We provide training
ICDI has built up extensive experience in delivering training on various subjects relevant to the psychosocial development of children and youth. Our training sessions are always interactive in set-up, leaving ample room for input and feedback from participants. Every training is tailored to the needs and wishes of the contracting organisation.
Please be aware that ICDI cannot offer any training for free. We expect the contracting organization to cover all costs, including fees and other related costs for ICDI trainers.
For an overview of our current training portfolio please see below.
Early Childhood Development
Contemporary issues in early childhood
The recognition of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as the first stage of lifelong learning is a welcome recent phenomena. More than ever before organisations such as UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank are prioritizing ECEC in their policies and programmes. Lots of attention is being paid to increasing access to young children to ECEC services, to ensuring and measuring quality of ECEC programmes and to assessing young children’s learning outcomes. The ECEC training offered by ICDI aims to provide an ‘alternative’ and complementary perspective, highlighting the role of nonformal and informal environments in children’s well-being and healthy development, the importance of relationships in young children’s lives and opportunities to make sense of physical, social and cultural dimensions of their world.
Positive parenting in early childhood
This training workshop provides community-based professionals with knowledge, skills and tools to support parents and caregivers of young children in their parenting role. The ultimate goal is to contribute to creating safe and secure environments for young children to grow up and realize their potential. The course consists of five modules each with three or four sections that have been designed to respond to local child-rearing strengths and concerns, socio-economic circumstances and cultural norms and values. It includes topical issues such as engaging fathers in the parenting process and caring for the carers – recognising the needs of parents as human beings. The toolkit which accompanies this course includes key information about parenting from research and policy which is captured in easy-to-read summary sheets; multimedia materials; and extra reading material and resources.
Diversity and inclusion in early childhood education and care
One of the most exciting and beautiful things happening now in the world is the enormous amount of contact among people with different socio-cultural backgrounds. Societies are becoming increasingly diversified, but policies and approaches towards this new diversity do not always promote inclusion, tolerance and dialogue.
Within the framework of a common understanding on basic human values, an incredible wealth of diverse cultural assets can be enjoyed by everyone and be given new forms and meaning. Education to diversity and inclusion needs to take place for all ages, starting from early years. Values of ‘social inclusion’ and ‘respect for diversity’ are starting to be promoted in childcare in many countries. Yet, putting these values into practice is often quite difficult.
This training aims at presenting the current state of the art in this field and to explore different methods to put inclusion and diversity into the daily practice of ECEC.
Intergenerational learning
Intergenerational practice brings people from different generations together. They share activities, learn together, come to understand each other better and have fun together with the ultimate goal of building age-friendly communities and improving the health and well-being of all generations. This training is designed for those who are interested in setting up an intergenerational learning initiative which brings together young children (0-9 years) and older people (55 – 74 years, 75 years+), or who wish to further develop an existing IGL initiative. The content of the training, which is organised into five modules, is based on the TOY (Together Old and Young) approach, which was developed in a European project that ICDI coordinated (www.toyproject.net). It is also possible to adapt the contents to include attention to older children and young people.
Introduction to early childhood education and care
The importance of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is increasingly being recognized internationally. This training provides an introduction to a broad range of topics that are relevant to ECEC practitioners wherever they may be working. The content is informed by ICDI’s wide experience in working with ECEC practitioners in many different countries, as well as current research and policy developments. The selection of topics can be adapted to local needs and more in-depth training in any of the areas can also be provided on request. Peer learning and sharing of experiences is prioritized.
Importance of early years
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Integration of services
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Parenting skills
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Playful learning in early years
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Reflective practices
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Child protection and wellbeing
Child and youth development
In this training, we explore the different concepts relevant for child development (including abnormal development). We introduce a model of resilience and risk and protective factors as a way of assessing children’s situations, and how to use that for developing appropriate interventions. We also look at ways how cooperation between different stakeholders in child care can be improved to provide better care. Together with the participants we will design action oriented care plans, that can be used in their daily practice.
Life skills for children and adolescents
The main aim of the training is to provide people working with children and youth with the knowledge and competences to develop and implement life skills development programs for children and young people aged between 12 and 21. In addition, trainees will acquire the necessary skills to train colleagues in life skills development of these age groups. Life skills development is about the empowerment of young people to sustain healthy social and family relationships, continue their education or find employment and learn to live independently.
Positive parenting in early childhood
This training workshop provides community-based professionals with knowledge, skills and tools to support parents and caregivers of young children in their parenting role. The ultimate goal is to contribute to creating safe and secure environments for young children to grow up and realize their potential. The course consists of five modules each with three or four sections that have been designed to respond to local child-rearing strengths and concerns, socio-economic circumstances and cultural norms and values. It includes topical issues such as engaging fathers in the parenting process and caring for the carers – recognising the needs of parents as human beings. The toolkit which accompanies this course includes key information about parenting from research and policy which is captured in easy-to-read summary sheets; multimedia materials; and extra reading material and resources.
