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Marijampole kindergarten „Ruta“ is a municipal budget institution implementing early childhood and pre-school education. It provides education for children from 2 to 6 years of age. The educational process is child-centered. Children are involved in creative, sporting, cultural and cognitive activities. A dynamic, informative, psichologically and physically safe educational environment helps to ensure the full development of children.
The main method of educating children is play. Through play, cognitive and movement skills are developed, and the world around you is introduced to one‘s place in it. Toys and tools in the corners of the activity awaken the imagination, move all the senses. By experimenting, searching and discovering, children themselves, in their own way, check whether those decisions are correct and draw on information. It is common to choose, see, overcome difficulties, think critically and form concepts. The content of education, methods aimed at the overall education of the child, the attention is distributed to the development of all competencies, developing general and special abilities (individual, artistic, intellectual). The content of the program focuses on the opportunities and growth of early and preschool children. The curriculum in the early (2-3 years) and preschool (3-6 years) groups is modeled according to the competencies:
- competence in health promotion and maintenance;
- social competence;
- communication competence;
- cognitive competence;
- artistic competence.
Kindergarten „Ruta“ also integrates Waldorf pedagogy principles, healthy lifestyle and individual skills programs and prevention programs in its education process. To achieve quality education, the aim is to provide quality educational services that meet the ever-changing needs of society, to meet the expectations of children and their parents/guardians, and the educational needs in the field of early childhood and pre-school education.
In the 2021-2022 school year, there are 17 early childhood and pre-school education groups, attended by 313 children, including children with special educational needs, who receive the help of a speech therapist, psychologist, social pedagogue and a teaching assistant. 30 pedagogues are working in the kindergarten, of which: - 9 methodologists, - 7 senior teachers, 10 - teachers without categories, 1 - speech therapist, 1 - social pedagogue, 1 - psychologist, 1 - art education teacher. Altogether 79 employees work in the kindergarte. Students of Marijampole College and Third Age University volunteer in the kindergarten.
In kindergarten, additional learning is offered for the development of individual child's abilities: Ceramics Studio, Art Studio, Lego Studio, Choreography, Little Football, Wool and Felting / Gifted Hands Studio, Paper mache, Folklore Studio, English classes, IT studio.
Kindergarten „Ruta“ implemented a number of projects and other activities – „Implementation of the experiential education content in early and pre-school educational institutions of Marijampolė region”, „Innovations in kindergarten”, training program „Innovative pre-school education. How to work with toolkits of pre-school methodological material?“, „SEQUENCES - Internal and External Quality Assessment of Early Childhood Education Services in Europe”, eTwinning projects – „Tasty, healthy, colourful", „Journey to a fairytale country", an international eco-social education project for educational communities „Sunny orange train journey", „Health all year round", „Emotion Frenzy", photo exhibition „STEAM activities in nature", prevention projects – „Improve, Celebrate, Create, Meet", „Swirl of Colors and Sounds", an integrated international program of pre-school education social and emotional skills „Friends of zipping", life Skills International Socio-Emotional Education „Kimochis", prevention program „Secrets of a Happy Childhood", international Project „A Child's Way to Beautiful Language. A Happy Childhood", „Small steps around the kindergarten yard", LFF long-term project „Football", „Games teach", life skills development project „Happy hedgehog", national environmental project Act „We Sort”, „From seed to tree", Republican competition of artistic abilities of pre-school institutions – „I have a fun and entertaining life in good health", drama resolution program „Let's play theatre", Robot bit education program Anger Management, Republican health promotion program „I grow healthy - I feel happy“, Republican creative-artistic project „Playground”, „Proper posture and movement-physical and emotional health of a child”, etc.
Lithuanian Education and Science Trade Union – LESTU (Lietuvos švietimo ir mokslo profesinė sąjunga – LŠMPS) is the largest education trade union in Lithuania, which unites more than 11 000 members. It has 8 people of staff working in the central office and 30 coordinators at regional level (Municipalities). LESTU is the only education trade union organisation in Lithuania uniting workers in all fields of education, ranging from pre-primary teachers to lecturers and researchers in universities and vocational education and training (VET) school teachers. The Union is actively engaged in promoting social, economic and professional interests of its members and other educational staff at all levels – national, regional and institutional. The LESTU is politically independent and in dialogue with employers is deeply committed to influence the education policy formatted by the Government and the Parliament.
Lithuanian Education and Science Trade Union is a member of Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK), also the member of Education International (EI) and European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE). Therefore, the Union has a big international network to disseminate projects, in which it is involved, results and share best experiences.
At the state level, LESTU via Parliamentary Education Council gives the recommendations to the government in all fields of vocational education and training with regard to design and implement the general education and VET policies and initiatives. LESTU has strong cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports and the Qualifications and VET Development Centre, striving to ensure the developments of Lithuanian lifelong learning system correspond to the needs of the economy as well as the society. Beneath this strong influence on the policy level, LESTU is also regulating the framework conditions of the teachers and trainers – working hours, training, remuneration, dismissal protection, health protection etc. – by collective bargaining.
p-consulting.gr is an IT, Training and Consulting company, located in Patras (Greece). The main objective of the company is the provision of: quality IT and consulting services in business terms to companies and enterprises in all sectors of economy, training services which address the needs of various target groups (young people, teachers in primary and secondary schools, people from vulnerable groups, elders, unemployed people, entrepreneurs, etc), IT services, focusing on web development and creation of online educational platforms, managing and developing project services, mostly oriented to improve the quality of people, especially from socially vulnerable groups.
