Kids Lab for Sustainability

In line with EC recommendation „Key competencies for lifelong learning” (2019) and the European Pillars of Social Rights (2020) the project aimed to enhance the quality of ECEC programs by offerin...

The projects objectives: 1. Enhancing the quality of preschool education by offering the new curriculum „STEAM outdoor education for sustainability” designed as supplementary to national core-curricula, flexible tool published on project website as OER; 2. Enhancing the sustainability competences (and confidence) in preschool teachers by providing them with a set of innovative didactic materials linking the idea of sustainability with STEAM methodology of inquiry-based learning and outdoor education; 3. Building the synergy and facilitating the flow of knowledge between universities, preschools and educational policy makers to ensure a greater impact on the local preschool system; 4. Educating the “leaders of change” - preschool teachers who will promote the STEAM approach for sustainability education in their own preschool environment and build the support system for innovators to prevent emotional crisis and professional burn-outs. The project aimed to increase teachers’ sense of initiative, self-confidence, flexibility in teaching but also their digital competences and abilities to participate in a learning community. 5. Enhancing the quality of ECEC pre-service training by introducing a module related to „STEAM and sustai

The KidsLab4Sustainability project contributed in several ways to the achievement of the priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme. The key project results are: Promotion of STEAM approach to education integrated with the principles of sustainable development. The Repository of 'Outdoor STEAM activities' and Preschool Curriculum 'Outdoor STEAM for sustainability' serve to arouse children's awareness of environmental and climate change challenges. Educators received tools and resources to implement changes in young children’s education. Teachers involved in the process of testing and evaluating resources collected in the Repository were supported by the project’s team in designing classes in the field of sustainable development. The support of the informal and formal actions related to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) from early childhood (preschool children) to tertiary education (students, pre-service teachers) and adults (parents). The dissemination of the idea of KidsLab4Sustainability and the invitation to test innovative practices for real change management enhanced the development of competences in the field of sustainable development among the local, national and then international community involved at various stages of our project. By involving participants in our project activities and creating a learning community we helped educators to incorporate new methods (such as NASA engineering model, STEAM challenges and experiments, attuned relationship building, playful learning approach) into everyday preschool activities. While creating the Repository of 'Outdoor STEAM activities'' and the Preschool Curriculum 'Outdoor STEAM for sustainability' the partners of KidsLab4Sustainability project took into account the idea of interdisciplinary teaching in different cultural, environmental and economic contexts. Enhancing the quality of ECEC training at partners’ universities which met the learning needs of few target groups: students, preschool teachers, educators and academic teachers. Thanks to the online course “STEAM and SUSTAINABILITY TEACHING” (translated into five languages and published on project website, as well as on Navoica.pl as OER) ESD awareness and digital competencies of the involved parties were enhanced. Publishing the national versions of online courses (PL, IT, SP) attracted the attention of many users revealing the great need for such resources in formal and in-formal educators of young learners. International cooperation between partners from the universities participating in the project strengthened the strategic cooperation between higher education institutions, resulting in few valuable scientific articles published. The long-term result is the development of STEAM competences, especially among girls and women, by implementing the higher education curriculum 'Curriculum for ECEC teacher training” at the university level and equipping academic teachers with the Manual for teacher training' STEAM and Sustainability at the preschool'. Both the Manual and the online course complement each other allowing the academic teachers to offer a blended learning experience of prospective preschool teachers. These materials are already in use at partners’ universities.