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, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Germany, Holland, Italy, New Zealand and Australia.

HIPPY in Australia

The Australian Friends of the Hebrew University (Victorian Division) 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.

 

The Brotherhood of St Laurence has since developed partnerships with agencies working in various locations across Australia to deliver HIPPY to additional communities outside of metropolitan Melbourne.

 

Until 2009 there were 9 sites in operation in Australia, with six sites in Victoria, two sites in Tasmania and one in La Perouse in NSW. However, due to significant national funding provided by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to the Brotherhood of St Laurence, there will be 50 programs in operation across the country by 2011.

 

The Brotherhood of St Laurence holds the licence to operate HIPPY in Australia and partners with agencies within specified locations to deliver the program to families in those communities. HIPPY is now working with over 1500 families each year throughout Australia.

 

For more information regarding HIPPY in Australia please visit the HIPPY Australia website, or make contact via email on hippyaustralia@bsl.org.au