Centro San Viator was founded in 1953 in the region of Enkarterri, in the province of Biscay, in a rural area where job opportunities usually pass through agricultural and livestock activity. Located in a mountainous area and with a rugged landscape, terrestrial communications present not a few difficulties that accentuate the lack of opportunities for the residents of the region.
Centro San Viator offers training from Kinder Garden to High school diploma, including VET (EQF 3 and EQF 5) to meet the needs of more than 1000 students working with a staff of about 110 professionals.
We are an entity with a strong social character and a priority objective: helping people with fewer opportunities, at risk of exclusion. We annually receive about 150 students who dropped out from other schools or who are at risk of early school leaving.
In 2001 we started working on our quality system and for that purpose we created a specific team as we realized we needed to create new working standards. After 3 years developing all processes, in 2004 we got the ISO 9001:2000 and continued to get, in 2005, the Silver Q in the EFQM system. But we didn’t stop there. We know how important is to keep all the quality systems alive and in 2010 we got the ISO 14001 for environmental management and are now focus in the Gold Q. All this certifies that all tasks done by Centro San Viator fulfil the quality standards required by the different public bodies, as the Educational Ministry, SEPIE (Spanish NA) or the EU.
We are accredited with Mobility Charter for School Education KA120: 2020-1-ES01-KA120-SCH-095567
FORMA.Azione is a VET and Adult Education provider founded in 1997. In 2003, it became an Accredited Regional Training Centre, and since 2002 it is ISO 9001 Certified, for designing and provision of vocational training and Adult learning services. It has developed strong relations with local and national public authorities, private companies, schools and other VET providers, Trade unions and CSOs, for designing and providing training pathways and integrated projects aimed at Human development and the educational domains. Together with its sister company Giove In formatica it works with Public funding at National and EU level and Inter-professional funds for re-skilling/up-skilling.
Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, it has been developing an e-Learning platform, to make its courses and resources more easy to access for all its learners (forma.azione.com).
FORMA.Azione mission is to:
- create concrete opportunities for the professional and social development of the target groups;
- make education and training more inclusive, in particular for low skilled workers, young and elderly people, women and people on the move;
- support career and individual guidance to encourage self-consciousness, Personal, Social and Learning to learn competence development and active ageing;
- promote gender equality at the workplaces, women’s access to and participation in all levels of the labour market, particularly by combating gender stereotypes in vocational training, career selection and professions;
- contribute to the development of Validation of Non formal and Informal learning mechanisms and Certification of competences systems.
Since 2016, it is member of Euroguidance, the European Forum of VET (EfVET) and since 2011 of the Italian National Association of People Management (AIDP). In 2017, it has become the Regional contact point for the No Hate Speech Movement in Italy. Since 2020 it has been acknowledged with the Diversity Charter by Fondazione Sodalitas, among the other 24 EU Diversity Charters.
FORMA.Azione specific competences are in the Training Cycle (Training needs analysis, designing, provision, administration and financial reporting, evaluation and review) and public funds scouting to apply for, as lead applicant and/or partner for other entities. Its most successful areas of work are: Quality Assurance in VET and Adult Learning, Media and Information Literacy, Digitalisation, Active Citizenship, Gender Equality, Career Guidance, Creative and Culture Industries (CCIs), Social Inclusion.
Its 10 employed staff is especially expert in designing, delivering and evaluating training activities to improve the competences of professionals of different educational domains, such as Early Childhood Educators, School teachers, Trainers, Adult Educators, in project coordination, administrative aspects, communication and external relations, digital and social media strategies, inclusive education, gender equality.
Santa Croce was established in 1861 as the first public kindergarten of the city of Perugia and since 1909 is a Montessori school and training center. Today it hosts 130 pupils divided into 6 mixed-age classes: 4 classes of children from the age of 3 to 5, one class of 2 year olds, and an experimental class combining all 4 age groups who are housed in the Experimental Classroom designed by Maria Montessori in 1950.
The environment is the fundamental element that guides the children on small discoveries. Children learn individually and at their own pace by moving freely around the room, choosing from a wide range of hands-on, self correcting, age appropriate activities that are designed to teach specific skills such as maths or language. Practical life activities are also central to the children's day in which the children repeat activities which are carefully prepared by each teacher. This makes each classroom unique. Another distinctive feature of the school is the historical garden where children are free to observe, collect and satisfy their curiosity of the natural world. This child centered learning environment with an emphasis on responsibility can also be observed during lunchtime where the preparation and cleaning up activities guide the child on a path towards autonomy.
In addition to classroom activities, the children attend Music and English lessons daily. The English lessons are taught by a mother tongue expert and can come in many different forms. Art, storytelling, games, circle-time activities and physical education motivate the children, while learning in a natural way, feeding their curiosity and respecting the Montessori philosophy. In the music room where you can find 2 pianos, a rich selection of instruments as well as the Montessori bells, the children experiment on a red line while exercising their ears and body coordination, reaching the next step of vocalization and taking the children on a path of self awareness.
