Page 3 - Reliance Foundation - The Change Maker - Issue 45

The ChangeMaker 3

Reliance Foundation Hosts Conference on Early

Childhood Care and Education for a Bright Future

Confluence of ideas, actions and
Play-Based Learning explored at
Reliance Foundation’s landmark
Early Childhood Care and
Education conference

Over 200 practitioners gather at
the two-day ‘Building Flourishing
Futures’ conference in Mumbai,
share experiences and suggest
actions for better early childhood
outcomes

landmark gathering of public and
A private practitioners spanning the
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
spectrum, convened to share insights and
experience play-based learning at Reliance
Foundation’s Building Flourishing Futures
conference.
Held at the Dhirubhai Ambani
International School (DAIS) in Mumbai,
the conference brought together
diverse practitioners from the ECCE
system, academics and experts from
India and internationally.
The two-day conference, explored from Ummeed Child Development Center, Foundation schools and the Dhirubhai
innovative practices and approaches for Ms Sunisha Ahuja from UNICEF and Dr Rita Ambani International School create
developing playful parents, teachers, and Patnaik, Joint Director, NIPCCD, Ministry of stimulating learning environments, from
communities. Contributing towards the goal Women & Child Development the best of Indian and international early
of universalization of ECCE as articulated in Experts such as from Dr Mahesh childhood learning practices. With this
India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Balsekar, Consultant Paediatrician, Sir experience, Reliance Foundation’s vision
speakers and participants had a range of HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and is to help transform the Early Childhood
learning and educational experiences, with Research Centre; Mr Abhimanyu Basu, Care and Education landscape across India,
10 masterclasses, 15 interactive learning Dean and CEO, DAIS; Dr Nilay Ranjan, Head especially through building capacity of
stations, and 30 speaker sessions. - Education, Reliance Foundation also Anganwadi workers to deliver play-based
Showing deep involvement in the added their insights to the proceedings. learning for children from low income and
subject at the conference, Ms Isha Through the two days, participants who marginalised communities.
Ambani, Director, Reliance Industries included Anganwadi workers, teachers, Continued collaboration and innovation
Limited and Vice Chairperson, Dhirubhai principals, policy makers and representatives can build significant momentum. The
Ambani International School, was in rapt from philanthropies explored a burst of ideas, ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ conference
attention through the sessions, keenly engaged in animated play-based learning with a unique convening of diverse
engaging with experts and attending demonstrations, discussed nuances of policies opinions, thoughts and good practices,
demonstrations with practitioners at and practice, caregiving and strategies for aims to build a dynamic platform where
various learning stations. cross-learning, towards holistic early childhood practitioners learn from one another;
Key speakers included well-known care, education and development. build collaborations to develop actionable
practitioners Shri Sampath Kumar, IAS., Reflecting Reliance Foundation Founder strategies within the ecosystem, leading a
Principal Secretary, Government of and Chairperson Mrs Nita Ambani’s transformative journey, so that every child
Meghalaya, Ms Anne Van Dam from The philosophy of ‘Happy School, Happy in India has the opportunity to reach their
Learning Square, Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy Learners’ educators at the Reliance full potential, towards a flourishing future.