The goals of our project were mainly related to learning about new methodologies and practices of our international partners, learning about different ways of implementing the already known methodologies, and implementing any new knowledge into our own practice. We wanted to learn about Montessori pedagogy, about ways of in-depth cooperation with parents, and approaches to a smooth transition from home to kindergarten. We were also interested in different ways of implementing the Step by Step methodology into practice and the implementation of the Portuguese national curriculum. Our goal was also to strengthen international connections, disseminate new knowledge among our other employees and the local community in the most appropriate ways possible and to encourage mutual cooperation and trust among our employees.
We applied for the project because of the internal survey that was conducted among the preschool teachers, in which the use of various methods and approaches in practice and the reasons for using or not using them were determined. Interest and the need to learn about and implement different methodologies and approaches emerged, which put the preschool child in the foreground. Since we are aware of the importance of an eclectic approach in education, we wanted to learn in practice the ways of implementing individual approaches and methodologies, while at the same time gaining international experience and enabling our employees to grow professionally and personally.