Let’s Work Together on Health Erasmus Project

Project Title

Let’s Work Together on Health

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Disabilities – special needs; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

In the MESE (Fairy tale) project, we focused on improving the mental health of children. Involving the parents as collaborative partners, we used the personality-shaping, reassuring power of fairy tales to create the sense of emotional security for children in kindergarten and family environments. This need became especially important due to the institutional closures, the altered family conditions; the fear of illness, the mental strain as a result of the emergence and rapid spread of the COVID-19. During the pandemic period, we minimized institutional activities, and operated with a supplementary activity plan, using digital techniques. Instead of live encounters, we kept in touch with each other, involved communities, families and NGO-s via facebook, zoom and other platforms. The activities implemented – fairy tales, puppets, music, dance, drama – facilitated the complex development of the children’s personality by relieving anxieties. Our Comenius/Erasmus+ projects, completed since 2010 formed the basis for the creation of a program, developing complex emotions, through international collaborations called the MESE PROGRAM. During the development of the program, we reconsidered the results of the previous project and used the tools of art to develop children’s emotions by applying new digital techniques and incorporating family content. This was carried out in collaboration with the educators of five partner institutions, and besides providing support for the parents (FAIRY-TALE NETWORK/ digitized content), we enriched the teachers’ competencies and methodological culture (incorporating trainings), while protecting their mental health (online self-development group). In addition to a drama teacher, a storyteller, a puppet artist, a kindergarten psychologist, and teachers, the partners involved in the project also include EU volunteers and college students. The connection point of Hungarian language as a mother tongue facilitated better communication, understanding, as well as strengthening national identity; and contact between the partner children was established (video messages, connection to mobility activities/Run a Lap!). Preservation of traditions and customs and folk values were integrated into our daily lives. Equal opportunities were present in the project; priority was given to the acceptance of differences, disadvantage compensation and talent management involving socially disadvantaged, ethnic Romani and immigrant children (Integrated Playhouse, Paralympics, Art programs, storytelling day, drawing competitions). During the implementation, we cooperated with a fairy tale artist (the “yarning method” of telling fairy tales), NGO-s; and with the involvement of Europe Direct Office, we developed a series of playful workshops for children providing information on the EU. Teacher’s competencies were developed by organizing in-service trainings both in practice and online (Relaxation practice, Motivation/inspiration, Inclusive education, Joy music, Conflict management, Sensitization). We joined the professional days of TKA, E + Institutions and we participated in conferences. Mobility activities brought about professional renewal, and the extra knowledge resulted in high-quality works (Puppetry book, story booklet, online fairy tale collection). Everyday educational and development work was facilitated by the ideas, topics, adaptations; the experience and possibilities of meeting minority culture. We took on a social role, helping the Romani groups of our partner kindergarten, while we also supported an animal shelter. By means of the program “Giving is Rewarding!”, we sensitized the children, putting special emphasis on the importance responsibility. We initiated collaborations involving local kindergartens in the implementation (Drawing Contests, Quizzes, Run a Lap!, Kindergarten Olympics), held cross-border professional days and conferences with the participation of local communities and kindergarten teachers (Soul pampering, Erasmus days, Jubilee Festival, Virtual meeting). In addition to expanding knowledge, these live and online events provided an opportunity to disseminate the program. We took advantage of the earlier Award of Excellence and the E+ teacher face titles to promote our result in the partner countries as invited lecturers (Borderless Effect, Erasmusdays/RO, Dissemination events/TKA), at media presentations (Kindergarten Education, TKA, foreign press). The MESE methodological material created will be available both in printed and digital form – it will include the themes and training material of the two years, as well as the practical implementation, online challenges, the good practices created and the results. The ECO organizations involved in turning the programs greener helped to make the implementation sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Project Website

https://erasmusmese.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 85000 Eur

Project Coordinator

Kertvárosi Óvoda & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Gradinita Ficanka
• Gradinita Reformata Nr. 1. Csemete din Cluj-Napoca
• Djecji vrtic Grlica
• Zakladna skola s materskou skolou Davida Maszarosa – Meszaros David Alapiskola es Ovoda, Skolsky objekt c. 888, Velka Maca – Nagymacsed