Join a Locally Rooted, Regionally Connected, and Globally Relevant Movement.

This September, ISSA will launch a first-of-its-kind network-driven institute — a vibrant destination where early childhood professionals, leaders, policymakers, funders, and advocates come together to learn, connect, and lead meaningful change. 

Built with the field — not just for it — ISSA’s Early Childhood Institute is more than a platform. It’s a movement. A dynamic, growing community where transformative learning, shared expertise, and cross-sector collaboration drive real-world impact for young children and families everywhere. 

Transformative Learning, Co-Created with the Field 

At its heart, the Institute delivers flexible, quality and equity-driven learning opportunities designed for the realities of early childhood practice: 

• Self-paced, live virtual, hybrid, and in-person experiences 

• Quality-assured, certified, multilingual offerings 

• Designed to strengthen practice, deepen expertise, and deliver immediate impact where it matters most — in the daily lives of young children and families. 

But this isn’t “off-the-shelf” learning. Every offering is co-created with ISSA members, trusted partners, and leading early childhood experts from around the globe — drawing on 25+ years of ISSA’s experience in influencing practices and policies, and the lived expertise of practitioners across diverse contexts. In this way, the Institute also brings us all together to ensure greater consolidation and efficiency across the field in the delivery of knowledge. 

In addition to formal learning opportunities, the Institute will also provide a growing collection of practical resources — from toolkits and guidelines to frameworks and curated content — designed to support professionals in real-world application. 

To ensure accessibility for diverse audiences and contexts, the Institute will offer a mix of open-access resources and paid, premium learning opportunities — allowing individuals, organizations, and systems to engage at multiple entry points while building sustainable growth across the field. 

A Gathering Place for Shared Growth 

The Institute is more than a catalogue of learning — it’s a shared space for connection, reflection, and collective growth: 

• Masterclasses, convenings, virtual study visits, and peer exchanges bring together voices across sectors, borders, and disciplines. 

• Thought leadership events elevate bold ideas, delve into under-explored topics, and spotlight innovations from practice. 

• A vibrant professional community nurtures ongoing dialogue, support, and cross-sector collaboration. 

Together, these shared spaces build collective capacity that transcends geography, creating a common professional culture that fuels systems change across the early childhood ecosystem. 

Locally Grounded. Regionally and Globally Relevant. 

Every learning experience is grounded in local realities, designed with cultural responsiveness and linguistic accessibility, while connecting to regional and global knowledge and evidence-based practice. 

By linking policy, research, and practice — and elevating the expertise of those who work directly with children — the Institute helps build local capacity on the ground while strengthening more equitable early childhood systems worldwide. 

Why Now — And Why ISSA 

The needs of the early childhood workforce have never been more urgent — nor more complex. Fragmentation, inequity in access to professional learning, and disconnected systems persist. The Institute rises to meet this challenge by offering: 

• An innovative, scalable platform ready to serve diverse contexts 

• A networked model leveraging the experience and expertise of ISSA’s 100+ members across 40+ countries and a growing number of partners 

• Shared ownership through co-branding, revenue-sharing, and partner co-creation 

• Built-in sustainability through diversified funding and long-term business models 

And yes — it’s moving fast. So fast, in fact, it doesn’t even have a name yet. But one thing is certain: this is a network-driven learning movement built together from the ground up — to strengthen those who nurture young children, and to shape brighter futures, every day, everywhere. 

Be Part of What’s Next 

The countdown has begun. The Institute opens its doors in September — but this is just the beginning. 

Whether you’re ready to co-create content, partner to expand your impact, or invest in systemic change, we invite you to join us as we build the future of professional learning for early childhood together. 

🔗 Discover more and follow the journey – sign up for our newsletter. 

📩 Interested in partnering or investing? Reach out to Éva Izsák at eizsak@issa.nl.