ISSA - International Step by Step Association

26/05/2026

Soft skills are essential to quality early childhood practice, but how do we strengthen them in everyday work?

Join us for a discussion with practitioners and from different countries as we reflect on lessons, challenges and practical approaches to strengthening across the early childhood workforce.

Together, we’ll explore:

🔹 What practical approaches are showing real impact, including reflection, video-based learning and communities of practice

🔹 What gaps, challenges and system changes still need to be addressed for soft skills to become more embedded across ECEC systems

When? 3 June 2026, 14:00–15:30 CEST

🗣️ Live translation captions available.

👉 Register here: https://www.ecosinstitute.net/blog/june-3rd-strengthening-soft-skills-in-practice-what-works-whats-missing-whats-next

Pučko otvoreno učilište Korak po korak, Pedagoški inštitut/Educational Research Institute, Skoladokoran - Wideopenschool

19/05/2026

What if outdoor play wasn’t an “extra,” but a core part of how children learn and grow?

OUTPLAY – Outdoor Play Labs is a new initiative bringing together ISSA Members and partners across Europe to reimagine learning for children aged 3–10. By combining outdoor play, STEM, and social-emotional development, the project supports a more holistic, inclusive approach to early education.

Through practical tools, educator training, and hands-on methods, OUTPLAY helps transform everyday outdoor spaces into engaging learning environments where curiosity, creativity, and connection can thrive.

Learn more about the project and its latest updates:
https://issa.nl/outplay/news

Skoladokoran - Wideopenschool, ICDI - International Child Development Initiatives, Pučko otvoreno učilište Korak po korak, Pedagoški inštitut/Educational Research Institute, Fundacja Pro-Fil

11/05/2026

What does it really take to support young children in crisis?

This Wednesday, join us for the first ECOS - Early Childhood One System Fireside Chat with Professor Mark Tomlinson and Gabriella Brent from , Amna - formerly Refugee Trauma Initiative.

🗓 Wed. 13 May 2026 | 14:00–15:00 CEST | 🗣️live translation captions available

Children’s lives are shaped by the people and systems around them, not by isolated interventions. Together they will explore why supporting children requires moving beyond standalone programmes and toward ecosystems of care rooted in relationships, communities, and systems.

The conversation will reflect on:
→ Child → family → ecosystem
→ Why programme-based approaches are not enough
→ The role of teachers, facilitators, communities, and systems
→ What it takes to build lasting relational support

🔗 Register here: https://www.ecosinstitute.net/blog/may-13th-fireside-chat-supporting-young-children-in-crisis

10/05/2026

Every child’s development is shaped by the relationships that surround them. This Mother’s Day, we recognise the vital role of mothers, and all those who nurture, care, and support young children in their earliest years.

In the first years of life, responsive, loving interactions lay the foundation for learning, well-being, and resilience. Yet, too many families face barriers to the support they need.

ISSA works alongside partners across Europe and Central Asia to strengthen systems that support parents and caregivers, ensuring every child has the opportunity to grow up in a nurturing, inclusive environment.

Today, we celebrate care in all its forms, and renew our commitment to policies and services that make it possible for every family to thrive.

28/04/2026

What does it really mean to take children seriously as partners in shaping the world around them?

In our conversation with Jose Antonio Gordillo Martorell, we explore a shift from seeing children as passive visitors to recognising them as active contributors who can influence how institutions think and operate.

Jose shares powerful examples and challenges superficial approaches to participation, that move beyond “children washing” toward meaningful engagement.

👉 Listen to the interview or read the summary: https://issa.nl/news/rethinking-participation-what-happens-when-we-truly-listen-to-children

22/04/2026

What makes a strong submission for ISSA Conference 2026?

This year’s conference is designed as a collaborative, workshop-based spaceb— closer to a hackathon than a traditional conference. The focus is on working through real questions together, not just sharing finished work.

