Social and Emotional Skills Development in Early Childhood
Partners
- New Bulgarian University
New Bulgarian University (NBU) is a modern university of great national significance actively participating in international university networks. It is the first and the biggest private university in Bulgaria.
Founded in 1991 in response to the need for a new liberal education model, the university has initiated substantial reforms in Bulgarian higher education by introducing Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes, admission based on General Education Test, interdisciplinary and individual Bachelor’s programmes, minor programmes, the credit system, distance and web-based learning, innovative university environment and lifelong learning opportunities.
The academic profile of New Bulgarian University highlights social sciences and humanities, natural sciences, new technologies and arts. The university offers alternative programmes and practice-oriented education encouraging students’ free choice and attracting outstanding individuals as its faculty. Annually, 12 000 students and single-course students study at NBU.
The university offers its students an environment of civil commitment and public awareness. Thus, it produces students with high academic competence and practical skills, enterprising and socially responsible. With its international programmes, NBU creates favourable conditions for student mobility. As part of the international university network, New Bulgarian University is always open for dialogue between academic traditions and modernity. Such dialogue is aimed at students and society, creating new contributions and practices.
NBU coordinates and is a reliable partner in many research and applied projects.
The motto of New Bulgarian University is Ne varietatem timeamus - “Let’s not be afraid of diversity”.
Manager and General Coordinator
Nadia Koltcheva, Ph.D.
e-mail: nkoltcheva@nbu.bg
Project Coordinator
Boyka Atanasova
e-mail: batanasova@nbu.bg
- Galileo Progetti Nonprofit Kft.
Galileo Progetti Nonprofit Kft. is a non-profit organization, funded by Hungarian and Italian partners in 2009 and based in Budapest. The main objectives of Galileo are the development of social economy and social sector in general and the inclusion policies, also thanks to the exchange of good practices and experiences among the European Union countries, and in particular by developing the Italian-Hungarian relations and encouraging European mobility and exchanges of experiences. Galileo also aims to develop the feeling of civil participation and European citizenship and works with particular attention for the inclusion of disadvantaged people or at risk of social exclusion, such as Roma minorities and disabled people. Galileo works in collaboration with private and public local bodies, involving in European experiences organizations that are normally not very active at international level, guided by the belief that international experiences increase personal and professional skills and have a strongly positive impact on the development of the quality of the social sector at local level. It has the role of motivator, promoter, facilitator, manager and coordinator. Furthermore, over the years Galileo has developed a wide and solid network at European level, especially with social enterprises, educational institution and VET providers. Galileo is the Hungarian member of ENSIE, the European Network of Social Integration Enterprises for the employment of disadvantaged people, recognized and supported by the European Commission, and cooperated, thanks to the Erasmus+ KA2 MECEC+ project with the European Network EUROCHILD, and thanks to the KA2 project PRESS with the European Network ERIO, European Roma Information Office, also key networks of the European Commission. In Hungary too Galileo has developed a wide and solid network, and collaborates with the ELTE University, JEB and Magyr Bölcsődék Egyesülete, contributing to their European strategic plan by expanding the possibilities of international contacts for teachers and professionals, especially facilitating the connections between the academic world and the world of work at local and European level.
Contact person
Claudia Piovano
- UNIVERSITY OF TUZLA
The University of Tuzla was established in 1976 and today it includes more than 50 study profiles in various disciplinary fields. The University organises and implements teaching-scientific process at undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study, spread across 13 faculties, and involving around 13.400
students, 741 academic and administrative staff members.
The teaching is organized in three cycles, in line with the Bologna Process, and the University offers study programs in bachelor, master’s and doctoral studies.
Research, academic excellence, creative and critical approach are the central values of the University of Tuzla.
The vision of the University of Tuzla is to conduct relevant activities within the integrated European higher education and research area; furthermore, it aims to use the research and international achievements as a basis which would provide the students of all three cycles of studies with top-quality education, encourage fundamental research in the fields of natural science, technical science, biomedical and health sciences, biotechnical sciences, social sciences and humanities thus becoming a major generator of development in the Tuzla Canton in all areas of life, economy, education, health, culture and sports.
The mission of the University of Tuzla is to continuously transfer and develop internationally recognized high-quality of research in the fields of science, art, and higher education in three levels of the Bologna cycle and lifelong learning, by generating, transferring and applying knowledge gained in various science fields and thus position the University (and maintain the position of) the leading higher education institution in the area of the North East Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad.
Contact person
Amila Mujezinovic, PhD
e-mail: amila_mujezinovic@hotmail.com
- Private preschool Montessori IQ Corner
Private preschool institution Montessori IQ Corner, based on the famous pedagogy of Maria Montessori, is the first Montessori pre-school institution in the Tuzla Canton. All curriculums were authorised by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Tuzla Canton. Montessori IQ Corner promotes development of a child as a whole, reflecting the understanding that children learn through active sensory experiences and demonstrate their knowledge in different ways. Following the key Montessori approach, “help the child, so they can help themselves”, our space is child-tuned and totally organised to satisfy their learning needs. There are 80 children in 5 groups with children between 0 and 6 years old.The mission of the Private Pre-school Institution Montessori IQ Corner is to become an institution to raise children to be able to face the reality of our life today, using the Montessori method where “love is not a dependence, and discipline is not subordination”.
