The wonderful HAPPY program welcomed six classes to our campus this academic year for our interactive, holistic preschool program. Each group took part in four weeks full of lessons and activities designed to grow their comprehension of the English language through songs, art, play and more. The program brought us as much joy as it did the children, who often told us phrases like: “I wake up early when I have HAPPY,” and “I prepared my clothes a day early for HAPPY, I was so excited”.
Alongside the improvements in the children’s learning, HAPPY also supported their teachers’ and parents’ understanding of early childhood development. Preschool teachers observed ULYP teachers and attended a training session hosted in ULYP’s new training room in Beirut. This session explored early childhood brain development, learning stages and the impact of trauma and displacement. The teachers reported learning a number of new skills and noted that the children were better prepared for the next stage of their education as a result of HAPPY. This was validated during ULYP’s visits to the preschools in the camps and gatherings where we were proud to see so much of the HAPPY methodology transferring to these classes. This year, HAPPY directly impacted 140 children, over 100 parents and 18 teachers.
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