Our primary goal was to explore, develop and support professional knowledge and practices that enhance inclusion, participation, and democratic engagement in ECEC settings, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. By focusing on peer-to-peer exchanges among ECEC professionals and researchers from Ireland, Norway and Denmark, we aimed to achieve specific objectives that would contribute to inclusive practices in ECEC. We sought, explored and exchanged experiences of how pedagogical knowledge and practices that ensure inclusion and equality were balanced with Covid-19 restrictions in ECEC settings. By examining the practices in ECEC centres across Ireland, Norway, and Denmark, we aimed to identify similarities and differences within and between these countries in order to identify core values and knowledges in ECEC practices supporting children's participation. To ensure that the knowledge and practices developed during the project were sustained into the future, we aimed to create educational materials, including videos and texts designed to address the themes of inclusion, diversity and democratic engagement. A Community of Practice was established to continuously explore, evidence and promote these themes.
We applied for this project because it aligns deeply with our professional and personal commitment to fostering inclusive, equitable, and high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC). The Covid-19 pandemic impacted ECEC practices globally; this project offered a unique opportunity to explore and address these impacts through a comparative lens, focusing on Denmark, Ireland, and Norway. The pandemic necessitated significant changes in ECEC settings to comply with public health guidelines. Research from Denmark, Ireland, and Norway highlights common trends such as organizing children into smaller pods and restructuring physical environments to minimize the spread of the virus. These measures, while essential, posed challenges to maintaining democratic, inclusive and participatory educational practices. We aimed to explore how these necessary adaptations were implemented and their effects on the inclusivity and quality of ECEC supporting children’s citizenship and democratic participation in their everyday lives. The pandemic also introduced new complexities in ECEC pedagogical priorities and dilemmas. This project approached these complexities as a lens to gain insight into how these dilemmas are experienced post-Covid.