Context and background:Violence and bullying at schools are increasingly prevalent phenomena in Europe. Although there have been numerous fruitful initiatives, the problem has not been significantly reduced for various reasons: lack of adequate training for teachers, busy parents, wrong role models, the legitimating effect of the media, an unhealthy political climate, etc. New approaches are needed to make aggression unacceptable, help children deal with their emotions, create a culture of nonviolence and empower schools and societies by providing them new conflict management methods. Objectives:Professional partners from three European countries joined forces to design a pilot project with the aim of developing and testing a secondary school model programme contributing to systemic crime prevention and reduction in schools based on alternative conflict resolution methods. Project activities primarily focused on creating a safe and caring school environment teaching alternative conflict resolution methods to students and their teachers as direct target groups. Also, the project addresses the broader context of schools. Local resource mobilisation (including parents, civil associations, youth and social workers, local or governmental services supporting teachers’ work, the police, public administration, employers) guarantees that the indirect target groups also acquire good practices and cooperation frames that increase their everyday work efficiency when dealing with the issues in question. The partnership developed the national reports, the research reports and the policy recommendations to channel the project outcome to relevant policy-makers (e.g. ministries concerned with education, school maintainers, school professionals, principals) so that awareness is raised about the importance of school aggression and up-to date professional material is complied and disseminated among them so the tested model programme will be available to and taken up by as many schools as possible. The long-term goal of the project was to achieve cultural change in schools through the dissemination of nonviolent communication, the introduction of alternative conflict resolution processes, the prevention of school conflicts and the minimisation of aggressive and other behaviours that count as risk factors for becoming an offender. We achieved breakthroughs and successes in this field, although systemic change requires more time. In Hungary, the use of mediation and restorative practices and classroom sessions were integrated into the school document (House rules, Pedagogical Program, School Policy) to guarantees that will help to keep the program in the future. In Malta, the lesson plans were integrated in the national curriculum and in Bulgaria, more than 90% of school staff participated and this is a very strong basis to sustain changes.Activities and methodology: Building the modell program to test and adapt it in the schools of the partner countriesBuilding institutional capacities for conflict resolution and prevention through training and mentoringBuilding and strengthening systemic inter-institutional cooperation with the local municipality in the case of Hungary, the Ministry of Education in the case of Malta and with European stakeholders Developing policy recommendations on national and EU-levelsDisseminating the project online and at live eventsExpected results and impact: Our project offers viable solutions for the direct target group in conflict treatment, channelling aggression and other destructive behaviours. The other direct target groups (locally available youth institutions, social workers, youth protection professionals, etc.) will be able to cooperate and divide workload more effectively. In Hungary, we managed to build an effective signal system within and outside the schools. Student mediators held classroom sessions for their peers promoting alternative conflict resolution methods. The school workgroup includes the child protection representatives, the school lawyer, the school policeman and a representative from the Szolnok municipality (Family and Health Division). The principals are also in favour of restorative methods and make it possible for teachers to grant time for these sessions.In Malta, the schools were reached through the Anti-Bullying Services professionals of the Ministry of Education developing strong inter-professional relations and also involving Kellimni support service. One of the biggest successes achieved throughout the implementation in Malta, was bringing together different professionals working with the same student community who all contributed the implementation of the model program.

