OMEP and the 2006 World Assembly in Norway

The World Organization for Early Childhood Education, commonly called OMEP for the initials of the French title, held its annual World Assembly and International Conference in Tromsø, Norway, 7-11 August. Tromsø, a small city located over 200 miles above the Arctic Circle, hosted over 250 early childhood educators from over 40 countries from all five OMEP regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. Plenary sessions and break-out workshops addressed the theme of ”The Little Researcher,’ developed on the idea of the “scientist in the crib.”

The World Assembly elected Dr. Dorothy Hewes and Dorothy “Dodie” Sailor, early childhood educators from California, Honorary OMEP Members. This annual event acknowledges the lifetime work of world early childhood educators. Their names will be recorded in the World OMEP archives. Other Americans and Canadians presented workshops and listened to Selma Simonstein, World OMEP president (Chile), and other plenary presentations in English, French, and Spanish. Other attendees visited ECE programs in the Tromsø area.

OMEP, established in 1948 as a NGO, has consultative status with the United Nations, working closely with UNICEF. The OMEP Triennial World Congress will be hosted by OMEP Mexico in Mexico City, 16-20 July 2007. More information about the Congress will be available on the OMEP-United States website early next year. Also, visit www.omep2007.org.mx. In addition to World OMEP events, at its Annual Conference in Atlanta, NAEYC will co-sponsor the third International Children’s Film Festival with OMEP-USNC. In addition, OMEP-USNC will conduct a session on international ECE and host the International Coffee Hour and Poster Session. Look for details in the NAEYC Final Program.

OMEP-USNC is an Exchange Strategic Partner. For more information, go to www.omep-usnc.org.

Contributed by Edna Ranck