Early childhood education is foundational to human development and social equity, yet the policy structures surrounding early learning systems differ widely across nations. As higher education increasingly recognizes the need to prepare leaders who can navigate this complexity, efforts are emerging to build Early Childhood Policy as a coherent field of study. This poster presents an international, multi-conference project designed to collect, compare, and synthesize global perspectives on early childhood policy, with the goal of informing the development of a shared comparative curriculum in higher education.

The poster introduces the Early Childhood Policy in Higher Education (ECPIHE) movement and its U.S.-based efforts to formalize the field, while also serving as an active data-collection site. At each international conference where this poster is presented, attendees are invited to contribute information about their country's early childhood system—placing a marker on a world map and providing brief details about governance, financing, workforce pathways, and policy priorities. Insights gathered during each iteration are visually added to the map and synthesized, with updated findings presented at subsequent conferences.

This rolling, cumulative approach creates a growing, participatory global dataset that can deepen comparative understanding, surface shared challenges, and cultivate new international partnerships. By integrating field-building with iterative global engagement, the project aims to advance higher education capacity in comparative early childhood policy and foster sustained cross-national collaboration.

Authors:
Gail Joseph, University of Washington, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Gail Joseph is currently a Professor of Early Learning at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, USA

Connect on Linkedin
https://linkedin.com/in/gail-joseph-17319617

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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