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Description
The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the importance of involving children in kindergarten and preschool programs, point out the importance of providing opportunities for children to participate in existing kindergarten and preschool programs or create alternatives and strengthen civil society in Darda. According to the National Plan for Roma Inclusion for the period 2021-2027, there is a high share of children who do not attend kindergarten, which results in reduced intellectual, socio-emotional, motor and life skills when enrolling in primary school and lower success in further education. Involving children from the marginalized group in the implementation of an alternative 6-month kindergarten program will enable them to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for their age. At the same time children and parents will be evaluated and a case study report will be prepared to prove to key stakeholders at the local level the importance of including children in kindergarten programs regardless of the fact that their parents are unemployed and the system is putting them at the bottom of the list. Through evaluation and analysis, the work methodology will be upgraded so that it can be better implemented in other locations where children do not enroll in kindergarten, which will be the responsibility of a partner organization that will monitor and mentor experts who will work with children. Members of RRC with the help of a consultant will be trained to take a more active role in advocacy activities at the local level and at the end of the project will create an Advocacy Strategy for RRC and with the Case Study report will launch an advocacy activity to include children in the existing kindergarten or to find an alternative solution at the local level.
Summary of project results
The project "Play and Learn" was implemented in the Municipality of Darda, Croatia. The main issue that the project aimed to address revolves around the low and inadequate participation of children from marginalized groups, those belonging to Roma community in particular, in early childhood education. Children from marginalized groups who do not attend kindergarten, often face various challenges when it comes to inclusion in educational system. Due to significant gaps in motor skills and basic knowledge usually acquired in preschool, they may face placement in adapted programs or special classes until the fourth grade, which does not allow their further development in the same pace as of other children. Awareness about the importance of kindergarten education is low in Croatia, since most of the educational campaigns focus primarily on compulsory primary and non-compulsory secondary education, neglecting the preschool stage. The low awareness among parents regarding the importance of early education and its impact on their children''s future educational journey, adds to the problem.
One more challenge that is contributing to the issue in the community in focus is the limited capacity of the local kindergarten to accommodate all children, including those from marginalized backgrounds. A 2021 survey conducted in the Roma community by the Project Promoter, Roma Resource Centre, detected parental interest in enrolling their preschool-aged children in kindergartens. However, due to limited kindergarten capacity, not all children have that opportunity. Recognizing this, the "Play and Learn" project aimed to increase awareness among parents and the broader community about the crucial role of early childhood education and at the same time bridge the gap caused by the low kindergarten capacity. It sought to prepare marginalized children, the majority of which were Roma, for successful integration into the educational system through a temporary alternative preschool program, while also facilitating their transition into existing preschool programs in the local kindergarten.
The project involved several key activities. Firstly, it established a temporary alternative preschool programme for children aged 4-6, mainly from Roma community, but other marginalized children as well. This activity fostered active parental involvement. In order to address specific needs of children identified during the project, with support of the Municipality of Darda additional experts, such as a speech therapist and educational rehabilitator, were engaged. Moreover, six children transitioned to a preschool program at the kindergarten while continuing to attend the alternative program.
Over the course of the project engaging events for children were organized in collaboration with the local Kindergarten "Radost", such as Easter workshop and sports games, aiming to connect and acquaint project beneficiaries and their peers that attend the kindergarten. Furthermore, an exhibition organized during the "World Roma Day" celebration showcased the works created by children, reflecting their progress in the temporary preschool program.
A roundtable titled "Prevention and Responses to Educational Inequality in Early Childhood Education" was organized in collaboration with the Nansen Dialogue Centre. The event took place at the premises of the project partner, the Faculty of Education in Osijek, gathering various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Science and Education, the Darda Elementary School, an Osijek kindergarten, and the ombudsman. It addressed the issues of educational inequality in early childhood education. As a result, respective recommendations were crafted through a participatory process.
A manual titled "Guidelines for Empowering Children and Parents from Marginalized Groups" was created as one of the main outputs of the project. Originally, the project aimed to develop a brief case study, however, with project implementation enough material, information, and recommendations were gathered to create a manual instead as a potential tool for improving the work of student educators, teachers, professionals in early childhood education as well as those engaged in similar activities outside the institutional frameworks.
As part of organizational capacity building activities, three training modules on advocacy were held, involving seven employees and members of the organization. The activities also invloved creation of the new 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, and the Advocacy strategy as well as the accompanying action and communication plans.
The project proved to be beneficial for all parties involved. The project saw an increase in participation, with 15 children from marginalized backgrounds, mainly from Roma community, instead of initially planned 10, joining the alternative preschool program. As assessed at the beginning of the project, the children lagged behind in various competencies for their age. After intensive work with them and additional expert’s support provided, such as speech therapy, their development significantly improved. At the end they demonstrated a higher learning ability compared to their community peers who were not included in the programme. Overall, all children involved in the activities, both those from the marginalized and general communities benefitted from their interaction through joined activities. They came to acquaint which is a step forward in the process of inclusion. In addition, the project also empowered parents to engage and support their children''s education as well as to communicate and seek information from the respective educational institutions.
The partnership with the Faculty of Education in Osijek, established for the purpose of implementation of the project was mutually beneficial. Both partners plan to involve university students in the Roma Resource Centre’s activities, enriching their education and expanding the organization''s network for future advocacy efforts.
Through their participation in activities focused on the organizational capacity building, employees and members of the organization have increased their own capacities, and thus the capacities of the organization. Employees and members of the organization are more familiar with advocacy processes, and the highest level of competence they have gained is in communication skills and public speaking (conferences, media statements, social media posts, etc.). Through a guided process they created the organizational Strategic Plan, the Advocacy Strategy as well as the action and communication plans, which significantly contributed to organizational development.