Futuro Infantil Hoy: Una experiencia de calidad en educación para la primera infancia

Futuro Infantil Hoy is a pedagogical and community capacity building project in early childhood education. The program aims to strengthen leadership and pedagogical practices in early childhood centers, involving families and communities in children's learning, providing young children with a solid foundation for successful schooling. Futuro Infantil Hoy (FIH) involves a unique international public-private alliance between Fundación Minera Escondida, the Chilean Government and the University of Western Sydney (Australia) and began as a pilot program involving 5 early childhood centres in Antofagasta, Chile. The FIH Project has expanded to 15 new sites in the cities of Antofagasta, Calama and Tocopilla in Chile.

Futuro Infantil Hoy News
October, 2011.

On October 20, the University of Western Sydney in association with UNICEF and the Australian Embassy in Chile presented the Seminar Innovations in Early Childhood Education: An Australian Perspective. The seminar was conducted in Santiago de Chile attracting over 170 people with an interest in quality early childhood education and highlighted the successful implementation of Futuro Infantil Hoy.

Futuro Infantil Hoy Expansion Project
April, 2011.

The success of FIH pilot Project (2008-2010) has led to a significant expansion of the program. FIH is now being implemented in 16 early childhood education centers in 3 cities in the North of Chile: Antofagasta, Calama and Tocopilla. The implementation of the centres is being led by specially selected ‘mentoras’ with expertise in early childhood education and Fundacion Minera Escondida is co-ordinating this excting development in the region. The University of Western Sydney is continuing to be closely involved in the program.

Futuro Infantil Hoy EXPO
September, 2010.

Nearly 200 people attended the Futuro Infantil Hoy EXPO on September 2nd at Fundación Minera Escondida’s  building in Antofagasta. Antofagasta’s mayor Dr Marcela Hernando and FME’s Executive Director Petri Salopera spoke about the significance of the program for children, families, educators and  the community.  Each of the 5 participating centres provided a showcase display of the work undertaken during the pilot, and  provided powerful presentations about what their involvement in the project had meant for them  and their centres.

Children’s future is always today. Tomorrow will be late.
(Gabriela Mistral)