It is not easy to preserve material and spiritual inheritance and make it attractive to pre-schoolers. That is why we decided to create this project to share experiences with partner schools on this issue and practically demonstrate the pedagogical process using different methods of strategies that can appropriately bring the child closer to the history of the region and its habits. We want to point to the difference and vice versa to the common features of different cultures. Our goal is to inspire each other in regional education teaching, to gain new competencies in the field of innovative methods and approaches. Through creativity, we want to increase our ability to develop the need for learning and learning flexibility in a child. We would like to draw attention to the impact of culture and history on the personality of the child and increase the child's self-esteem, but also the confidence of teachers and satisfy their desire for knowledge. We will create space for expert discussion on regional education, not only on theoretical but also on the basis of integration and demonstration of methods and strategies in practice. There will be room for presentation of pedagogical work and open dialogue where we can discuss different ways of education with other pedagogues who have rich but different pedagogical experience. The project partners are from places that are the historic cities of Europe and our common feature is the UNESCO World Heritage List or the implementation of regional education in the educational process. The project will involve direct mobility of 19 teaching staff who are active teachers, who are interested in innovating their work, work of other pedagogical staff of partner schools (about 170 teachers), children from kindergarten (about 1200 children from Banská Štiavnica, Ptuj, Šibenik, Bačski Petrovec) who will be affected by the project or will be working on a project in their kindergarten, the wider public from each partner city, partner organizations of kindergartens based on individual partners - museums, galleries, regional associations etc. Activities in project consist: - job shadowing in the authentic environment of project partners - practical demonstrations of regional education in kindergarten and in partner organizations - gallery, museum, library… etc Teachers will see, for example, what other strategy can be found in the work of a visual artist, learn about the forgotten crafts of these regions, craft techniques that can be used in the conditions of kindergarten, and also know the folklore and traditions of each city. From these activities, we are expecting a demonstration of how to preserve the cultural heritage of the region , insights and inspiration in teaching regional. Teachers gain new insights into educational and educational activities and how to teach regional customs of other countries. They get new inspiration for new content in regional education (other customs in other countries). Participation in the project in the long run will bring positive results in several ways: - for teachers and for project participants who are involved in mobility - learning new methods, strategies in teaching regional education, learning the customs and traditions of other countries - learning the pedagogical practice of colleagues from other countries, the opportunity to work with other pedagogues who have different pedagogical experiences - for children from kindergarten of all mobility partners to have an opportunity to experience success and new knowledge through new methods. In the future, after completing the project, we plan to implement activities and small projects through eTwinning - such as getting to know the city, how we did with old craftsmanship, how we celebrated holidays and other traditions by sharing traditions, which we consider to be the long-term benefit of the project. Description of the results, expected impact: - real knowledge of environment, traditions of the mobility partner - realization and monitoring of regional education in practice - implementation of innovative methods with maximum use of creativity - discussion and consultation, feedback - creation of new strategies in regional education by combining different pedagogical methods through eTwinning - a power point presentation, a methodical brochure Through dissemination, these activities will also be disseminated outside the project partnership on: - pedagogical staff of other kindergartens within the regions - to parents - through their children in the kindergarten and also on the web and social networks - other broad public - through the homepage of the kindergarten and the founder of the school partner schools as well as regional TV.
Partner organizations, that have been involved in the project, had an important common sign and that is that they are listed on UNESCO World and Cultural Heritage, as well as the implementation and application of the elements of regional education in the practice of it´s kindergartens. In this project participated kindergartens from Croatia - Sibenik, Slovenia- Ptuj, Serbia - Báčsky Petrovec and Slovakia- Banska Stiavnica. The kindergartens were different in the sense of the founder, the amount of employees and the number of classes, but the same intersection was found in the topic of regional education, approach of historical and cultural information to children of pre-school age. In this project was involved number of pedagogical and professional workers from kindergartens, children, parents, as well as partnership organizations and general public in each city.We have met our differences but also common features of various cultures through the project. We have gained new inspirations and competencies in the field of regional education in kindergartens, which was applied to the own practice of each project partner. It is sometimes difficult to bring to preschool children knowledge of material and cultural heritage, but thanks to creativity, the imagination of teachers, we managed to use various methods and strategies which helped the children to get oriented in this area, and in addition to history of their city to know the history of another country, and become more European. Thanks to the project we have drawn attention to the topic, how the impact of culture and history affects positively on the personality of the child. It does not only increase self-esteem, but also new perspective and knowledge. Teachers in kindergartens, involved in the project, had received an answers to the issues of regional education in the area of professional communication. They also increased their professional knowledge in the field of integration and use of methods and strategies in practice. Project activities consisted mainly job shadowing, which was conducted in Croatia and Slovenia in the authentic environment of project partners, in the form of mobility associated with residence in the country. Virtual activities in Serbia and Slovakia, due to a pandemic situation, took place in virtual form. Whether it was virtual activities or mobility in the country, the project participants could see practical activities with children in the classes of kindergartens, exteriors of cities, museums, exposures, natural environments specific for each country.In Croatia,the movement activities, art techniques were prioritized in the classroom, as we could see in museums and various exhibitions in Šibenik. With the city's history, children were familiarized through modern expositions in the gallery, adapted to pre-school children.In Slovenia, the participants experienced a real maintenance of the habits of previous generations in traditionall „Kurent“ . This theme intertwined through the whole mobility in all parts of children education. Also learning through movement was involved in classrooms. Serbian mobility showed participants how customs and traditions are maintained in a bilingual ( Slovak – Serbian) environment through musical and literary elements. Strong bonds to its history through songs, dramatic games were bring by teachers to their daily practice with love and respect. Slovak mobility transferred participants to the city associated with mining and crafts that are currently revived from the past. Participants have met the history of different cities, cultural and historical context, natural beauty, whether in person or virtual. Participation in the project had no short-term benefits, but it was actively taking place for two years, and its duration doesnt end by the date of ending project. Teachers included new knowledge in their practice and it will become a permanent pedagogical competence. The acquired knowledge teachers spreaded to families, community and general public through activities with children, photographs of activities, through their websites, articles in regional newspapers and prints . Positive responses to activities and interest by parents, educators from other kindergartens, was a pointer to the well picked project topic. Implemented activities have been mediated and disseminated through the eTwinning platform, but also social networks. Created brochure was distributed to kindergartens, publicly made available on the website of schools, accessible, clear and well understood in English and language of each country.