Greetings from the World President of OMEP
Dear colleagues and OMEP members around the world,
With great enthusiasm and commitment, on behalf of the World Executive Committee of OMEP, I warmly invite you to participate in the 77th OMEP World Assembly and Conference (WAC 2025), to be held in the historic city of Bologna, Italy, from July 14 to 18, 2025. This event will focus on a fundamental theme for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): “Arts and Cultures in Early Childhood Education: Play, Expression, Participation.”
Inspired by the commitments made in the 2022 Tashkent Declaration, this gathering will offer an opportunity to expand upon the concept of foundational learning, which goes far beyond the acquisition of basic literacy and numeracy. Foundational learning encompasses meaningful experiences that nurture the holistic development of each child, fostering not only cognitive but also social, emotional, and cultural skills—essential for their integral growth and active participation in society as citizens from birth.
In a global context of increasing complexity, the theme of WAC 2025 underscores the importance of arts and cultures in early childhood. These elements not only enrich the educational experience but also strengthen the identity, sense of belonging, and expressive capabilities of children. Access to art and culture is not only a human right but a fundamental value, enabling young children to explore, discover, and shape their world creatively, participatively, and joyfully.
This WAC 2025, hosted by OMEP Italy and rooted in the pedagogical legacy of figures such as Montessori, Malaguzzi, Agazzi, and other influential educators, will emphasize the right of all children to participate in culture and play and to develop their agency.
Our objective is for each participant to take away practical tools and innovative perspectives to implement in their own contexts, realizing the right of children to an inclusive, democratic, and culturally relevant learning experience.
Furthermore, this conference aims to delve into the political dimension of early childhood education, promoting a rich and relevant curricular framework and the development of educational policies that are not only inclusive and of high quality but also acceptable in relation to each child’s developmental stage and adaptable to the diverse realities and needs of each community and social context.
We look forward to your participation in Bologna, where together, we can advance a transformed ECCE that empowers children as present-day citizens, capable of expressing their voices and contributing to a more just, peaceful, and sustainable society. We eagerly await the opportunity to share, learn, and build together!
Warm regards,
Mercedes Mayol Lassalle
World President of OMEP