MOTIVATION FOR THE PROJECT

Sustainable development” is of major concern for all EU members as outlined by among all, the EU-2020 strategy. With sustainable development we mean: "Sustainable Development stands for meeting the needs of present generations without jeopardizing the ability of futures generations to meet their own needs – in other words, a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. It offers a vision of progress that integrates immediate and longer-term objectives, local and global action, and regards social, economic and environmental issues as inseparable and interdependent components of human progress. (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/) Within this area, the climate change, energy use and waste are areas of strong common importance in Europe at this point in time. Furthermore globalisation of today places high demands on people’s capability to live with and understand the values cultural diversion brings. The pre-school is a social and cultural meeting point that can strengthen and prepare children for this ever developing multicultural society. Awareness on each country’s own cultural heritage as well as awareness and participation in other people’s cultures can contribute to pre-school children developing their capacities of understanding other people’s life conditions and society values. Sustainable development encompasses many dimensions where also bringing people closer to each other in peace and harmony is another dimension besides the ecological one of great importance.
The pre-school today should lay the foundation for a lifelong learning and it should be fun, safe and educative for all children participating. Pre-school education should stimulate children’s development and learning as well as offer a safe and caring setting. Pre-school education needs to focus on environmental issues, such as an sustainable ecological approach to life. Pre-schools have a very important role to play in offering children the opportunities to thoroughly develop their understanding of human and society and that everything is connected. For us the above is the rational for this project as sustainable development has no national boundaries.

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

The aim with this project is to work for a more sustainable development starting with 9 European pre-schools.

The objectives are to:
• Investigate how different European pre-schools are working with sustainable development focusing on life-cycle and energy.
• Develop a deeper understanding and practical skills in pedagogical staff on tools for working with energy and life-cycle in pre-schools
• Increase the interest and awareness in children on how their action influence the environment and hence society
• Increase the awareness in children on how life-cycle awareness and energy saving can contribute to a more sustainable development.
• Increase the cultural curiosity and awareness in children and staff.

Our approach is described more in-deepth in our activity plan but primarily we focus on thematic work jointly agreed upon among the pre-schools, a thematic work that also continously will be discussed and challenged in the pre-school staff group for the development of a deeper understanding on how work is done at each pre-school and why specific tools and approaches have been chosen. To conclude our appoach is a mix of structured transnational reflection during teachers and headmasters seminars and learning visits and every-day thematic work with the children.