"MyMachine" is a unique intergenerational collaboration of students who bring to life children's "dream machine" ideas. This multi award-winning non-profit is on a mission to impact students, educators, and the world at large.

Building a strong and vibrant school community is a vital component of fostering an environment where students thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. The APPLE Schools (appleschools.ca) health promotion project identifies eight essential elements that provide a steady formula for cultivating this environment. Backed by world-class…

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary innovations in education. In Latin America, the migration of millions of Venezuelans presented an emergency situation prompting organizations like Plan International, Save the Children, and UNICEF to consider the situation of frontline teachers affected by the crisis. What could be done to help teachers…

Education systems today must prepare every child, everywhere, to thrive in an increasingly complex world. But despite huge increases in education spending over the past two decades, children are not achieving the desired outcomes. A lack of belief and investment has led to widespread demotivation of teachers and officials, as demonstrated by high…

An often repeated argument is that young children can not carry out meaningful research. The authors, who are lecturers involved in teacher training and childhood studies, are interested in the impact that children can have on their school lives and believe that it is often underestimated. The Young Researchers Project (YRP) was created in…

The project development school idea in Japan started in the late 1970s. Both public and private schools can become project schools. Public schools' districts and private schools' boards develop the project plan and submit the application to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Once approved, the project school…

This article describes an early childhood professional development project that took place in the summer of 2005 in Guatemala City. Located in Central America, Guatemala has a population of approximately 12.3 million people, including more than two million children under the age of 5 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2007; UNICEF, 2004). Events…

This article describes changes experienced by a multidisciplinary team of the Center for Learning Disabilities in Tirat Carmel, Israel, in the wake of the enactment of the country's Special Education Law. Over the course of several years, the team working at the Center was able to adapt to the changes, while preserving the professional level of…

The Child and Family Justice Project, designed to help communities improve the quality of life for their children and families, is described in terms of its development, evaluation, and its long range effects. (Author/MP)

Describes the investigation of the effects of a four-step model program used with third through fifth grade students to implement Gardener's concepts of seven human intelligences--linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, musical, kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal intelligence--into daily learning. (BB)

Compares La Junta Nacional de Jardines Infantiles (JUNJI), Chile's federally funded preschool system, with the United States' Head Start program. Notes that, unlike Head Start, JUNJI is administered at the national level; requires preschool teachers to have four-year university degrees; follows a national curriculum; and, due to budget…

Project Texas is a professional development program for K-8 teachers from districts serving underrepresented populations in order to develop teacher knowledge of Texas' eco-regions. The program provides a meaningful context modeling integration of field experiences, investigative activities, problem-solving strategies, and cooperative learning…

Several approaches for judging quality in child care are presented, and a short environmental analysis is elaborated to facilitate evaluation by parent or teacher of the degree to which an environment is designed to meet the needs of young children. (CS)

Describes Project CREATE (Caregiver Recruitment, Education, and Training Enhancement), designed to improve the quality of community-based child care programs in Delaware, and provided in three 1-credit modules at no cost to participants. Identifies barriers to providing education to infant and toddler caregivers. Presents preliminary evaluation…

Discusses issues to be considered in efforts to determine whether programs are effective for improving education of all middle school students. Details directions effective programs are taking in mathematics, reading, writing and language arts, thinking skills, science, and social studies. Discusses common components of the programs. (BB)