BADUNG, Bali (BPN) – ISMILE Alam Atelier School shows serious attention to Early Childhood Education as they held the Practical Wisdom for Leaders Conference in collaboration with Gillian McAuliffe, Practical Wisdom Australia, on October 7 to October 10, 2018.
The conference was attended by almost 200 educators worldwide, namely, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Australia, New Zealand, and The United States.
“The idea of this conference came from a discussion with an inspirational leader in a Western Australian service who lamented the lack of quality development opportunities for leaders and future leaders. We discussed the value of leading by example with authentic, practical engagement of educators and children,” said Gillian McAullife.
“We welcomed the idea when Gillian told us she wanted to collaborate with us to conduct the conference at ISMILE Alam Atelier School. As a Reggio-inspired school that believes children can learn much from the outdoor classroom – the Nature, Alam Atelier is eager to share our journey with the educators as we see children grow to become nature lovers and young explorers when we extend the learning outside the classroom,” Maryati Lauw, Director of Operations of ISMILE Alam Atelier School added.
The conference also invited hundreds of early childhood educators from Bali to attend a free session.
The esteemed speakers such as Rusty Keeler (United States), Director of Earth Play, Dee Finn (Ireland, New Zealand), Principal of Childspace, and Daniel Burton and Trudi Bennett (Australia), Co-Directors of Educated by Nature – took time to share their insights gained from their extensive experiences in teaching children, working with nature and collaborative leadership in a morning full of fun learning and progressive thinking.
Professor Dr. Ir Netty Herawati, MSi – Chairwoman of HIMPAUDI Indonesia also shared some insights on the current state of Indonesian early childhood education, the challenges it faces, and HIMPAUDI’s move to address one of its main challenges, that of the stunted growth and development of very young children.
“It is a pleasure that we could share the experiences that we have had as an early childhood schools, which currently have 7 branches in Jakarta, Bandung, and Bali, under the brand ISMILE, ISHINE, and Alam Atelier School; and exchange insights with educators from all over Bali, all in the name of strengthening Indonesia’s future by nurturing our youngest and most precious learners,” said Maryati Lauw.
“Alam Atelier School was founded with the belief that children learn best in a world full of wonder, awe, and joy. Children are constructors of their learning and they learn best from and with their peers. We are a community that values relationships – with each other, with our learning spaces, our environment, and with our immediate locality,” Maryati Lauw remarked.
“Let us keep reminding ourselves that children are our next generation; we need to give full attention and support to help them grow and reach their maximum potential. Currently, this is the program offered by ISMILE Alam Atelier School: Infant and Toddler (6 months old to 24 months), Nursery (2 years old to 4 years old), Kindergarten (4 years old to 6 years old), continue with primary level start from 6 years old.”
