected as a fellow
• CV with a color passport photo in JPEG format
• Copy of Passport

SHF will then conduct interviews, with the Yale team, to identify  fellows that will be participating in the program.

For more questions and how to apply, please email us at eduprogram@shf.ae