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700 people and institutions were nominated in Latin America and the Caribbean
The call for the 2013 ALAS-IDB Awards was launched in a moving ceremony
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (April 12, 2012) - In a ceremony at the Technological University of Bolivar in this Colombian city, the first ALAS-IDB prize winners received the award for excellence in early childhood development.
Martha Ivette Rivera Mexican Alanis won the ALAS-IDB award for best teacher, the book "Antonia" of the Colombian author Paula Mejia Maria and illustrator Paula Dufour of Argentina won the award for best publication, the Colombian foundation Fundamor won the award for best center and the Brazilian NGO Saúde Criança won the award for best innovation.
The awards were presented by the founder of ALAS, international artist and education activist Shakira, the president of ALAS, Alejandro Santo Domingo, and the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno.
After the awards, Moreno said: "The best way to change the future of a person is through early childhood development. Investments in early childhood have higher return than at any other time of life. So the IDB and the ALAS foundation have joined forces in promoting quality early childhood development. "
Meanwhile, Shakira said: "This competition is a good opportunity for us to recognize and replicate initiatives of high quality child development in Latin America. It is urgent to further expand the commitment of governments and agencies to provide early childhood and all our children the opportunities they deserve. I hope this contest is a good incentive to make further efforts to align and advance the goal of optimal living conditions for our children in Latin America. "
The contest, first of its kind in Latin America and the Caribbean received over 700 applications from individuals and institutions throughout the region. Participants were evaluated by a panel of experts.
Representatives from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Paraguay and Peru received honorable mentions.
Starting with this first edition of the ALAS-IDB award, both institutions seek to recognize and disseminate on an annual basis initiatives of excellence in early childhood development in Latin America.
 Best Educator: Martha Ivette Rivera Alanis has taught 5 to 6 year-olds in a public preschool in Monterrey, Mexico for 13 years. Early in her career she taught children with disabilities. Since then she has believed that early childhood education can help raise peaceful citizens. She became world famous in 2011 for a video in which she sang to calm and reassure her students during a firefight near their school. By signing she got the children to lie down on the floor, saving them from being caught in the crossfire. Her teaching method involves getting down to the child’s level to understand their world view.
 Best Publication: "Antonia" by the Colombian author Paula Mejia and Argentine illustrator Maria Paula Dufour Argentina, tells the story of an autistic child. The book informs parents, teachers and children about this condition in a straightforward and engaging way. Starting from the idea that autism is a psycho-social vulnerability rarely addressed by the educational system, the authors use colorful illustrations that appeal to children and a questions-and-answer format to guide adults. Antonia won the award for tackling a complex topic in an unconventional manner, making it accessible to people of different ages.
 Best Center: Fundación Dar Amor (Fundamor) provides care to children with HIV/AIDS, who besides being vulnerable often suffer discrimination. The center, based in the Colombian city of Cali, was originally established as a hospice for terminally ill adults. It began working with children after a baby was abandoned at its doorstep. Fundamor focuses on the comprehensive care of children and adolescents, addressing their health, nutrition, education, housing and recreation needs, ensuring their well-being and treating them with the dignity they deserve.
 Best Innovation: Saúde Criança. This Brazilian NGO developed a groundbreaking health care methodology that treats disease beyond the confines of hospitals, going to the patient's own environment. The methodology addresses pathologies as well as people’s social and psychological dimensions. The NGO delivers programs tailored to the needs of each family, paying special attention to children, in an effort to help them overcome the problems of poverty and disease that afflict vulnerable families in cities in six Brazilian states.
Honorable mentions
Best Educator: Celeste Acevedo Pinazza of Paraguay, Doris Elena Montoya Cerratideof Peru and Judith de la Ossa of Colombia.
Best Publication: "So My Grandparents Tell Me" of Ecuador, written by Maria Fernanda Ortega and illustrated by Diego Aldoz, Dario Guerrero, D. Vera Spring (Messklan), Isadora Siammes and Jaime Villarro. "Catherine and Augustine Known How to Take Care" of Peru, written by and Cecilia Briceño Yand llari Miranda (Emerging Solidarity Association) and illustrated and designed by Nilton Oliveira and Maritza Correa). "Isapi, the Maiden Who Couldn’t Cry" of Peru, written by Milagros Castillo Fuerman and illustrated by Luis Caycho and Salamandra Eirl.
Best Center: Golondrina Kindergarten of Chile and Argentina’s A Ray of Sunshine Integral Childhood Center and Supplemental Educational Center 801.
Best Innovation: Peru’s Cuna Más community daycare program, including comprehensive care for children with disabilities. Argentina’s Rural Child Care Centers.Guide Mothers of Honduras.
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