"<< Background >>90% of the brain’s capacity develops before the age of 5, yet the workforce who serves young children is too often undervalued, underpaid and inadequately prepared. Recognition of the importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) services is increasing in many parts of the world. Still, little attention is placed on one of the most critical factors in influencing children’s learning development – the early years workforce. The Early Childhood Workforce Initiative strives to place more attention on these professionals and para-professionals.While teachers are a crucial part of ECD services, they make up just a fraction of the early years workforce. Decades of research have shown that home visitors can increase parental wellbeing and efficacy, decrease child maltreatment and improve child outcomes. Across sectors, too little is known about those working with families and very young children as well as those who mentor them. By providing a clear picture of the early years workforce, the Early Childhood Workforce Initiative aims to help policymakers in specific countries support the development of a quality workforce.Taking into account the diverse backgrounds and experiences of individuals delivering ECD services, training and professional development programs offer an opportunity to impart a core set of knowledge and skills to members of the early childhood workforce, which is particularly important as programs look to scale and reach a greater number of young children and families. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that supporting individuals with such opportunities can influence child development outcomes. For example, a recent metaanalysis of global studies of center-based early childhood education and care programs found that higher teacher qualifications are related to improvements in supporting children’s development, including those related to supervision and the scheduling of activities, organization and arrangement of the room, providing varied social experiences for children, and creating a warm and friendly environment for interactions. Beyond qualifications, other research has suggested that the quality of the education program – i.e. how well it prepares new teachers by, for example, grounding them in knowledge of child development and academic subject areas – may be a more critical factor in a teacher’s ability to influence children’s development and learning in a positive way. Although there is growing evidence that a well-trained and supported early childhood workforce is key to providing high-quality services to young children and families, there have been limited efforts to systematize the various approaches taken across the entire workforce.Supporting families of young children before birth and during the child’s first years is of great importance. It can result in life long benefits for children, communities, societies and nations. Home-visiting programs in particular have been found to increase parental wellbeing and parenting efficacy, as well as child outcomes. Home visitors can help deliver personalized care and assistance directly to families and communities in need. However, in many countries in Europe and Central Asia home visits that are provided through the health sector are often narrowly focused on physical health and medical content, do not reach the most vulnerable and are not tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of individual families.<< Objectives >>The main aim of the project is to support the partnership initiative aimed at promoting innovation in the education of children in an early age, their parents and teachers from kindergartens and the exchange of experiences between participating partners.The overall goal of the project is to strengthen a support the continuous professional development of the ECD Workforce working with young children from socially disadvantaged environments and their parents by providing them with the pilot training on a new teaching methodology that can be used in their everyday work in formal and non-formal educational settings accross Europe.Project will be targeting to increase access to multi-sectoral services for parents and children (including prenatal care) and to enhance and improve earlylearning and parent-child interaction.A subsidiary goal is the engagement of the local municipal and national authorities in each country in the implementation of the project, in order toguarantee the effectiveness of the delivery in the short term and the long-term sustainability.<< Implementation >>Learning/Teaching/Training Activities:C1 - C4 Trainings of Trainers in Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary and ItalyC5 - C8 Training of ECD Workforce in Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary and Italy. Main training topics:- Parenting with Confidence methodology- Home visiting methodology- Persona Doll methodology- Embracing diversity methodology.Multiplier events:Advocacy roundtables E1 - E4 in Slovakia, Serbia, Italy and Hungary.<< Results >>Expected results - Participants of project activities will be able to:- Strengthen the functioning of families within communities through the support of parents (mothers and fathers) in their efforts to raise their children in a safe and caring environment.- Provide parents with the opportunity to acquire the necessary information, develop their social skills and knowledge on early childhood care, importance of their parental role, diverse models and approaches to parental care, especially in terms of their communication with their children and their mutual understanding, their opportunities to support their children's learning and help them build a positive relationship to learning.- Explain to parents the importance and meaning of participation of their children in pre-primary education in kindergartens.- Strengthen the level of tolerance between non-Roma and Roma parents.- Reduce the level of undesirable and inappropriate parental attitudes and practices regarding the education of children from marginalized communities.- Fmpower participants to discuss with children ""sensitive topics"", such as poverty, disability, exclusion, rejection, fear, violence, etc.- Empower children to critically think and openly talk about their feelings and to resist biasis, stigmatization and discrimination.- Enhance the psychosocial life of young children and build community in the classroon.- Get theoretical overview and knowledge about most relevant concepts related to diversity, interculturalism, equity and social justice.- Build the critical consciousness trough naming reality, giving voice to those who are usually silenced and by building alliances.In order to achieve these results we will prepare innovative intellectual outputs:- Working with young children from socially disadvantaged environments and their parents.- Respecting Diversity.20 new trainers of trainers and 80 ECD professionals and para-professionals will be trained during Learning/Teaching and Training activities from at least 20 pilot formal or non-formal ECEC settings.We will advocate for the higher quality of Early Childhood Education and Care through newly developed advocacy tools:- Report on National ECD Policies in Partner Countries.- ECD Policy Recommendations for EU and National Stakeholders."

