Partners: EOS Sensory Education and Relational Pedagogy Centre, Osijek Kindergarten

Total value of the project: 85.000,00 kn

The project was financed by the funds of: Ministry of Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy

Project implementation period: June 2020 – May 2021

Project objective: Permanent strengthening of educator and parent capacities and creating an ongoing program of violence prevention among children for all stakeholders in early childhood education

Target groups of beneficiaries:

Educational staff

20 early childhood educators and 15 primary school teachers and school counselors took part in a studious straining called “Sensory Learning – Learning Using all of the Senses”. The project activities provided the educational staff with permanent methodical and substantial tools in order to tackle contemporary pedagogical challenges, which will enable them to detect and eliminate roots of violent behavior with children. Sensory pedagogy workshops include gesture games, storytelling, handcrafting, gardening, motor activities, etc.

Early and preschool aged children

300 early and preschool aged children (ages 3-7, both sexes) took part in workshops carried out by educators from Osijek Kindergarten during their regular work. In addition, children participated in field visits to the “Sustainable development classroom”, which enables the transmission of positive behavior models and actions among children and towards their surroundings through sustainable development activities and sensory pedagogy methods.

Parents

30 parents of children which took part in the workshop activities were involved in the “Earthy” project which includes gardening, composting, planting, weeding, watering, recycling, and making items out of natural materials, etc. That way, the parents’ needs of spending quality time with their children are satisfied, with the goal of positive behavior models transmission, as well as introducing practical skills into the family environment.

Activities carried out:

·        Studious straining called “Sensory Learning – Learning Using all of the Senses; sensory development as the grounds of personality development” carried out by the EOS Sensory Education and Relational Pedagogy Centre lead by the interdisciplinary expert Prof. Slavica Bašić, PhD

·        40 violence prevention workshops have been carried out among children through positive sensory education methods in Osijek Kindergarten (gesture games, storytelling, handcrafting, gardening, motor activities, etc.)

·        “Healthy Child” conference organized and carried out in partnership with Osijek Kindergarten and EOS Centre, with speakers presenting their own examples of good practice and/or research; speakers at the conference: Prof. Slavica Bašić, PhD., Damir Marinić, PhD., David Brierley, associate professor of methodology in education, Professor Godi Keller, Waldorf teacher, Prof. Marinka Špodnjak, Waldorf teacher and educator promoted to a mentor