A description of the collaboration between Columbia University and UNICEF to help six countries develop standards for the early learning and development of childrenThis report describes the collaboration between Columbia University and UNICEF to help six countries develop standards for the early learning and development of children. Representatives from each of the six countries (Brazil, Ghana, Jordan, Paraguay, Philippines, and South Africa) met in July 2003 for the first Early Learning and Development Standards Workshop in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss how to develop standards. The participants learned how to use a standards template so that they could adapt it to fit their country s specific needs and all six countries left the workshop with a draft plan for the development of standards. Over the course of a year the countries decided on target age ranges and domains of development based on different criteria, and by July 2004, nearly all of the countries had submitted a draft of standards to the Technical Assistance Team for review and feedback. A second Early Learning and Development Standards Workshop was held in July 2004 in Salvador, Brazil. Representatives from the six participating countries and five new countries (Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Jamaica, and Mexico) attended. The six participating countries formulated strategies for validating and implementing their early learning and development standards and the new countries learned about the development process. By the end of 2004, most countries reported they were close to meeting the goals set at the second workshop.