Mission

Improve, advance, expand and prioritize early childhood care and education in rural Ethiopia by supporting existing schools, creating new programs, partnering with institutions and implementing a Pk-16 approach in the education system.

Vision

To provide children with a comprehensive early childhood care and education programs that enables them to become welders of their own destiny.

Guiding Principles

  1. We believe children learn best when their culture, community, traditions, and environment are used as the vessel to transmit knowledge.
  2. We believe children have the ability to construct knowledge using their boundless imagination,  by interacting with others who expand their thought processes and with materials that support creativity in a responsive environment.
  3. We believe parents are navigational experts,  problem solvers, astute communicators, negotiators, and equal contributors to their children’s education.
  4. We believe children’s education is our collective responsibility at the community, regional, country, and government levels.
  5.  We believe it is through education that one can rid of the onset, continuation, and cyclical nature of poverty.
  6.  We believe in indigenous education as much as formal education.
  7.  We believe in strength-based, identity-affirming, culturally relevant early education programs.
  8. We believe play is a brain-developing tool. Play is children’s way of interpreting their world. 
  9. We believe the child should lead us to the curriculum, not the curriculum to the child.
  10. We believe quality early education starts with qualified, innovative, loving, nurturing, and educated teachers.
  11. We believe learning matters, but playing in the mud matters more.
  12. We believe in meaningful interaction enveloped in responsive caregiving practices.
  13. We believe inclusive education is a must, a standard we will set.
  14. We believe in STEAM education, with an emphasis on the A for the Arts.
  15. We believe in neuro-diversity, in that, children learn and acquire knowledge through different modalities. 
  16. We believe our investment in children today, influences the direction of our collective outcome in the future.

Early Childhood Education Ethiopia’s “Learner- Ready Generation” Framework

ECEE is pioneering transformative early childhood education in rural Ethiopia through our comprehensive, community-driven, developmentally focused care and education approach. The Learner Ready Generation approach combines proven educational methods with deep respect for local traditions, ensuring that each intervention is both effective and culturally appropriate. Our work on the ground has shown both remarkable successes and valuable learning opportunities, helping us continuously refine our methods to better serve children.