H I P P Y - Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters

HIPPY is a very successful early intervention and educational teaching tool developed for disadvantaged families. It aims to break the cycle of disadvantage not only for children but for parents also. It prepares the child for school success through fostering cognitive development and a love of learning.

 

"My children feel 10 feet tall, and I feel wonderful that I'm the one who helped them" HIPPY parent

HIPPY was initiated in Israel in 1969 as a research project by a team headed by Professor Avima Lombard, an early childhood education specialist at the NCJW Research Institute for Innovation in Education, within the Education Department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Today, HIPPY operates successfully on an international scale, encompassing tens of thousands of families around the world in countries such as the United States of America, Mexico, South Africa, Holland, New Zealand and recently, Australia.

HIPPY in Australia

The Victorian Friends of the Hebrew University initially brought Professor Avima Lombard to Melbourne and introduced her and the innovative HIPPY program to the Brotherhood of St. Laurence. The first HIPPY program in Australia was run by the Brotherhood in the City of Yarra in 1998, with an initial intake of 20 families.

HIPPY is going from strength to strength: the Joint Directors of the Body Shop, Graeme Wise and Barrie Thomas, are sponsoring its operations in Victoria for the next three years, allowing an expansion to 62 families.

There are also plans to introduce HIPPY in New South Wales.

For further information, please contact the Friends in Melbourne or Sydney.