INTRANS- Inclusive Transitions across the Early Years

Scientific coordinator: Dott. Arianna Lazzari

Project Team: Balduzzi Lucia, Serapioni Martino

Applicant: VBJK - Center for Innovation in the Early Years (BE)

Partners: Ghent University (Centre for Diversity and Learning and Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy) (BE), ALMA MATER STUDIORUM University of Bologna (IT), Educational Research Institute (SI), University of Tampere (FI), BUPL – The Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators (DK), International Step by Step Association (NL).

Associated Partners: Emilia-Romagna Region and Gruppo Nazionale Nidi & Infanzia  (IT), Ministry of Education and Culture (FI), Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (SL), Ministry of Education & Training and Child & Family Agency (BE)

N.r Partners: 7

Partners’ Countries: BE, IT, SI, FI, DK, NL

UNIBO’s role: Partner

Project Duration (in months): 36

Start Date: 15/01/2020

End Date: 14/01/2023

Status: ongoing

Total Budget: 500.000 euro

Budget EDU: 106.978 euro

Project’s Topics: Integrated system of early childhood education and care (ECEC), daycare and preschool services, transitions, training, policy-advocacy

Description: The In-Trans proposal aims to disseminating and scaling up the innovative transition practices that were piloted within the project START - Sustaining Transitions Across the Early Years. Acknowledging that a competent system is needed in order to create change, the InTrans project will focus on influencing the systemic conditions in which ECEC and school settings operate, so that innovative practices can be widespread and mainstreamed, at three levels:

- Level of policy

- Level of In-service training of ECEC professionals and teachers

- Pre-service training of future ECEC professionals and teachers.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that more children and families, especially the most disadvantaged ones, can benefit from more inclusive transitions. The specific objectives of the In-Trans project are:

(1) Facilitate knowledge development and exchange for national and international policy makers in order for them to develop shared vision on warm and inclusive transitions and corresponding policy measurements

(2) Equip in-service trainers with knowledge, examples of good practices and tools to support ECEC/primary school staff in creating warm and inclusive transitions.

(3) Initiate the debate on curricula alignment of different pre-service trainings in relation to transition, child and parent image.

The consortium activities will focus on:

-policy-advocacy initiatives to be carried out by exploiting regional, national and international networks (professional associations, advocacy groups, government bodies),

- developing, piloting and disseminating a toolkit for the training of the trainer with the support of the ISSA network and project’s Associated Partners,

- organising public fora and engaging in consultation processes with institutions responsible for the professional preparation of ECEC professionals and school teachers aimed at influencing pre-service training curricula.