At JMU CARE™, we recognize that education is a global initiative.  By collaborating and networking with educators across the world, we gain a broader understanding of what strategies and initiatives lead to the most enriching early childhood education experiences.

During their visit to Finland, the JMU team gained extensive insights into the Finnish education system through meetings with key figures from the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC), as well as visits to various educational institutions. At FINEEC, the team learned about the organization’s role in evaluating and enhancing Finland’s early childhood education (ECEC) system and higher education quality. They were introduced to the Valssi evaluation tool, which supports quality management in ECEC through research-based evaluation methods and self-evaluation practices. The team was particularly impressed by the Finnish emphasis on trust and autonomy in education, which is foundational to the country's approach to educational assessment and improvement.

The JMU team also explored teacher training and educational practices at institutions such as Helsinki Normal Lyceum and Laurea Applied Sciences University. At Helsinki Normal Lyceum, they observed the integration of teacher training with classroom practice, emphasizing autonomy and research-based methodologies. At Laurea, they learned about the role of social pedagogues in supporting children and families, which highlighted Finland’s commitment to inclusive and community-oriented education. The team noted the unique aspects of Finnish education, such as the focus on pedagogical experimentation and the integration of theory with practice.

The visit concluded with reflections on the Finnish education system’s strengths, including its comprehensive approach to ECEC, effective self-evaluation strategies, and the integration of research into teacher education. Dr. Sharifian and the team noted that Finnish educators, despite facing challenges, exhibit a high level of contentment and dedication, which contributes to their overall happiness and effectiveness. This experience emphasized the importance of focusing on the well-being of children as the central goal in education and inspired the team to apply these insights in developing the JMU CARE™ initiative. The team plans to reconvene to further reflect on their experiences and support the continued development of JMU CARE™. 

Logos of Finnish Universities: Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, and University of Helsinki

The JMU CARE™ team visited the University of Nebraska to inquire about their structure and impressive funding strategies, securing nearly five million dollars in internal grants and almost 130 million in external grant awards during their 20 years of experience. The Nebraska trip was also influenced by JMU CARE™’s desire to better understand their established faculty affiliate process and learn from their early childhood research lab structure to add to our facilities planning.  This trip included the JMU CARE™ Executive Director, the Advisory Committee member Dr. Amy Thelk, the Young Child’s Program (YCP) Director Amy Taylor, and Dean Mark L’Esperance.  The center plans on connecting with the University of Nebraska for additional insight into their funding structure in the future. 

The Republic of Singapore is an island country with a multicultural population and a unique approach to its education practices compared to the American educational system.  Singapore students have excelled in several international educational benchmarks in science, mathematics, and reading, with its primary and secondary school students ranking first in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) global school performance rankings, spanning 76 different countries.  OECD is considered the most comprehensive mapping of educational standards.  By comparison, the United States ranked 28^th in OECD’s metrics, based on a combination of Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.  Consequently, the JMU CARE™ team at JMU knew that outreach to Singapore to learn more about its early childhood education practices would facilitate a mutually beneficial relationship and provide our team with insight on how to bolster our Virginia students.

This educational venture to Singapore universities and early childhood facilities allowed the JMU CARE™ team to network with educators and researchers from Nanyang Technological University, the National University of Singapore, and the Singapore University of Social Sciences to gain insight into the practices and pedagogical structures that have contributed to the success of their students.  The team was able to visit Children’s Cove Preschool, a private commercial center, E-Bridge Preschools, an anchor operator center, and the US Embassy Singapore.

Logos of Singapore Universities: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore University of Social Sciences, and National University of Singapore