We’re looking for contributions that:
– bring forward real challenges, tensions, or open questions
– draw on concrete experience
– offer insights others can build on
– connect practice to broader system change

Whether you’re helping frame a discussion, sharing an experience, or contributing as a discussant, your role is to help move the conversation forward.

📣 Deadline to submit: April 27
👉 https://cfc-form.issa.nl/

Learn more about the format and topics:
https://issa.nl/issa-conference-2026/call-for-contributions



Learning for Well-being Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation OECD

16/04/2026

How can we create spaces where people feel safe, seen, and supported especially in times of crisis and displacement?

, Amna - formerly Refugee Trauma Initiative, invites you to an introductory training on Setting up Safer Collective Healing Spaces for Communities Experiencing Adversity.

🗓 22 April 2026 | 11:00 AM (Levant Time) | 🗣️ Arabic

This 3-hour online session (in Arabic) is designed for practitioners, educators, and frontline workers. It offers a practical and reflective look at how trauma and identity shape wellbeing, and how care-informed approaches can strengthen the way we work with communities.

What you’ll gain:
• Practical tools for emotional regulation and collective wellbeing
• Approaches to creating trauma- and identity-informed spaces
• Guidance on embedding respect, connection, understanding, and curiosity into daily practice
• Self-care strategies to sustain your wellbeing

🔗 Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/xJ9ODzo8Q0agn0mkbGCWxg #/registration

09/04/2026

This International Roma Day, we reaffirm a simple but urgent truth: every child deserves the opportunity to thrive from the very start. Yet many young Roma children still face barriers to their well-being and development. Supporting the professionals who work with children and families is key to building more inclusive early childhood systems.

To mark the day, CHAVORE (which means “children” in the Romani language) has launched an interactive Quest—inviting you to explore key ideas, access practical tools, and connect with peers.

🔗 Take the Quest: https://chavore-quest.issa.nl/en

This International Roma Day, we reaffirm a simple but urgent truth: every child deserves the opportunity to thrive from the very start.

Yet many young Roma children still face barriers to their well-being and development. Supporting the professionals who work with children and families is key to building more inclusive early childhood systems.

To mark the day, CHAVORE (which means “children” in the Romani language) has launched an interactive Quest inviting you to explore key ideas, access practical tools, and connect with peers.

🔗 Take the Quest: https://chavore-quest.issa.nl/en



REYN Slovakia, REYN Slovenija, REYN Italia - La Rete per la prima infanzia rom, REYN - Belgium, REYN Bosnia and Herzegovina, REYN - Hrvatska, Reyn Hungary

02/04/2026

Yet another great reason to join us in sunny Lisbon! We’re thrilled to announce Dominic Richardson, Managing Director of the Learning for Well-being, as a keynote speaker at ISSA Conference 2026 this October.

🎥 Watch Dominic explain in his own words what this conference is about, why it's important, how the format differs, and more.

📣 Call for Contributions is open:
• Deadline: April 27

🔔 A few reminders:
• In-person participation in Lisbon is limited—secure your place early with the early bird rate

Explore the conference and submit your contribution:
https://issa.nl/issa-conference-2026/home

Join 450+ early childhood professionals in Lisbon for ISSA Conference 2026. Advancing integrated systems for child wellbeing. Register now for Early Bird rates.

30/03/2026

What if this year’s conference didn’t just showcase ideas but actively reshaped how we exchange, challenge, and build them together?

ISSA Conference 2026 takes a different approach, and so does this year’s Call for Contributions.

In the short video below, ISSA's Program Director, Mihaela Ionescu, Ph.D walks through how this year’s conference format and call are different.

⏰ We are hosting a live Q&A session with Mihaela on Thursday 2 April at 13.00 CET in which we invite you to come with any questions you may have.

👉 Register for the Q&A session here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qin8X4yJQK6AWgOLv2utvA #/registration

🎥 Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7ZLOQJFugU



Learning for Well-being Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation, OECD

What if a conference didn’t just share ideas but helped shape them together?ISSA Conference 2026 takes a different approach, and so does this year’s Call for...