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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue, the 2018 ECA National Conference is in less than 60 days—registrations are open and we are inviting you to book your spot today; and Australia's youngest citizens will get a chance to have their voices heard in the 2018 Children's Rights Poll. In other news, 12 new sites across the nation are being added to the New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services program; ECA is hosting a Leadership Program masterclass on Collaborative leadership in a world of complexity; Macquarie University is inviting early childhood educators to take part in a new online survey regarding the collection and use of data; and ECA's WA Branch has been leading a campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of play. Around the country, National Science Week will run from 11–19 August; UNICEF Australia has recently appointed nine Young Ambassadors who will consult with children and take their views and concerns to the government; for Anti-Poverty Week coming up in October, all Australians are being encouraged to take part in an activity aiming to highlight issues of poverty; and for Early Learning Matters Week, 40 federal MPs and senators will visit local early childhood services around the country to experience quality early learning in action. And finally, we fill you in on the latest state and territory news.

Jump down to find out what the various ECA teams and projects have been up to and the new resources available for the early childhood sector.

Leadership masterclass

ECA is hosting a Leadership Program masterclass, Collaborative leadership in a world of complexity, with Leanne Gibbs. This session, founded on the ECA Leadership Capability Framework, incorporates the latest research and strategies for building sustainable and creative leadership and teams. Date: 19 September 2018 / Venue: ICC Sydney / Cost: $110 (plus GST). Click here for more information and to register.

New Directions expansion

Thousands more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children will be given a better start to life through the further expansion of the Federal Government’s 'New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services (New Directions)' program—part of the $94 million ‘A Better Start to Life’ initiative. Twelve new sites across the nation are being added to the successful program, taking the total to 136. Read more about it here.

New survey

Are you an early childhood educator involved in developing educational plans in childcare centres/preschools in Australia? If so, researchers at Macquarie University invite you to take part in an online survey regarding the collection and use of data. Those participating may enter a draw to win one of two $100 gift vouchers. Please forward this to anyone who is eligible. For more information, click here.

Young Ambassadors

UNICEF Australia recently introduced its nine newly appointed UNICEF Australia Young Ambassadors. These young people from across Australia, aged 15 to 22, were chosen from all around Australia because of their diverse life experiences and world views. These ambassadors will consult with children and young people around the country and take their views and concerns to the government.

Children's Day celebration

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day, on 4 August, is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about the crucial impact that community, family and culture play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child. Spread the word and share ideas about celebrating the youngest people from the longest living culture in the world.

National Science Week

This year National Science Week will run from 11–19 August. This annual celebration of science and technology will see thousands of events being held around Australia that you can get involved in. A brief list of events being organised in different cities is available here. For more information about the week, click here. Or, search for events in your city here.

WA Play Strategy

If you missed it last time, ECA WA has been leading a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of play. You can help endorse the idea to establish a WA Play Strategy. Your support will help elevate the understanding of play. Learn more here or endorse the strategy here.

New national poll

The Children's Commissioner is inviting Australia's youngest citizens to take part in the 2018 Children's Rights Poll. Children and young people can share their thoughts on growing up in Australia, what rights are important to them, and their experience of accessing necessities. The poll closes on 10 August.

Anti-Poverty Week

Anti-Poverty Week will be held from 14 to 20 October 2018. All Australians are encouraged to organise or take part in an activity aiming to highlight or overcome issues of poverty and hardship. Click here for activity ideas. Find more information on how schools can get involved here.


	Early Learning Matters Week

	For Early Learning Matters Week—5 to 12 August—40 federal MPs and senators will visit local early childhood services around the country to experience quality early learning in action. They include: Education Minister Simon Birmingham; Minister for Defence Industry and Innovation Christopher Pyne; Shadow Early Childhood Minister Amanda Rishworth; Shadow Education Minister Tanya Plibersek; and Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services Jenny Macklin. Here’s how you can get involved. Support and follow #EARLYLearningMatters on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


	In state and territory news ...

	In the Northern Territory, redevelopment work has commenced on the Ludmilla Primary School Master Plan, with stage one due for completion in early 2019; more Queensland children will have access to a healthy and nutritious breakfast to start their school day, with the Palaszczuk Government providing more than $1 million to expand a school breakfast program across the state; in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), ECA welcomes the ACT Government’s announcement to extend 15 hours per week of free, universal early childhood education to three-year-old children as part of the ACT Early Childhood Strategy; to encourage more students to participate in sport and physical activity, 300 primary, secondary and specialist schools across Victoria will share in the $1.1 million Active Kids initiative; the New South Wales public school uniform policy is being streamlined in an effort to make things simpler—and more affordable—for schools and parents; and the Queensland Government will launch a new program in parts of the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast targeting children who are not up to date with their vaccinations, providing a home visit option, up to the end of March 2019.

Free video

Our new video, Working with clay: An insight into children as competent learners, comes from the new online learning package, Encountering and interpreting the principles of Reggio Emilia. When Hanna Daniel introduced clay to her programming, it opened a conversation with families about children’s agency, creativity and learning. Watch the video here.

Get involved!

Early Learning: Everyone Benefits is a positive national campaign promoting the importance of early learning. There’s a lot happening in the next couple of weeks so be sure to visit our page, check the photo gallery and sign up to the campaign for updates on how we achieve change. Everyone benefits when we invest in the early years. Find out more here.

Check the post

You’ve got mail… coming. Expect a special letter very soon from us at KidsMatter Early Childhood. It is a personal invitation to register your place as a participating KidsMatter service. Read about why it is a great idea, how to do it and then post the completed form. Remember, you can also register online. Our consultants can’t wait to start working with you.

New blog

We ask permission about many things every day, yet consent remains controversial. In our latest blog post, Children’s agency, images and consent, Deanne Carson explores what an understanding of each other’s rights, and of consent, can bring to daily interactions with young children. Click here to read the full post. To read other posts on The Spoke, click here. Join the conversation today.

Subscribe today

ECA has four core publications available as subscription packages for those working, studying or interested in the early childhood sector: Research in Practice Series; Everyday Learning Series; Every Child magazine; Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. All publications are quality assured and up to date. Subscribe today to ensure you don’t miss any future issues.

Book now!

Less than 60 days till our 2018 ECA National Conference. Secure your spot today! This event will bring people together to recognise the impact of high-quality early childhood education, and the importance of investing in ongoing professional development. Click here to book now! There are some tickets still available for the Family Day Care centre tour. Register for the tour here.

Become an ECA Member today: Learn more

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Early Childhood Australia disclaimer
The opinions expressed in the articles and external links are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Early Childhood Australia.

ECA WebWatch—Issue 289, August 2018.