ERIC Number: EJ1264366
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-4056
EISSN: N/A
Please Remember Us: iACT's Little Ripples Helping Refugee Families during the Pandemic
Di Santo, Aurelia; Scott, Katie-Jay
Childhood Education, v96 n4 p6-13 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerable refugee populations of the world need more support than ever before. As refugees (both children and adults) struggle to make sense of this pandemic with very few to no resources, iACT, an international nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian action to aid, empower, and extend hope to those affected by mass atrocities, is working with refugee leaders, other humanitarian organizations, and volunteers to provide the necessary resources to help refugee children and families stay safe and healthy. While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated suspension of iACT's innovative and cutting-edge early childhood education program Little Ripples (LR), iACT is nevertheless honoring LR's core values of peace, helping, and sharing by working with refugee and displaced community leaders living in Chad, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Greece to mitigate the consequences of program closures. The LR children's program is based on four fundamental program components: (1) Establishing a routine; (2) Building inner peace and outer peace within the learning environment; (3) Storytelling; and (4) Health and well-being. The aim was to create a COVID-19 resource sheet for families outlining home-based activities that relate to these components--thus, ensuring familiarity with the suggestions. This article describes how LR's fundamental programming ideas connect with home learning and well-being activities. Additionally, it describes how the LR early learning program has provided children with a safe space for learning through play and for developing tools that promote well-being, which are especially important for children living in emergency contexts.
Descriptors: COVID-19, Refugees, At Risk Persons, Child Health, Child Safety, Family Needs, Intervention, Family Environment, Well Being, Play, Child Development, Young Children, Early Childhood Education, Disease Control, Peace, Story Telling, Behavior Patterns, Repetition, Singing, Learning Activities, Hygiene, Community Programs, Foreign Countries, School Closing
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Chad; Tanzania; Cameroon; Greece
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A