The objectives of this Mobility Project were : > to support the CPD of Early Years participants involved in delivering services to children and families and providing training with a view to bringing back innovative ideas to improve the quality and provision of teaching and learning in infant toddler and preschool centres in NI; - to raise participants' awareness and understanding of other cultures and countries, to develop a sense of European citizenship and identity; - to increase the international dimension of Early Years by creating further partnerships with organisations and individuals in Europe - to improve outcomes for young children in NI by learning and deepening understanding of best practices in ECD; - to influence policy development in ECD in Northern Ireland > to identify how parental and community connections can be strengthened and deepened > to identify how the Reggio Pedagogista provides and sustains support for quality improvement > to explore how ICT and new technologies can enhance educational opportunities > to explore how creativity can Influence children's holistic development - to provide basic competency in conversational Italian to participants.
Northern Ireland and Reggio Emilia - Improving Outcomes for Children The pedagogical and cultural experience of the municipal infant-toddler centres and preschools, known in the world as the Reggio Emilia Approach, offers itself as an example of an educational experience with an intense vitality, based on research and innovation. At international level the Reggio Emilia Approach is seen as a creative pedagogical project that enhances quality in education. In order to benefit from this, Early Years proposed to bring 24 participants comprising of Daycare and Preschool Providers/Managers; Surestart Practitioners; Early Years Specialists/Trainers on a study visit to Reggio Emilia which consisted of 5 full days in Reggio Emilia. All 24 participants provide and deliver support and training services for staff, children and their families in Northern Ireland. The programme of CPD in Reggio Emilia is exemplary in its innovation and creativity in early years practice and it's encouragement of partnership and cooperation . This is an exemplar we can use in Northern Ireland at local, regional and national levels. To cooperate together to move forward and improve outcomes for all children within our early years services and beyond..