Mongolian Development Center, Mongolia

EDUCATE A CHILD

About Mongolian Development Center

Mona Partner Since 2008

Collaborating closely with public kindergartens, the Mongolian Development Center (MDC) trains teachers and engages parents to implement its renowned “Hidden Gems” early childhood development program.


Rooted in the belief that every child possesses inherent nobility and potential, the curriculum uses workbooks, songs, and stories to teach children ages 2-5 to develop virtuous character. In working with 13 schools in 4 communities educating 2,142 students, MDC tailors its approach to each kindergarten based on their level of experience to ensure a dynamic and effective implementation of the curriculum across diverse educational settings.

The Challenge

Mongolia is located between Russia to the north and China to the south, deep within the interior of eastern Asia and far from any ocean. With a total population of fewer than three million, Mongolia has one of the lowest average population densities of any country in the world. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, 31% of the population is less than 15 years old. With the vast majority of brain development occurring in the first 2-3 years of life, the country does not enough pre-schools or kindergartens that teach moral education.

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  • Four staff members sitting at a table together receiving their teacher training.

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  • A group of young students gathered around a teacher; the teacher is handing a toy model car to one of the students.

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  • Parents participating in an interactive activity, all dancing with one hand up.

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  • Five teachers participating in a training session around how to find hidden gems within their classroom.

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  • A group of kindergarten teachers sitting at a table engaging in a facilitated training session.

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  • Mongolian Development Center Teachers, staff and supporters

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  • Four main facilitators gathered to talk about ongoing activities, taking notes on a whiteboard.

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  • A group of Kindergarten students with their paper plate art projects.

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  • Colorful wall of artwork and learning activities for Kindergarteners, includes different animals, insects, people, etc.

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  • Four kindergarten students at their desks engaged and focused on their classroom.

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  • A group shot of MDC teachers, all women, ready to participate in their training.

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The Solution:  MDC Programs

Hidden Gems Program

Pre-K Curriculum

The “Hidden Gems” course materials are for children ages 2 - 5 years old.  They support character development at three levels with a focus on moral capabilities. The program includes children’s workbooks, a teacher’s manual, parents’ manual, display material with quotations, pictures illustrating moral capabilities, and a CD of songs and stories.

Teacher Training

The teachers study two curricula: “‘The Teacher as a Model” and “Encouraging Children and Bringing Joy to their Hearts.” They also meet with parents during the trainings to learn about their views on the role of teachers as models for the children.


“Educating our Children” is a training course for parents, which helps them understand that moral education is fundamental to all branches of education and to reflect on their attitudes and practices in the education and discipline of their children.

How we help

Mona Foundation believes that teacher training and continuous learning are at the core of teaching and learning, particularly in the early years of life. For this reason, Mona has been supporting the Mongolian Development Center's early childhood education program since 2008. We are now beginning to see how early childhood education is being transformed and practiced in Mongolia.

2024 Achievements

  • 13 public schools in 4 communities implemented Hidden Gems curriculum 
  • 2,142 pre-school and kindergarten students received character education 
  • 670 parents participated in training on developing good moral character in their children 

2025 Plans, $58,425

  • 3 new kindergartens will join in implementing the Hidden Gems curriculum
  • MDC will work with 16 kindergartens and a total of 170 teachers to educate more than 2,700 children
Support MDC's 2025 Plans

Updates

three toddlers sitting on chairs

Toddlers caring for each other

January 2024 - The Hidden Gems program helps children learn to care for themselves and each other. In a country where the shortage of kindergartens results in high student-to-teacher ratios, teachers are often challenged to provide individualized attention. The following anecdote from a teacher involves 3-year-olds: 


"During a choir performance in the music hall, two children suddenly went missing and couldn't be located. In my search for them, I entered the classroom and was pleasantly surprised to witness a girl assisting a boy who struggled to put on a tie and a shirt with many buttons. Despite my initial nervousness due to limited time for individual attention, it was heartwarming to observe the children taking the initiative to care for each other."


Collaborating to Raise Quality

Mongolian Development Centre has created a strong network of teachers and schools that share and reflect on their growing experience to continually improve the quality of the program. The young teachers taking the Hidden Gems training are enthusiastic about the curriculum.


“First of all we need to change our mindset. We have many things which we know but never put into action.  I learned many skills and methods such as how to help children become active members of the society, how to correctly work with each individual child, and ways of encouragement and conversing with them. This training is real encouragement for new teachers who have just started working as teachers. The training was very different than other trainings in which we participated. For example, all teachers were able to participate and that helped us to learn to work as teams. I was inspired to learn more and I will work hard to become a better teacher.”

An Impact Story

A kindergarten teacher asked the students

to draw children on the white board. One

girl began to cry, explaining that she did

not know how to draw kids. Rather than responding right away, the teacher

gave space for the children to help each

other, trusting in their capacity to be

compassionate and helpful.


The boys sitting next to the girl were

concerned for their friend, helped her draw

a dress and head, and then said, “You can

draw the arms and legs.” The girl, feeling

encouraged, drew the arms, legs and added

hair. All the children were happy when she

finished her drawing.

Stories of Transformation

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