The early years of a child’s life are critically important for their future education, health and life outcomes.  We know this from worldwide research efforts.  If you are enthusiastic about continuing this research and applying it so as to positively transform the lives of children and those that teach them, and if you are a leading academic in the field of developmental psychology and contemporary approaches to education, please consider investing your talents in this Early Start initiative of our Faculty of Social Sciences.

The University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, has attracted over $44 million in funding for the Early Start Project which will be housed in a new building that will incorporate Australia’s first Children’s Discovery Centre, encouraging people from many age-groups and disciplines to participate in a range of learning experiences.

The Project will enable connections to 38 early childhood and family services responding to disadvantage across New South Wales.  Interdisciplinary approaches and creative technologies will enhance all aspects of Early Start’s operation.  The multidisciplinary team will also include a Professor of Early Childhood Education and a Professor of Social Work.  The Centre is led by Professor Paul Chandler whose profile can be found at http://www.uow.edu.au/about/who/UOW051998.html

At the heart of this exciting initiative is a shared commitment to addressing social, educational and economic disadvantage.  The successful candidate will embrace this vision and collaborate with others to provide our diverse body of students with an engaging and internationally oriented learning experience.  The Professor of Developmental Psychology will bring leadership and an innovative research agenda to serve the development of both undergraduate and postgraduate academic programs.

The Early Start Project is a rare opportunity for a specialist in developmental and/or cognitive psychology to implement the most progressive pedagogies for the purpose of enhancing the lives of teachers and the children they influence.  More information about the Centre can be found at http://earlystart.uow.edu.au/index.html

For more information and to apply for this position, see http://employment.uow.edu.au/cgi-bin/job_details.cgi?id=24552

or contact Carol Watson: carol@carolwatson.com.au