Environmental education and STEAM approach for Visually Impaired Pupils in kindergartens
1st November 2022 – 31st October 2024
Project aim
The main aim of the Green4VIP project is to develop innovative and target group-oriented training materials for pre-school teachers on how to plan, organise and implement environmental education workshops (based on STEAM approach) in class and online with kids aged 3-5, with a focus on the Visually Impaired Pupils (VIP).
The importance of early education provided by well-trained staff is crucial for visually impaired children who face difficulties in their inclusion inside mainstream classes, because kindergarten teachers do not know how to provide them with adequate content and tools, which they should use to convey such content appropriately.
Aims and objectives
The project addresses its top priorities as follows:
- Provide support for initial and continuing professional development of staff involved in organising, leading and providing early childhood education and care by supplying pre-school teachers with competences on suitable pedagogical strategies to address VIP;
- Improve pre-school teachers’ awareness on environmental topics and contribute to enable behavioural changes for individual preferences, consumption habits and lifestyle;
- Supply competences to pre-school teachers to implement environmental workshops based on the STEAM approach and how to adapt it to the need op VIP;
- Promoting all children, including VIP (and their families), awareness on environmental issues;
- Update teachers’ expertise in the use of digital tools, including accessible and assistive technologies;
- Increase the quality of work in the Partner Organizations on long term, as well as their capacity and professionalism to work at EU level.
Expected Results and Products
The results of the Green4VIP project are multidimensional and extend their impact at local, regional and European level. Specifically, the expected results will be the following:
- GREEN4VIP Guidelines for preschool teachers, based on a research and online survey carried out in partner countries to investigate on teachers’ skill gaps in education for VIP, it will be a practical guide for teachers on how to implement learning and teaching processes with hints on how to deal with VIP;
- GREEN4VIP Teacher Training Curriculum, aimed at supplying competences to teachers on environmental issues, digital assistive technologies and online learning, how adapt STEAM approach to VIP;
- GREEN4VIP Inclusive Toolbox for VIP, a practical tool to implement inclusive environmental workshops based on STEAM in class and online, by describing step-by-step how to carry out the activities. Audio-described video tutorials will complement the Toolbox to provide an accessible and easy-transferable component.
Other side outcomes are: teachers’ improved skills, children’s awareness on environmental matters, use and adapt the interdisciplinary STEAM approach during environmental workshop implementation to VIP needs and develop accessible materials easily transferable to other organisations in the EU.
Moreover Green4VIP will organise a transnational training course in Spain and local training courses in each Project Partner country.