The goals of the workshop are to show the process of change that occurred among participating kindergarten teachers while taking part in a training program lead by "MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International Cooperation", its training branch "The Golda Meir MASHAV International Training Center (MCTC)", its partner "The Institute for Democratic Education" and in cooperation with "The Ghana Education Services", which took place between 2008 and 2016. Training programs in the topic of early childhood education were implemented in three main cities throughout the country, Accra, Kumasi and Tamale, and over 500 educators participated in training activities either in Ghana or in Israel.
This workshop will be based on our experience implementing the training project, and will discuss the influence and impact the kindergarten teachers have had in their classrooms, with the children in their classrooms and the families of the children. We will also explore the way the kindergarten teachers have influenced their schools, their communities and the educational system of Ghana at large.
The entire process of change within the early childhood education system in Ghana, started with the kindergarten teachers at the grassroots level. Kindergarten teachers developed into community leaders and early childhood education experts and influenced their surroundings. Teachers became themselves trainers and mentors which created a multiplier effect inspiring and shaping the way hundreds of kindergarten teachers teach in Ghana and affecting the education of thousands of children.
During the workshop, participants will experience some of the approaches and activities used during the training program in Ghana, and we will discuss how this process can be a catalyst for sustainable change within communities and within early childhood education.
Keywords: Kindergartens, early childhood education, sustainable, community, change, education, teacher training