Children as researchers
In this training, we explore the different concepts relevant for child development (including abnormal development). We introduce a model of resilience and risk and protective factors as a way of assessing children’s situations, and how to use that for developing appropriate interventions. We also look at ways how cooperation between different stakeholders in child care can be improved to provide better care. Together with the participants we will design action oriented care plans, that can be used in their daily practice.
Newly emerging needs of children and youth
During the last few years, a few new insights have been developed within the framework of International development efforts that also are relevant for those concerned about practice, policy, training, intervention and action research benefiting children and young people. Some of the most promising are: positive deviance, antidotes to violence, epistemic community.
Diversity and inclusion in early childhood education and care
One of the most exciting and beautiful things happening now in the world is the enormous amount of contact among people with different socio-cultural backgrounds. Societies are becoming increasingly diversified, but policies and approaches towards this new diversity do not always promote inclusion, tolerance and dialogue.
Within the framework of a common understanding on basic human values, an incredible wealth of diverse cultural assets can be enjoyed by everyone and be given new forms and meaning. Education to diversity and inclusion needs to take place for all ages, starting from early years. Values of ‘social inclusion’ and ‘respect for diversity’ are starting to be promoted in childcare in many countries. Yet, putting these values into practice is often quite difficult.
This training aims at presenting the current state of the art in this field and to explore different methods to put inclusion and diversity into the daily practice of ECEC.
Promoting foster care
This training brings trainees up to date on current trends and thinking about foster care from an international perspective linking it to their daily practice. It will review the place of foster care as an alternative service for children at risk compared to institutionalization and adoption. Participants will be enabled to improve foster care services, pass on their new understanding and skills to colleagues, and provide better support to foster parents, their families and foster children themselves.
My Backpack: communication with children in foster care
My Backpack is a method/technique for social workers, legal guardians and foster carers that assists them to communicate with children about their placement in foster care. The approach is built around the story of a little duck with a red backpack who is going to live with the dog family. My Backpack encourages children to tell their own story and in doing so to understand what has happened to them and how they feel about it. Children in foster care participated in the development of these materials. In the Netherlands the training is accredited with the Register for Youth Care and Child Protection social workers with 8.1 points.
My Backpack is developed by Bep van Sloten and Rinkse Mansens. For the international roll-out of the training they have approached ICDI to assist them. Usually the training will be given by Bep van Sloten and a trainer of ICDI.
Nest model: a home away from home
This is a mandatory introduction training for any organization that wants to implement the Nest Centre model. The Nest Centre is an after school facility for children from multi-problem families. The main aim is to support and develop resilience of these children and to empower them so they can overcome their difficulties. The Nest Center essentially forms a home away from home. The copyright on the model is owned by Kinderpostzegels (www.kinderpostzegels.nl); organizations who want to implement Nest are obliged to follow the introductory training organized by ICDI. There is an accompanying manual.
Play and nature in children’s lives
Play is a universal activity and a universal right of all children, but it is not always straightforward to secure and safeguard. Too often the significance of play in children’s lives is denied, misunderstood or ignored. Drawing on research and experience from many different countries, this training workshop will consider children’s play in both indoor and outdoor environments and how play changes as children grow and develop. Attention will be paid to exploring the particular features and benefits of playing in and with nature. Depending on participants’ needs and priorities, it will also be possible to include contemporary concerns such as: commercialization of play and the toy industry; technology in children’s play and how universal schooling is affecting opportunities for play.
Child and youth participation
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to participate in decision- making processes that may be relevant in their lives (Articles 5 and 12). Through participation, youngsters are recognised as experts on their lives and therefore their views have to be heard and taken seriously.
Youth participation improves learning skills and strategies such as: making choices, reflecting, critical thinking and analysing data. The process also sharpens writing, communication and organizational skills. Learning is also advanced through a sense of responsibility, achieving success, motivation and ownership. In addition to personal enrichment, involving youngsters in processes benefits the work of organizations, as the participation of youth provides original and useful insights and inputs to develop more effective strategies and approaches.
In this training we provide people working with youngsters the knowledge and competences necessary to implement youth participation activities in their work or organization. Besides the theoretical aspect of participation this training will cover good practices and ready to use methods.
Cybersafe: preventing online child abuse
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to participate in decision- making processes that may be relevant in their lives (Articles 5 and 12). Through participation, youngsters are recognised as experts on their lives and therefore their views have to be heard and taken seriously.
Youth participation improves learning skills and strategies such as: making choices, reflecting, critical thinking and analysing data. The process also sharpens writing, communication and organizational skills. Learning is also advanced through a sense of responsibility, achieving success, motivation and ownership. In addition to personal enrichment, involving youngsters in processes benefits the work of organizations, as the participation of youth provides original and useful insights and inputs to develop more effective strategies and approaches.
In this training we provide people working with youngsters the knowledge and competences necessary to implement youth participation activities in their work or organization. Besides the theoretical aspect of participation this training will cover good practices and ready to use methods.
Parenting skills
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Reflective practices
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Resilience
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