About StarBright Learning Exchange
Our Statement of Purpose
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To provide support, resources and training for preschool programs for young orphaned African children who have been infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
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To ensure that AIDS orphans are provided with an early childhood educational experience to help them develop life long learning capabilities. Research shows that quality early childhood learning and care leads to higher levels of physical, cognitive and emotional well-being and better rates of lifetime learning and earning. Something that is vital for these children who will be leading Africa into the future.
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To establish a cross-cultural education exchange program between Australian and South African early childhood educators and childcare staff from early childhood learning centres, to enhance skills and understanding of each other’s work and social cultures.
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To establish links between children’s centres in Australia and in South Africa and develop counterpart relationships between staff members, the children, their families and their local communities.
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To work in partnership with African commnunitites and the people who are supporting children orphaned by AIDS.
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To build on the programs currently being provided in the selected services in a sensitive and acknowledgeing way. It will not be our intention to come in and change or criticise what is occurring. It is our aim to assist and support the delivery of early childhood programs to children with special needs.
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To enable a cross-cultrual exchange for early childhood workers from one country to another. For this to be achieved each person selected to join the program would spend time in Australian/South African centres and each to exchange ideas and knowledge of their early learning programs from their cultural perspective.