Context/background:Although reflection is mentioned as a key competence for educators, teachers are usually expected to reflect on their practice on their own, filling out documents. Reflection is rarely developed with the help of collaborative/connection based and personalised (let alone joyful) processes. However, when reflection is done with meaningful, motivating and collaborative methods, it facilitates true learning and a shift in the quality of education and care. Carers and educators become more aware of their professional role towards children and families, and value the points of views and the feelings of others. Such reflective methods stimulate the active engagement of teaching staff in continuous learning, promote systematic and positive support for professional learning within every school and increases teachers' sense of belonging and appreciation. Although every country requires teachers to follow a Continuous Development Path (CPD) where reflection on practice is required, methods other than guided questions are rarely available. This creates a need for processes where reflection is not a complusory, boring element to be ticked off the list but a process that brings motivation and job satisfaction to practitioners' CPD. Project aims: Introducing collaborative reflective methods in 10 ECEC services/primary schools in 4 countries for practitioners/teachers working with children aged 0-10 to support them in learning how to negotiate, to increase their empathetic competences, to regain motivation in their job, to look at their practices with a ‘discovery attitude’, and appreciate value diversity - and facilitate intergenerational learning within the staff. REC project aims to raise awareness on the importance of making reflection part of the lifelong learning/continuous professional development path for teachers/practitioners in a collaborative way, tailored to the staff's needs. Methods and good practices already exist, however, REC partnership aims at treating them in a systemic way and offer schools/ECEC services a variety of choice so they can choose the reflective methods that suit them the best. In this partnership, we will develop a framework that helps to tailor reflective methods to the different needs and possibilities of educators and carers dealing with children from ages 0-10 - since quality early childhood education and care is of key importance. Our initiative offers methods for building resilient practitioners' communities from a professional and personal points of view so they can face systemic challenges on a lower level of stress, leading to more successful cooperation among colleagues and with families.Project activities: - A European report will be written on the available reflective practices in Europe, with a detailed focus on the partner countries, mapping the gaps between the needs of professionals and current practice with the help of an in-depth survey, following our initial descriptive survey- Collaborative reflective methods will be implemented in 10 ECEC services in the 4 European countries, tailored to their needs, bringing real learning experience and increase in the quality of daily practice - Based on the introduction of reflective methods in the 10 services, a practical guidebook will be written and made widely available on how to choose the reflective methods that suit the specific ECEC institution/school - An impact report with policy recommendations will be available for professionals related to education based on the implementation of regular structured reflection in the 10 ECEC services/primary schools to raise awareness with policy makers, teacher training institutes and other education-related professional organisations - ECEC practitioners/primary school teachers will be able to share experience and exchange good practices from the different implementation processes and visit Belgian ECEC centers where reflective practices are already integrative part of practitioners' livesExpected results:1) Practitioners have the skills, knowledge and methods to reflect on their practice systematically.2) Concrete improvements in quality in 10 ECEC services/schools in 4 EU countries. More positive attitudes and behaviours amongst participating ECEC practitioners/primary school teachers regarding their daily practice.3) Important stakeholders (professionals and policy makers related to education, NGOs, teacher training institutes) recognize the importance of effective and collaborative reflection in CPD of ECEC practitioners/teachers.ECEC services, schools and teacher training institutes are open to promote collaborative reflection as part of the continuous professional development more actively.

"Children’s long term success at school is influenced as much by social, emotional and self-regulation skills as by academic skills and knowledge. Social and emotional development is a main contributor to successful school transitions and a significant preventative factor of disruptive behaviour, and mental health difficulties. Not paying attention to social and emotional development is harmful to young children’s capacity to learn and to thrive. The SEED Project (Social and Emotional Education and Development) was designed to draw attention to the importance of social and emotional well-being for children’s learning and development. This was done by a research study about young children's well-being and the factors that influence it in ECEC and primary schools in Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Norway and the Netherlands. Based on the research findings practitioners working with 3 to 6-year-olds in these countries participated in a continuing professional development pathway based on group reflection to give them the skills to create create educational environments which are supportive of children's social and emotional well-being.The participants were 140 ECEC practitioners and primary school teachers and 44 principals in Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands and Norway who participated in the research. A subset of 80 of these professionals participated in the piloting of the WANDA group reflection over one school year, supported by trained mentors. They also took part in study visits to ECEC settings. Other participants were the 545 staff of faculties of teacher education in universities and institutes of teacher education, teachers' and parents' associations, university researchers and local and national policy makers responsible for education and training. These participated in local seminars and conferences where SEED findings and their implications were discussed. Achievements of SEED include an assessment of the socio-emotional well-being of 1195 five-year-old children attending ECEC settings in urban and rural areas in 5-countries; a comparative analysis in understandings of young children’s social and emotional development across