Partnership for Excellence – Erasmus+ Teacher Academies. Deadline: September 27, 2022 – Université de Sfax

Project title: KinderGArteners Go digitAl: Enhancing digital skills and competencies for the digital transformation in kindergartners.

Acronym: GAGA

Target group: Kindergartner Teachers, Future Kindergartner Teachers, Early education development experts, Social workers focusing on young children

Project partners (type): kindergartens, NGOs focusing on digital skills & informal education

What does it mean to be a modern teacher in the 21st century, and what does it mean to be a teacher under conditions of quarantine and restriction that COVID brought upon us, and showed us how the future might look like in the teaching process at all educational levels. We can already assume that global education in the 21st century is becoming more and more digital, which was also accelerated by the global pandemic. On an on-rolling basis, various short learning programs appeared to help to develop educators’ digital competencies regardless of their entry-level skills.

The education system was struggling during the COVID times, but in some parts of the European Union they were very adaptive and provided rapid tools and channels to engage with students and teachers to create an open and interactive environment. Nevertheless, one sphere was left behind in many countries, the kindergartners.

The use of digital resources in preschool classrooms is a growing sign of the enormous educational role these media may play in constructing knowledge for contemporary children – children who are already digital nomads at an early age. Kindergartens are not the expectation in this digital revolution and must be able to adapt to new socio-technological realities, acknowledging that technologies may be an effective and up-to-date means of learning. The genuine involvement of children with technologies and the experiences they carry out in their environment makes them constructors of their knowledge, which digitally skilled teachers must supervise.

The main aim of the project proposals is to:

Enhancing digital skills and competencies for the digital transformation in kindergartners, for their teachers and future teachers,
Fostering the development of a high-performing digital kindergarten educational ecosystem.

Proposed activities

The ultimate target will be the creation of Erasmus+ Kindergarten Teachers Academy, which will realize its activities on a collaborative level with various practitioners, VET providers that focus on Kindergarten education, Teachers, and Educational institutions that ensure that Future Kindergarten Teachers will enroll in their Kindergartens, ministries and relevant stakeholders active in the area.

The Erasmus + Teachers Kindergartner Academy (TEDDY) will be a collaborative network of various stakeholders and active teachers in the Kindergartens across Europe (the pilot difference will be tested and created within the project partners’ countries).

The academy will be functioning as an innovative hub divided into four main sections (units) that will focus on different approaches to enhancing the digital skills of Kindergarten Teachers, improving their position, and teaching in a safe environment for the digital literacy of children.

The academy will provide:

1. Networking – teachers will be able to join the network which we will create through the website and exchange the good practices, ideas or knowledge with colleagues from other countries
2. Supervision and consultancy – teachers actively involved in the program will be able to reach our experts online regularly, where experts will be introducing the model situations in the classrooms and the teachers will be problem solvers under the direct supervision of the expert
3. Educational program – curricula and guides which will be accessible online and can be used in the classroom

Summer school – training for the teachers and soon to be teachers based focusing on the digital skills for the teachers teaching children at a very young age

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA for ERASMUS above pointed you out

In order to be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant, project proposals for Erasmus+ Teacher Academies must comply with the following criteria:

Who can apply?

Any nationally recognised organisation (with the features of a participating organisation as listed below) established in a Programme Country can be the applicant. This organisation applies on behalf of all participating organisations involved in the project.

What types of organisations are eligible to participate in the project?

The following organisations, established in Programme countries (see section « Eligible Countries » in Part A of this Guide) can be involved as full partners or associated partners:

Teacher Education Institutions (colleges, institutes, universities providing initial teacher education and/or continuing professional development) for teachers at ISCED level 1-3, including VET teachers;
Ministries or similar public bodies responsible for school education policies;
Public (local, regional or national) and private bodies responsible for developing policies and offer for teacher education as well as defining standards for teachers’ qualifications;
Teacher associations or other nationally recognised providers of teacher education and continuous professional development;
Authorities responsible for education and training of teachers and supervision of their continuous professional development and qualifications;
Schools working with teacher education providers to allow for practical training as part of teacher education;
Other schools (from pre-schools to initial VET) or other organisations (e.g. NGOs, teacher associations) relevant for the project.

Number and profile of participating organisations

An Erasmus+ Teacher Academy must include at least 3 full partners from a minimum of 3 Programme countries (including at least 2 EU Member States) involving:

At least two nationally recognised providers of initial teacher education from 2 different Programme countries, and
At least one nationally recognised provider of continuing professional development (in-service training) for teachers.

Furthermore, the partnerships must also include, as full partner or associated partner, at least one practice/training school. The partnership may also include, as full partners or associated partners, other organisations with relevant expertise in teacher education and/or bodies defining standards, qualifications or quality assurance for teacher education.

Venue of the activities

All the activities of Erasmus+ Teacher Academies must take place in Programme countries.