Space and Educare: Creating child and family friendly learning spaces in ECEC centres Erasmus Project

Project Title

Space and Educare: Creating child and family friendly learning spaces in ECEC centres

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 : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

The European Quality Framework (2014) underlines how ECEC quality should be linked to a holistic approach in which education and care are intertwined. However, at the European level, there is a general trend to treat young children as academic learners. The role of space is crucial here: in an educare approach, space should address the holistic wellbeing of children and families. The way the space responds to the different needs of children and families, influences the cognitive, social and emotional development of children. It is therefore necessary to organize the spaces coherently, with the participation of children and families. This means investing in inclusion, by taking into account the needs of diverse children and families, with special attention to families with a vulnerable background. A gap exists today at EU level between the organization of ECEC environments and the holistic approach they should encompass. The EDUCAS project addressed this gap. The project’s overall goal has been creating ECEC environments that support children’s development in a holistic way, with special attention to children and families at risk of social exclusion. The specific objectives have been: 1) examining existing visions and methods related to organizing ECEC environments; 2) increasing ECEC staff’s reflective/relational/methodological competences related to the connection space/educare, with attention to involving children and families; 3) promoting ECEC innovation by experimenting new methods concerning how to improve spaces within an educare approach; 4) specifying how national and EU policies should address these issues. Within this framework, the following activities and related outputs were developed (6 IOs): • A literature review on how ECEC environments are organized and their link to the educare approach (IO1) • Case studies on the role of space in relationship with educare (IO2, IO3, IO4). This has been developed through 3 action research in Italy, Belgium (Fl) and Lithuania • Recommendations for policy and practice concerning how to promote ECEC spaces within an educare approach (IO5) • Creation of a Toolbox on these themes for professional development of ECEC staff (IO6). Three short-term (3 days each) Transnational learning activities (C1, C2, C3) have been carried out, with the aim of enriching the action research with the diverse experiences of the partners. The method has been a participatory one: the active participation of ECEC staff to the action research increased the impact of project activities on ECEC practice. At the same time, the voices of families and children, especially the ones with a vulnerable background, have been valued too. Research, practice and training activities have been inextricably linked in EDUCAS. The results matched the ones expected in the original proposal: • Increased reflective/relational/methodological competences of ECEC staff, referred to space/educare • Increased inter-institutional cooperation at local level and networking among ECEC institutions at inter-national (European) level for the exchange of good practice. • Increased engagement of stakeholders (families, professionals and local communities) in the policy consultation processes. • Sensibilization of national and European policy makers • Increased connection between practice, research and policy. The long term benefits of the project are ensured by the fact that: 1) the ECEC centers involved developed methods that they will keep on using and re-adapting after the end of the project; 2) these methods have been and will be disseminated and adapted also to other contexts on a local, national, EU and international level. Dissemination activities covered the whole EDUCAS project duration and included: live dissemination; media release; web dissemination; social networks. Four specific Multiplier Events have been carried out (one in BE, one in LT, one in IT, and one international one coordinated by ISSA), as planned in the original proposal. In addition, ISSA organized an international webinar too. The University/Research Centers ensured dissemination/exploitation at the local level, also thanks to the involvement of local Stakeholder groups composed by key local/national ECEC stakeholders. ISSA ensured dissemination and exploitation also to the EU and international level. Nine partners composed the partnership of EDUCAS, with a combination of University/Research/Training Centers (VBJK, UIC, UNIPR) from 3 countries (Belgium-Fl, Italy, Lithuania), 1 International network (ISSA) and 6 ECEC centers managed by public and private providers (in Belgium, Italy, Lithuania). This diversity is one of the strengths of the partnership, which makes it possible to re-adapt the project results to a variety of EU contexts.
The COVID-19 crisis affected the second half of the project. However the teams in the three countries found alternative ways to carry on the planned activities.

Project Website

https://www.issa.nl/educas

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 335631,37 Eur

Project Coordinator

VERNIEUWING IN DE BASISVOORZIENINGEN VOOR JONGE KINDEREN & Country: BE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PARMA
• INTERNATIONAL STEP BY STEP ASSOCIATION
• Vaikystes Sodas
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA UGDYMO INOVACIJU CENTRAS
• Gemeentelijke Basisschool Hippos Hof
• Pro.Ges. cooperativa sociale
• Aukstelke school – multifuncional center