EDUCAS project awarded with Epos quality label for 'Good practice in 2021'

In March 2022, Epos agency, responsible for the implementation in Flanders of various programs and actions, such as the Erasmus+ programme, has granted the EDUCAS project with an
'Epos Quality Label for Good practice in 2021'. 

Over the past three years, the EDUCAS project has been working to contribute to creating child and family friendly learning spaces in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres. The project consortium has published the following seven resources during the project to help professionals create ECEC environments that support children’s development holistically.

EDUCAS Toolbox - Wonder and Beauty: Connecting ECEC spaces and educare

The EDUCAS Toolbox aims to support coordinators, coaches, trainers, professionals that seek to stimulate professional development paths with ECEC staff with the aim to create child and friendly learning spaces in ECEC centres. 

The Toolbox includes pedagogical approaches, methods and tools used during the EDUCAS project to support professionals in improving ECEC environments with an educare approach.

You can access the full Toolbox here and download your copy in English, Dutch, Italian or Lithuanian.

 Watch the video recording presenting the Toolbox.

Policy recommendations - Strengthening the importance of SPACE and EDUCARE approach

Educating and caring for young children is a big responsibility, challenge and commitment. The recently released “Policy recommendations for strengthening the importance of SPACE and EDUCARE approach in early childhood systems” aims to provide a comprehensive set of recommendations for policymakers at EU and national levels, funders, and other ECEC stakeholders.

These policy recommendations are based on the findings and insights from the EDUCAS project implemented in Belgium (FL), Italy and Lithuania, an extensive literature review, country policy recommendations, and other international documents developed by project partners.

Read and download EDUCAS Policy recommendations here.

EDUCAS Case Studies

Throughout the three years of the project, partners in Belgium (FL), Italy and Lithuania have undertaken a thorough examination of existing visions and methods related to organizing ECEC environments in their contexts. With the support of two ECEC centres in each country, they have developed action research paths locally that are tailored to the contexts in which the six ECEC centres are working.

Each case study presents the action research coordinated by each project partner, and developed together with the ECEC centres involved.

• Belgium (FL) – Re-thinking ECEC spaces/materials by reflecting on practice
• Italy –  The Space in mind
• Lithuania – Building collaborative learning community
   

The points of view of families, professionals and children

The EDUCAS project started the Continuous Professional Development Paths (CPD) in the three countries involved with specific focus groups involving families and staff in the ECEC centres partners of the project.

The aim was to get a better insight of the needs, ideas and beliefs of staff and families concerning the theme of the project, and to elaborate a bottom-up participatory implementation path (case study – action research).

The report titled “The points of view of families, professionals, children” presents a summary of the analysis of the focus groups with staff and parents, and of the drawings and interviews with the children in Belgium, Lithuania, Italy.

Download and read here.

The meanings of spaces in ECEC centres: a literature review

This literature review investigates the meanings, relevance, and importance of physical indoor and outdoor space in ECEC services for children from birth to school age.

Special attention is placed on the educare approach and on the involvement of children and families in the discourse.

Drawing from the findings of the literature review, implications for practice are discussed and some key recommendations are provided.

Access the literature review here.

EDUCAS project in a nutshell? Watch this video