Empowering Early Childhood Educators: Erasmus+ project drives professional development for enhanced ECEC quality

Despite mounting evidence of the positive impact a high-quality early childhood workforce has on early childhood development, the workforce continues to face challenges such as inadequate training.

However, since 2023, exciting strides have been made to support the professionalization of early childhood education and care (ECEC) leaders with the Erasmus+ Soft Skills for High Quality Education project. This initiative focuses on strengthening the soft skills of ECEC leaders, thereby improving their capacity to support and enhance the quality of ECEC. So, what is their approach and what will they achieve?

How the project improves ECEC quality

A consortium of ISSA Members, as well as kindergartens and primary schools in Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, are collaborating on this project to equip leaders of Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLG) with essential soft skill development.

TSLG, also commonly known as Teacher Learning Groups (TLG), provides a supportive environment for educators to exchange ideas, discuss teaching strategies, and learn from one another to enhance their pedagogical practices. Equipping TSLG leaders with essential soft skills, such as effective communication, collaboration, and problem-solving, creates an atmosphere of trust where educators can:

• Openly share their challenges without feeling professionally threatened or seen as incapable or incompetent
• Work together toward solutions
• Build competences to cater to the individual needs of children from diverse backgrounds and with special needs

Key Objectives

To empower TSLG leaders to become successful group facilitators, the project will provide professional development activities focused on soft skills. Additionally, it will raise awareness among participants about the significance and impact of these skills in facilitating effective collaboration and professional growth within TSLGs. To achieve these aims, the project undertakes a comprehensive approach by:

• Conducting a State-of-the-Art assessment on current soft skills training in Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, and Slovenia
• Developing a robust training framework
• Implementing tailored training programs in pilot kindergartens
• Establishing an international professional learning community for TSLG leaders
• Creating a comprehensive toolbox

Running from November 2023 to July 2026, the project unites a consortium of research organizations and NGOs, including Members of the International Step by Step Association, as well as kindergartens and primary schools from four countries. Participating organizations include:

• Hea Algus and Kõrveküla lasteaed Päikeseratas from Estonia
• Open Academy Step by Step and Kindergarten Savica from Croatia
• Skola Dokoran – Wide Open School n.o. as well as an elementary school and kindergarten in Obec Spissky Hrhov municipality in Slovakia
• Educational Research Institute and Kindergarten Pobrežje from Slovenia

Learn more

Interested in learning more about the project and staying updated on its development? Contact korakzakorakom@pei.si for more information.

*This initiative is co-financed by the European Union under the Erasmus+ program.