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EMBRACE

EMBRACE – Fostering inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in early childhood education and care

Enhancing the quality of early childhood education and care and promoting the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities.

Funded by: Erasmus+        Duration: 01/11/2021-01/11/2023  


Challenge

High-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is recognized as a foundation for successful lifelong learning. Despite the wide agreement on the importance of ensuring access and inclusion of all children in ECEC, there are still many barriers that constrain the participation of children with intellectual disabilities, putting them at significantly greater risk of missing out on early childhood education.

Many children with intellectual disabilities lack ECEC practitioners who are adequately trained and equipped to meet their needs. Moreover, they face prejudices, discrimination and negative attitudes both by their peers and adults in their communities.

Innovation

The EMBRACE program aims to contribute to the enhancement of the quality of early childhood education and care and promote the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities.

More specifically, it aims to develop inclusive values and attitudes among ECEC staff and strengthen their knowledge to accommodate the needs of children with intellectual disabilities, to equip ECEC staff with the needed tools, resources and knowledge to foster a culture of inclusion through collaborating with colleagues, children, parents and community members, as well as to raise awareness among children, parents and the general public on the importance of inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in ECEC.

The program will provide capacity building opportunities and educational resources for both core (educational) staff and ECEC assistants and leaders.

Action

An e-learning course for ECEC staff will be developed and piloted, with a focus on strengthening their attitudes, knowledge, values, and skills that are central to ensuring that ECEC settings are welcoming and inclusive of children with intellectual disabilities. The e-learning course will be freely available in English, Greek, Macedonian and Polish.

Project partners will also design, develop and pilot a handbook for ECEC staff and leaders on fostering inclusive environments for children with intellectual disabilities though engaging and collaborating with colleagues, children, parents and other community members. The handbook will be available in English, Greek, Macedonian and Polish.

With the aim to provide to ECEC settings useful and effective resources for raising awareness of the importance of inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in early childhood education and care, the project will develop and pilot an Awareness Raising Toolkit. This resource will also help nurseries and kindergartens address the limited understanding of the needs of children with intellectual disabilities among the key stakeholders, as well as the existing stereotypes and prejudices towards them, which are among the key barriers to their ECEC integration.

Outputs

📄 Handbook (GR)

📄 Handbook (EN)

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European Commission’s support for the production of this content does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Project Partners

KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre
Bielskie Stowarzyszenie Artystyczne Teatr Grodzki (Poland)
A & A Emphasys Interactive Solutions (Cyprus)


Regional Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education of Attica (Greece)
KMOP Skopje


KMOP Skopje (Skopje)

European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (Belgium)

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