Ahead of the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the ALAS Foundation will present on Thursday, April 12, in Cartagena, Colombia, their joint awards to recognize innovations and excellence in early childhood development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno and ALAS founder Shakira, a renowned artist and education advocate, will present the ALAS-IDB awards in a ceremony to be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Napoleón de la Rosa auditorium of the Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar.
The winners in the categories of Best Teacher, Best Publication, Best Innovation and Best Center were chosen from over 700 nominations after a three-step selection process conducted by prestigious early childhood development experts. Prizes include educational kits, training for early childhood development teachers in the Unites States, computers, video game consoles and television sets.
The ALAS-IDB awards, first of their type in Latin America and the Caribbean, will honor professionals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to early childhood development in this region. The awards are also sponsored by partners including Coca Cola, Lego Education, United Way, Microsoft, Haier, Huggies, 3M, DELL, Cargill and Colombian American Association.
Media representatives interested in covering the event should write to Silvia Dangond (silvia@iadb.org) for accreditation.
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is the leading multilateral source of long-term financing and technical assistance for development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB has supported some 50 operations involving more than $5 billion with early childhood development components. Top experts in the field maintain that such social policies and programs offer the greatest benefits of any action governments may undertake to promote human capital.
About ALAS Foundation
The ALAS Foundation was established by Latin American leaders interested in influencing public policies and working to ensure that all boys and girls in this region reach their full potential through quality early childhood development programs.