Message from the Director

As the year closes I am delighted to announce that the REEaCh Hub are leading a landmark evaluation of the state-wide roll-out of the Universal Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program in Victoria. The Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Ian Potter Foundation are funding the study which will be delivered over five years through a partnership between the University of Melbourne and the Front Project, working closely with the Victorian Department of Education and Training.

By funding this study, the Foundations are supporting us to build evidence of the impact on the lives of young Australians, by participating in two years of quality early learning before school and by better understanding and advancing their early learning experiences. The study has been named the Education and Development Gains in Early Childhood or EDGE study and will be launched early next year. As we prepare to approach early childhood services and families in 2022 to participate in the EDGE study we will continue to provide updates about the work we are doing. We are excited to introduce the Hub team of experienced researchers who are working on the EDGE study. A/Prof Jane Page and Dr Penny Levickis are leading work in two of the EDGE study’s domains: research focused on professional practice and children’s learning and development outcomes. Dr’s Hannah Bryson, Laura McFarland, and Hannah Stark have joined the EDGE team in key coordination roles.

_{L-R: Laura McFarland, Penny Levickis, Jane Page, Hannah Bryson, Tricia Eadie, Hannah Stark}

We were pleased that our work with the Research Network of Early Childhood Professionals has been acknowledged through the MGSE Excellence in Industry-Engaged Research Award for 2021. Our ECP network is highly valued by the Hub, and we are grateful for the early childhood professionals who continue to engage, collaborate, and guide us with this research.

In 2022 we plan to continue our focus on Children’s Wellbeing, through a series of surveys, interviews and seminars. We look forward to announcing more details in the new year. As we close the door on 2021, I hope everyone will have the opportunity to rest and recharge over the summer break.

All the best,

Tricia

Professor Tricia Eadie