Context: Early Childhood Education and Care

 

Why do shadows change their length? How do plants drink water and what do they need in order to grow? Where does water disappear after rain? Children are genuine researchers, and their interest in natural phenomena opens endless opportunities to investigate their immediate environment and embark on an adventure to the world of natural sciences.

 

How can learning environments support and encourage this learning and strengthen the value of natural sciences from an early age? Early childhood education should give children the skills to observe, structure and understand their surroundings. Teaching methods should promote play, creativity and joyful learning.

 

The world of science offers countless possibilities for different pedagogical activities. Also, the possibility to use digital methods makes learning visible and interactive, and at the same time children can strengthen their skill to use digital tools.

 

This contact seminar gives educators an opportunity to learn, share experiences, discuss challenges and find alternative ways to increase natural sciences teaching in kindergartens and first years of school. The seminar brings together early childhood education and care professionals from different European countries, giving them the possibility to network and learn from the ideas and practices from the European colleagues. The seminar aims to produce project ideas and project proposals for the Erasmus+ KA2 strategic partnerships.  

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Target groups

The seminar is open to participants within the field of school education. The contact seminar is targeted especially at developers and representatives of primary education, pre-schools and day-care centers (the target group of the activities is children aged 3 to 8 years). We are looking for participants who are interested in the topic of the seminar and committed to develop a Erasmus+ Strategic partnership.

We welcome up to 4 participants from each country, with a maximum of 50 delegates.

  

Date and venue

The seminar starts with dinner on 29th Norvember and finishes with lunch on 2nd October. The seminar is held in the city of Turku, in Western Finland.

 

Working language

The working language of the contact seminar is English.

 

Seminar cost

The hosting costs, including the seminar and cultural programme, all meals during the seminar as well as accommodation in a single room for 3 nights for the nominated and selected participants, will be financed by the Finnish Erasmus+ National Agency. The travel costs will be covered by the sending Erasmus+ National Agencies within their Erasmus+ TCA budgets.

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