« Growing up in Europe » project is a result of an interactive and collective thinking which involved many stakeholders. The project is conceived bearing in mind the global perspective and active involvement of schools (professionals and trainees), local representatives, childcare organizations and university researchers from France, Turkey, Romania and Finland. This is a two-year mobility project which will start in September 2014 and will end in September 2016. It contains two interrelated activities : sharing experience about and comparing childcare systems in partner countries and implementation of innovative work methods in education and training. The project reflects various expectations of many players involved professionally in childcare matters and is based on multiple objectives such as : 1) Improving the existing offer of educational and vocational provisions in order to adapt them to growing professional demands (by collecting and analysing different childcare techniques, workshops and mobility organizing...) 2) Promoting the implementation of innovative practice in schools, childcare organizations, associations, local communities, in short, by all the players involved in professional field of early childhood. Thus, numerous players are involved: trainees, stuff, teacher/trainers, researchers, local representatives, associations and others from every country involved in the project. In total, there will be about 200 persons directly or indirectly involved in the project. Numerous activities are planned : international meetings (among participants), activities concerning education and vocation experiences (mobility of students and trainees and short-term training for adult professionals), surveys, case-studies, interviews, workshops of cross-examination of experiences, artistic workshops, summary and analysis of different childcare techniques, making of a game platform (by collecting games for children during mobility process), Conference about early childhood matters. In order to run this project appropriately, we use different tools for project management, timetables, Gantt chart ect...which allows us to achieve a good coordination and respect of the deadlines.We have set up different protocols with our partners in order to smooth the progress of this project: mandate between the partners, mobility contract, financial contract, recruitment of an assistant for administrative and financial management of the project. All partners are devoted to respect the procedures as well as alternative plans in case of unforeseen circumstances. The most significant results of this project are directly induced by following activities and their concrete results : collecting and analyzing practice in childhood matters, making game platform, reports writing and Conference about early childhood matters...as well more subtle outcomes such as improved knowledge and experience of the participants, improved language skills, an ability to navigate cross-cultural differences. Thus, the analysis of different practice in childhood matters will be a key support for a Conference about Childcare matters in France. For this occasion, the participants will have to elaborate their notes and analysis they made during the mobility process. This collective work will be published in professional reviews and the participants will have to cooperate on a common article concerning the objectives of the projects. The schools, Vocational Training centers and other organizations involved in the project will also take benefits from mobility project by taking possibility to improve their teaching methods and managing capacities. This might result by making strategic partnership in childcare matters. In the long run there will be multiple benefits from the project such as: 1) Possibility to update and enrich existing teaching methods 2) Potential innovation of teaching methods 3) Creating a international network of Childcare professionals 4) Permanent international exchange on childcare matters 5) Proposing a work placement possibilities for trainees and students in partner countries 6) New strategic partnership of French and European organizations 7) Better valorization and recognition of different players involved in Childcare matters
Growing up in Europe. Diverse perspectives on Early Childhood or how to transcend borders ... In France, three vocational training institutions (and thus three territories) are associated in an Erasmus + project that is considering early chilhood care and education (from 0 to 6 years old) in various countries : Finland, Romania, Turkey ... joined by Italy. The overall project includes 3 coupled “Key-Actions” : -1 AC1: 20,142,015 (validated and Closed) -1 AC2: 20,142,016 (topic of this final report) -1 AC1: 20,152,017 (in progress) "Growing up in Europe" teaches us that all borders can be crossed: - border between public education and private education - border between vocational and higher education - border between the world of education and the professional world - and finally borders between different European countries (a northern country: Finland, a country of Eastern Europe: Romania, a Southern country: Turkey and then France ...). The general objectives were achieved beyond expectations: (1) Improving the supply of training, the qualifications and skills (for teachers, trainers, learners) and strengthening our links with the professional world (adaptation of the training contents to the professional realities). (2) Innovation in educational institutions, professional organizations, associations and communities involved in the professional field of early childhood, including the creation of appropriate tools. Innovation has also been favored by the blending of the people involved (learner : apprentices, pupils, students / staff of vocational institutions (administrative and technical staff, teachers, trainers) / early childhood professionals / researchers / elected officials / ACEPP). All in all, the project involves 200 people directly and at least 1,000 people indirectly, all from the professional field of early childhood and training (following the dissemination of results and visibility of project impacts). Several intellectual productions and one dissemination event were done: Observation booklets for mobilities, exhibition of 13 “kakemono” (analyzes of observations), a compilation of practical analysis (40-page booklet), “games case” and trunk, early childhood European fair, 30-minute documentary video. These works and events were followed by Sylvie Rayna recognized for her work on the relationships between culture and education for the 0 to 6 years old children. Likewise, the ACEPP 38-73, a collective for associative and parent-run childcare centers has brought us its experience, in particular for the creation of the “games case”. Regular plenary meetings bringing together 30 to 40 people in France and abroad have helped to provide the 6 researching groups (reception and educational systems, pedagogies, professional/parents/children, educational and social policies, family policies, diversity of the early childhood care centers, everyday life of the children, professionalization and governance). For learners, the UNESCO club labelized sessions have marked the school days of the 3 institutions associated, and allowed the preparation of mobilities, the achievement of the “games case”, and opened the minds of the students on different cultures. Thus, different activities were carried out: From February 2015 to April 2016, 260 participants (1st AC1 and AC2) have crossed their eyes during outgoing mobilities (two in Romania, two in Finland, two in Turkey) or during incoming mobilities (reception of early childhood professionals and trainers / teachers, then reception of pupils and students from Finland, Romania and Turkey). Most of what Growing Up in Europe is bringing up is change in practices: organization of the space, movements of the child, art, outdoor games, nature, etc. These changes were initiated by teachers and trainers, and are related to teaching, learning, sharing. For each and everyone, the relationship to languages has gradually transformed, along with proficiency. Articles, reports and all the works done on behalf of this project provide tangible results. Logical extensions of the project are already implemented. Throughout the meetings and exchanges, it appeared relevant to include Italy in a new phase of the project (2nd AC1). As far as training institutions are concerned, "Growing in Europe" was a springboard for a continuation or a development of international mobility. For the 2016/2017 school year, several exhibitions and workshops are scheduled on various locations in order to highlight the results of the project. In France, the links between the different institutions and between the territories themselves are tightened and still active.