The vision of a kindergarten is to become the centre of excellence for the Montessori method in Tuzla and Tuzla Canton, as an example of life in the wider community.
Contact person
Alma Dizdarevic, PhD director
e-mail: almic77@gmail.com
- Lund University
The Faculty of Medicine, in close cooperation with agents within public healthcare and medicine, contributes to increasing knowledge of high relevance to human health. This is done through education and research of the highest quality in cooperation with wider society. The faculty has about 2000 employees and 2800 students and offers 8 undergraduate programmes, 3 Master’s programmes and 10 specialised programmes for nurses and midwives. In addition, the faculty offers postgraduate education. We have about 1000 postgraduate research students and every year about 150 doctoral dissertations are presented.
www.medicine.lu.se/faculty-of-medicine-at-lund-university
Contact person
Björn Hofvander
e-mail: Bjorn.hofvander@med.lu.se
- ISMAI – University Institute of Maia
The University Institute of Maia (ISMAI) is a private non-profit Higher Education Institution founded located in Maia - in the metropolitan area of Porto. The university campus occupies an area of 70,000m2 and provides students with excellent infrastructures and leading-edge technological equipment. ISMAI is the 2nd largest private HEI in Portugal. ISMAI has about 4000 students and 400 lecturers. It offers 14 undergraduate degree programmes, 14 master's degree programmes, 2 post-graduate programmes and 2 PhD programmes, divided into 4 departments: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Business Sciences, Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Communication Sciences and Information Technologies. ISMAI is also home to 6 RD&I units.
Contact person
Francisco Machado
e-mail: fmachado@ismai.pt
- Centro Social de Soutelo
Centro Social de Soutelo is a Portuguese non-profit organization, founded in 1976. Our organization develops its activity in the Oporto district (Gondomar, Porto and Matosinhos). Our mission is "Meeting the legitimate needs and expectations of the community, promoting equality, participation, cooperation and solidarity". We intervene in the areas of early childhood and youth education, support for the elderly and social and community intervention, with the support of 104 works.
Contact person
Renata Sofia Martins
e-mail: renataspfmartins@gmail.com
- Kindergarten 37 "Valshebstvo"
Kindergarten 37 “Valshebstvo" is a municipal kindergarten founded in 1977 for the upbringing of children from a nursery age up until enrollment in primary school. It is located on the territory of Vitosha District, Sofia Municipality. It works five days a week from 7 am until 7 pm. There are 62 employees including a Director, a Deputy Director, 18 teachers, a pedagogue, а music teacher, a psychologist, a speech therapist, a resource teacher, 29 non-teaching staff, and 8 nurses. Altogether 319 children are educated and trained at Kindergarten 37. There are 11 groups, 9 of which are with children between 3 and 6 years of age. In these groups, children are taken care of by 2 pedagogues split into two shifts, and non-pedagogical staff represented by an assistant tutor. Our goals are to lay the foundations for the personal development of Europe's future citizens, helping them preserve their national, cultural and family identities. A core value in our pedagogical work is to preserve the uniqueness of childhood. In order to prepare children for school, we take into consideration the individual dynamics of the child’s development, while we search for unity and harmony in their physical, spiritual, moral, social and intellectual development. The compulsory pre-school preparation, which takes place two years before school enrollment, has a strong educational effect that has long-lasting benefits in regard to socialization and general achievements of each child throughout the period of study. An intensive process of integrated training for children with special educational needs has also been implemented.
Contact person
Gergana Petrova
e-mail: odz_37@abv.bg
- Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences & Arts (EhB) is a Flemish higher education institution located in Brussels. It offers 21 BA and 4 MA-programmes in 9 different fields of study which are attended by more than 5.000 students, clustered in 4 departments and 2 Schools of Arts located on 6 campuses throughout the city. The departments offer Bachelor programs with a strong professional focus while the Schools of Arts offer Bachelors and Masters in Music, Audio Visual and Performing Arts.
Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences & Arts stands for student-oriented curricula through an intense collaboration between students and lecturers. The language of instruction is Dutch, however English modules are available for (incoming) students. During their studies, students at EhB are involved in ongoing research as much as possible, fostering an attitude of innovation and inquisitiveness.
The Department of Teacher Training and Early Childhood Education & Care
Through narrative, creative and pedagogical coaching we create cultural awareness which enables people to grow personally and professionally.
Our expertise lays in creating a strong pedagogical climate in which children and their caretakers can thrive. We see diversity as a strength, the uniqueness of every person, the openness for every story helps us to unfold an attitude in pedagogical professionals that sees every person (child, student or adult) as an active agent and skilled participant.
We believe we can enhance pedagogical practice on different levels (micro-, meso-, macro) by establishing a culture of critical reflection, cooperation, appreciation and openness. Our experience in the creation of strong pedagogical networks with multidisciplinary participants allows us to see practice through different perspectives.
This holistic multitude becomes a synergy in which the sum is much more than its parts. We trust that our capacity for (ex)change of perspective can denaturalize prejudices and presumptions, and in doing so can value each participant as a knowledgeable and skillful expert.
Contact person
Mart Achten
e-mail: mart.achten@ehb.be