countries; sensitization of practitioners, principals, teacher trainers and policy makers to the importance of social and emotional well-being and the multiple setting factors that influence it and the formulation of principles of social and emotional well-being in ECEC.Important results are that practitioners are strengthened in their professional role and where their attention should be oriented in order to support socio-emotional well-being of children. This means they are better able to deal with daily challenges in their classrooms. Practitioners also feel supported in concretely transforming and improving daily practice and in continuously working on the link between theory and practice. The group reflection pathway has also better prepared practitioners to deal positively with diversity in their classrooms by drawing attention the impact ECEC environments. and their behaviours and interactions with children and their parents have on social and emotional wellbeing. SEED has therefore led to quality improvements in ECEC. It has also led to concrete commitments to give more attention to social and emotional wellbeing in training, practice and policy in all participating countries. ""Everyone is accepted as he/she is. This is what we stand for as a school. New children are immediately included. We take care of children when they show emotional needs. We teach children to play together and to talk to each other about difficulties"". (Practitioner, the Netherlands). The results of SEED are available in two publications, 1) a research report titled: ""Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Young Children in ECEC Settings"", which is also available in summary in Croatian, Dutch, English, Hungarian, Latvian and Norwegian, and 2) guidelines for coaches and mentors, titled ""SEEDs of Change: Supporting social and emotional well-being of children in Early Childhood Education and Care"", and summaries in Croatian, Dutch, English, Hungarian, Latvian. Paying more attention to young children's feelings and social relationships in ECEC and primary school leads to happier learners who have a better and a more equal chance to fulfil their potential. As a result of this project ECEC centres and schools are now better prepared to meet the needs of all children and their families.For more information and to download the SEED publications: https://icdi.nl/projects/social-and-emotional-education-and-development-seed"

"The aim of this project is to establish a strategic partnership between mediation training institutes located in different countries. Together we seek to develop a Europe-wide curriculum for mediation training, and offer students the opportunity of European training and further education. Joint European training will give participants a deeper understanding of the specifics of conflict transformation in individual countries and create a network of European mediators. Mediation can thus be brought into civil society through European mediator teams. The common values of, peaceful dispute resolution are strengthened. Complex social issues require extended forms of dialogue culture and techniques to create consensus. Another goal is to support individuals in acquiring key competencies. Trained mediators are conflict controllers in their environment, who are competent inrecognising and classifying conflicts,thus preventing escalation. They are peace messengers on a small scale. However, on a larger European scale, they have the opportunity to positively influence the social discourse and to create an understanding across countries and cultures. Not only is cognitive understanding important in mediation in the intercultural field, but also experiencing, exchanging and practicing. A European mediation training course could unite all of these aspects: people will be enabled to learn a socially important competence: the practice of alternative conflict resolution in the form of mediation, in an intercultural context and combined with the possibility of certification in one's own country, as well as Europe-wide opportunities for practice. To achieve this, we are planning to develop a European curriculum within a partnership of seven educational institutions and two strategic partners. This will enable participants to complete their training at several European locations. In addition to the basic training as a mediator, the focus will be on learning and testing intercultural skills and methods, country specific features of mediation procedures, the practice of mediation and the cultural specificity of conflict resolution in the partner countries. The partners include seven training institutes in Europe. Each of the training institutes has its own profile, thematic specificity and all offer training as mediators which is recognized in their countries. Partners from Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Poland and Ireland are part of the partnership. In addition, two important strategic partners enrich the project, who, among other things, ensure the connection to the scientific community and the EU Council and take on tasks of quality management and evaluation. Some of the partners are strongly networked with the scientific community, others with the business community or work in the field of justice and social work in their countries. These differences, a common basis and the passion for mediation make the partnership strong. The vision of the partnership is, - to train European mediators with intercultural skills - to open up intercultural training opportunities for mediators who have already been trained - to extend the partnership in the long term by further institutes and countries - to offer a central contact point and a selection of competent mediators to organisations and individuals seeking support in the resolution of their (intercultural/cross-border) conflicts - to help shape the political process for the certification of European mediatorsTherefore, we are planning to develop the following intellectual achievements within this project: - Creation of a European curriculum for the training of mediators - Creation of an education and training module ""intercultural conflict resolution"" (digital) - Publication for professional audience and accompanying teaching material: intercultural differences of conflict resolution in Europe - European platform to find training and further education institutes in Europe as well as mediators with an intercultural focus and intercultural mediators The target groups are reached through a coordinated dissemination strategy. They are: - People who want to become EU mediators - trained mediators - Training institutes, trainers - EU citizens and organisations seeking alternative conflict resolution - Mediation associations, certification bodies - Scientists and researchers (intercultural/ conflict management focus) - EU institutions (e.g. EU Rat- MediationsG)"