The Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) is an innovative and multi-faceted approach to addressing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECD) leadership needs in the Majority World. It is a unique training and capacity building program using distributed learning methods including interactive web-based course work as well as face-to-face seminars. ECDVU courses have been delivered as a one year (Professional Certificate and Graduate Diploma) and a three year (Master’s degree) program. The ECDVU was developed and led by Prof. Alan Pence as a program of the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria.
Typically, ECDVU participants are nominated by ECD country committees; these committees’ nominations are based on achieving inter-sectoral representation and ensuring evidence of individual commitment to child well-being and broader social development within the country. Nominees accept responsibility for promoting ECD capacity within their country, their region and internationally.
The ECDVU is committed to promoting ECD in The Majority World through innovative education, networking, publishing and other forms of scholarly activity. For example, the ECDVU has played a key role, with other regional and international partners, in the development of a triennial series of African International ECD Conferences (1999, 2002, 2005 & 2009). Please see the History Page for a list of capacity promoting activities which the ECDVU has led or played a key role.
The ECDVU program’s lead, Prof. Alan Pence, established in 2008 the UNESCO Chair in Early Childhood Education, Care and Development at the University of Victoria. The Chair, as of 2021, had a Tri-Chair arrangement with Prof. Hasina Banu Ebrahim at the University of South Africa and Prof. Oumar Barry at the Universite Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal.
HISTORY
The events identified below are an inter-related set of activities that commenced in 1994/1995 with an initial international conference and related ECD Seminar (hosted in Victoria, Canada), but which evolved and expanded to include development of: the ECDVU program (2000-present), an African International Conference series (1999-2009), and workshops, publications and online resources associated with the African Scholars and Institutions initiative (ECDVU-AS&I) commencing in 2009. ‘ECDVU’ is often used as the ‘shorthand author’ of these activities, but more accurately, these are an inter-related set of ECD capacity promotion activities that includes the ECDVU program.
• 2016 launch of ECDinAfrica.org website to make more accessible activities from 1994-2016 (see below)
• 2016 African Scholars’ Regional Workshop (West Africa) in collaboration with NYU, AKU-IHD, National Academy Institutes (U.S.), and African Early Childhood Network (AS&I)
• 2016 Africa (SSA-5), ECDVU collaboration with the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in delivering an ECE/ECD Graduate Diploma program (32 of 35 students completing successfully)
• 2015 online ECD Resources Compendium created as part of CIDA-funded collaboration with AKU Institute of Education, Dar es Salaam (AS&I)
• 2015 Alan Pence & Allison Benner publish Complexities, Capacities and Communities (French edition issued 2016)
• 2015 African Scholars’ Regional Workshop supported through ECDVU, AKU-IED and CIDA with participants from 5 eastern Africa countries (AS&I, Dar es Salaam, TZ)
• 2013 African Scholars’ Regional Workshop supported by OSISA for participants from 7 southern Africa countries (AS&I, Lusaka, Zambia)
• 2013 African Scholars’ workshop supported by Open Society Institute of Southern Africa (OSISA) with 23 Scholars from 18 SSA countries (AS&I, Johannesburg, RSA—co-leaders: Pence, Marfo, Serpell & Nsamenang)
• 2012 Survey of West and Central Tertiary Institutions with UNESCO (AS&I and include link)
• 2011 Africa (SSA-4) ECDVU Graduate Diploma program completion (28 of 30 students completing)
• 2010 East and Southern Africa Senior & Junior Academics Workshop in support of ECD capacity (AS&I—Lusaka, Zambia—co-leaders Pence & Anamuah-Mensah)
• 2010 Survey of East and Southern Africa Tertiary Institutions with UNICEF (AS&I and include link)
• 2010 Africa (SSA-3) ECDVU Graduate Diploma/Professional Specialization Certificate program completion (27 of 27 students completing)
• 2009 Fourth African International Conference on ECD (Dakar, Senegal)
• 2009 Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) supported Initial Scholars’ Workshop: ‘Strengthening Africa’s Contributions to Child Development Research’ (Launch of African Scholars and Institutions initiative—AS&I: co-leaders Marfo & Pence)
• 2008 Marito Garcia, Alan Pence & Judith Evans publish Africa’s Future, Africa’s Challenge – Early Childhood Care and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
• 2007 Africa (SSA-2) ECDVU Professional Specialization Certificate program completion (23 of 24 students completing)
• 2006 Yemen (MENA-2) one year program completion
• 2005 Third African International Conference on ECD (Accra, Ghana)
• 2004 Africa (SSA-1) ECDVU M.A. completion (27 of 30 participants from 10 countries complete three year+ program)
• 2004 Middle East and North Africa (MENA-1) one year program completion
• 2002 Second African International Conference on ECD (Asmara, Eritrea)
• 2001 Africa (SSA-1) ECDVU M.A. three year program delivery commences (30 participants)
• 2000 Development of ECDVU web-based, three year graduate level program
• 1999 First African International Conference on ECD (Kampala, Uganda)
• 1998 Second African ECD Seminar (Banjul, The Gambia)
• 1997 First SE Asia/Pacific ECD Seminar (Singapore)
• 1997 First African ECD Seminar (Windhoek, Namibia)
• 1995 First International ECD Seminar (University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.)
• 1994 International Child, Youth and Family Conference (University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.)
To read more about ECDVU, please download “A Brief History of the ECDVU”.
Newsletters
AFRICA’S ECD VOICE – a new ECD scholarly publication brought to you by ADEA’s Working Group on ECD:
Issue No. 5 – 2016:
English and French
Issue No. 4 – October 2014:
4-English and 4-French
Issue No. 3 – June 2014:
3-English and 3-French
Issue No. 2 – January 2014:
2-English and French
Issue No. 1 – September 2013:
1-English and French