ACEI History

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Overview
ACEI Today

Overview

The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is a global community dedicated to promoting the optimal education and development of children in a changing world. The Association today is both a knowledge broker for innovative practices and an advocate for education and children's rights. These key areas of focus have evolved from the Association's vibrant and active past. As social change agents, ACEI members have involved themselves in various critical societal issues over the years in their efforts to ensure that children around the world are protected, supported, and educated in an equitable fashion that allows them to reach their true potential.

ACEI has challenged the status quo in order to improve education opportunities for children. Through their grassroots advocacy and action-based initiatives, ACEI educators have been a clear and consistent voice for changes in education that truly support the development of stimulating and meaningful learning environments for children.

ACEI was established as the International Kindergarten Union (IKU) in 1892, by educators concerned with the professional preparation of kindergarten teachers. In 1931, the National Council of Primary Education joined with the IKU to form the Association for Childhood Education (ACE). Many ACE members were professionals with an international focus. Realizing the critical importance of advancing childhood education throughout the world, ACE added "International" to its name in 1946, becoming the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). Today, ACEI has active members in 53 countries.

Through its actions, ACEI has demonstrated concern for children throughout the world. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, prominent members worked in immigrant communities in the United States to improve conditions for children living in slums and other types of settlement communities. Association members were well known for their concern for children worldwide who were living in conditions of poverty or facing other challenging circumstances, such as discrimination, war, and hunger.

After World War I, international outreach expanded. ACEI offered support for kindergarten units that were organized to help refugee children in France. During the Great Depression in the United States, ACEI was hired by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to publish materials for nursery school teachers. During World War II, ACEI sent books, toys, and curriculum materials to teachers and children in Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy. The organization continued its dedication to a global sharing of ideas, sponsoring teachers from many countries, including Norway, Germany, and Korea, to participate in study tours in the United States. Additionally, ACEI has hosted international conferences in countries such as Japan, Russia, Taiwan, and Hungary.

Advocating for human rights is at the heart of ACEI's mission. ACEI was one of the few organizations that took a moral stance against discrimination based on race prior to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. In 1949, ACEI denied requests from three state associations to have separate associations for black and white educators. In 1950, ACEI revised its Guide for Groups Wishing to Extend Invitations to ACEI to state that African American members would have equal access to hotels, restaurants, and public transportation.

In the mid-1960s, ACEI supported U.S. efforts to prepare young children living in poverty for school, and partnered with several organizations to develop training kits for Project Head Start training centers throughout the country.

ACEI Today

Today, ACEI continues to advocate for teachers, parents, and children. Currently, ACEI is advocating for child rights through the Love Me, Teach Me campaign developed to raise awareness about child rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

ACEI's Childhood Education Center, previously located in Washington, D.C., served as a meeting place for educators from all continents to share ideas and exchange information. Today, ACEI's website provides a virtual portal for knowledge sharing.

ACEI is an international education association with Consultative Status at the United Nations and membership in the NGO Committee on UNICEF. ACEI UN representatives attend annual UN Department of Public Information (DPI) conferences, participate in Working Groups affiliated with the NGO Committee on UNICEF, and attend annual conferences sponsored by the Committee on Teaching About the United Nations (CTAUN). Additionally, ACEI representatives attend educational events at UN Headquarters in New York.