VBJK

Grundtvig 2 is a project between European partners for training and supporting parents. Participants could exchange experiences, practice and methods. This helped creating a greater awareness of diversity in Europa and a better understanding of mutual interests.

 

Target group

 

Grundtvig 2 aimed at parents of young children from early childhood centres in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France. We worked together with parents from different cultures, because ethnic minorities are often marginalized in our society. Parents and daycarers from 24 countries also took part in this project.

 

Project diary

 

May 2002
Seminar for trainers and daycarers in Eindhoven (the Netherlands)
30 trainers and childminders (five from Flanders) exchanged experiences on training and guidance in this context.

 

October 2002
Exchange in Paris: “Enfants, professionnels, parents: acteurs ensemble”
Some 80 trainers and professionals from early childhood provisions reflected on examples of good practice on respect for diversity and stimulating parents participation.

 

March 2003
Educational visits of parents and professionals from various countries to the "crèches parentales"in France. French parents introduced the visitors to various levels and possibilities of parents participation.

 

November 2003
Educational visits of parents and professionals from various countries to five daycare centres in Berlin.

 

May 2004
Training for trainers in Ghent. This helped us deepen and implement the newly taught methods from the project (intrecultural mediation, family wall, persona dolls, theatre forum...)

Closing event and last exchange: "Childcare as a place for encounter"

 

Results

 

The international cooperation was extremely inspiring: the participants became aware that parents and pedagogues in these four places in Europa share the same ambitions and targets. By comparing their approach, everybody found ways to improve their practice.

The project finally aimed at reaching as many parents as possible en inquest their own suggestions. The project trainers stimulated the parents to put their own ideas into practice. After the visits the parents had the opportunity to take a form of responsibility in the daycare centre, at their own level. This resulted in a number of initiatives:
- a plurilingual family wall
- a snooze area for babies and toddlers
- a family visit for and from parents
- diverse encounters
- involving parents in team meetings and structural decisions.

 

Conclusions

 

1. Experts in diversity and parents participation are not mainly the researchers. It's the parents and pedagogues who look for solutions in their daily practice, who try out new things and adapt existing structures. Al their small scale experiences make up a treasure of knowledge that we should imply and dessiminate.

 

2. Europe can be the treshold for new ideas by making exchange possible. It is not only with the specialists but also with parents and practice workers. This project has proven that parents and professionals from various countries can have a great sense of 'connectivity'. It is a matter of further increasing the values that they already share. 

 

3. When parents and daycarers are actually listened to, a sense of belonging grows. If they receive a place in the organization and the chance to actually do something themselves, the can make things happen that people never considered possible.

 

Partners

ACEPP
ISTA
Mutant

 

All people involved are part of the European DECET network: Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training.