Almost every country in the world now realizes the importance of early learning and its vital role in ensuring children’s optimal growth and later schooling and lifelong success. The Khalifa International Award for Early Learning originates from the principled directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa Award for Education. The directives called for establishing an international award for early learning that would enrich the culture of excellence and innovation in education and promote research and development in this field.
The award is intended to discover and recognize research, programs, methodologies, and advanced teaching practices, acknowledge distinguished teachers, and activate the role of educational centers, institutions, and companies specialized in the field of early childhood education. In addition, this new award aims to raise awareness and focus attention on serving young children with disabilities in early childhood education. It will promote the publication of distinguished studies, successful practices, and methodologies to improve early learning policy and practice.