The roots of a healthy and just society can be built in early childhood. When leadership is committed to the country’s development and is active in the social sector, it has the potential to leverage the nation’s growth, laying the foundations for a more prosperous future.
Based on these principles, in 2012, the NCPI launched the Executive Leadership Program in Early Childhood Development, a training program carried out in partnership with Harvard University, which seeks to engage leaders in the development of initiatives aimed at the integral development of children, from birth to 6 years of age.
The Program is mainly aimed at public policymakers, public managers, representatives of multilateral organizations, civil society leaders, and academics.
To date, eight international editions and two in Brazilian ones have been held, which resulted in the creation of more than a hundred action plans – including the Early Childhood Legal Framework – by more than 570 participants.
HOW IT WORKS
The program is carried out in collaboration with Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child and lasts approximately four months, having a total of 80 hours of instructions. The program is divided into two face-to-face modules interspersed with online activities, with the first module taking place in Cambridge, United States, at Harvard University, over a week, and the second one, in São Paulo, in partnership with Insper, over two days.
All candidates interested in participating go through a selection process, and those who are selected must pay the registration fee. However, some scholarships are offered by partner institutions.
In module 1, the program includes theoretical classes with renowned specialists in early childhood, case discussions, and field visits. The curriculum includes the science of early childhood development, analysis of programs and policies, and strategies for exercising leadership to guide participants to action and guide the process towards better decision making.
At the end of the module, equipped with new scientific knowledge and tools, participants create an action plan with the support of facilitators that must respond in practice to a challenge related to early childhood.
During the period of online activities, participants have the opportunity to expand discussions and deepen the search for information to improve the action plan. This entire process is guided and mediated by facilitators.
The plans are finally presented in module 2, which lasts two days and includes analysis of case studies and debates about early childhood in the Brazilian context.
Beyond strengthening the commitment to early childhood development and fostering relationship networks that contribute to the debate on the topic, the Executive Leadership Program has a vital role in supporting the structuring of new projects focused on children up to six years old.
