New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Reconnecting with nature

Email user
ilze.vanag@gmail.com

Basic information
Initiative title
Kids of the Future Quarter: Greenfingers

Full initiative Title
{Empty}

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
Initiative "Kids of the Future Quarter: Greenfingers" is a story about ordinary kindergarten with an extraordinary teaching approach. Gulbene 3rd Preschool "Auseklītis" (North-East Latvia) has decided to implement preschool curriculum determined by the state in a quite unusual way - through gardening and outdoor activities. In the uncountless natural classrooms the next generation is encouraged to grow their own food, be responsible for the environment and apprise the natural aesthetics.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Local

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Latvia

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
{Empty}

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
Yes

Which fund(s)?
European Solidarity Corps, Volunteering project "Air, Bees, adn Deer", 2020-2021. Erasmus+ strategical partnership projects "Work Together" and "Best Friends", coordinatet by Gulbene Municipality Council

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): Gulbene 3rd Preschool "Auseklītis"
  Type of organisation: Public authority (European/national/regional/local)
  First name of representative: Vija
  Last name of representative: Pušķe
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Latvia
  Function: Director
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Street Nākotnes 4
  Town: Gulbene
  Postal code: LV-4401
  Country: Latvia
  Direct Tel: +371 26 671 943
  E-mail: ilze.vanag@gmail.com
  Website: http://www.auseklitis.eu
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/GulbenesAuseklitis
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
Initiative "Kids of the Future Quarter: Greenfingers" is a learning approach developed by Gulbene 3rd Preschool "Auseklītis" located in Gulbene town, North-East part of Latvia. "Auseklītis" is a usual kindergarten realising preschool education program determined by the State, but applying not that usual methodologies. Our approach is based in opportunities provided by the nature that includes:
- Educational greenhouse
- Black currant garden
- Vegetable, tea and spice garden
- Outdoor classroom
- Working with recycled materials, upcycling workshops
- Outdoor plays
- Full cycle of natural processes all over the year - seeding, growing, planting, watering, harvesting
- Intergenerational activities and charity events
- Taking the responsibility for the surrounding - cleanup, grabbing leaves, setting the environment

The activities are supplemented by intercultural and intergenerational moment - European Solidarity Corps volunteers are fostering kids in their relations with nature by providing additional ideas (bird houses and bird feeding, solar clock etc.), as well as elderly people form social care centers. Activities are helping not only to acquire basic skills as literacy, mathematics, biology and others, but also to develop value orientation - social skills, relations with nature, responsibility, taking care, cooperation, co-working etc. Our approach is the answer to soviet block house quarter surrounding the kindergarten by manifesting the philosophy of natural environment versus post-soviet urban settings.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
Learning by doing

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Environmental education

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Greenfingers

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Outdoors

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Natural aesthetics

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The United Nations Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In terms of this explanation our initiative tends to seek sustainability in such actions as:
- Using the recycled materials in daily activities reducing consumption and encouraging imagination (the creation doesn`t depend on how much money you have)
- Exploring and evaluating the facilities given by nature and soil - experiencing the miracle of growing, learning to produce healthy food, maintaining the environment with sustainable means
- Developing attitudes, health and well-being conditions for kids that will serve as a ground for sustainable lifestyle for our next generations.

Not all the sustainable development goals can be reach in one initiative. Our initiative mostly focuses on such SDG as:
3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
12. Responsible consumption and production
15. Life on land

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The kinderkarten is placed in a typical Latvian small town landscape - surrounded by post-soviet architecture construction. The block house quarter is called "The Future Quarter", because of the street name Nākotnes (future, in English) that determines the location. Philosophy of the soviet architecure was rooted in the setting that we all are equal and we are just bricks in the wall by minimising aesthetical elements. It contradicts to the typical Latvian farmstead philosophy that gives opportunity to create ones own environment and offers a space: for creating, thinking, being oneself and with others. It is important to seek for elements in our everyday life to stand against the soviet heritage. One find it in planting flowers on windowsill, one creates a small garden in suburbs, one puts a bird house in the yard.
Our answer to the degrading view and contradictive philosophy is creating a maximum natural environment that allows to learn and enjoy. Nature is perfect and aesthetic by itself. It is never wrong and categorising. Interaction with nature is fostering positive emotions because of the movements in fresh air, because of the beautiful creations of nature (flowers, pumpkins, tomatoes and more). We put the wall of black currents against the wall of soviet block houses to maintain the dignity of Latvian worldview.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Currently there are 260 kids attending the kindergarten, aged 1,5-7 years. The preschool education is free of charge for these kids and they are all included in the environmental activities provided by the preschool. The key objective of our kindergarten in terms of the inclusion is to offer a learning platform for ALL in natural conditions involving parents and other society groups. The moment of inclusion is provided in such aspects:

- Activities foster co-working by sustaining the surrounding environment
- Parents are involved in the co-working activities by participating in clean-up events, common harvesting events and pumpkin soup making etc.
- There are organised regular intergenerational activities with volunteers - youngsters and clients of social care centres "Alejas" (Jaungulbene parish) and "Siltais" (Līgo parish)
- Everyone is able to participate in the activities depending on learning styles and intelligence types (audial - listening to the nature, kinesthetic - touching the natural materials, visual - enjoying the nature)

The kindergarten implements an inclusive educational program for kids with learnign difficulties and special needs. Everyone is welcomed to engaded in outdoor activities depending on their physical possibilities and interests. Our experience shows that connection with nature is calming and healing.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
We consider this initiative as an investment in our society. The child's value orientation is formed up to the age of 6, this is the most important age to form the worldview and attitudes towards environment, relationships, empathy etc. In terms of civil society we all benefit from this initiative by raising the next generation of great values. By involvement of elderly people in the activities we also decrease the isolation of this social group. Reinforced cooperation with elderly people began on 2021 in frames of two Erasmus+ projects - "Work Together" and "Best Friends". In 2023, we are planning to continue the cooperation with social care centres "Alejas" and "Siltais" as follow-up activities of these projects. This is a great benefit in the new social conditions of reduced opportunities for intergenerational interaction. In 2021, two young volunteers from Serbia and Italy fostered the initiative. This gave a contribution to our initiative with new ideas and youth-power, and in the same time it was overwhelming experience for those youngsters.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
Our initiative brings together several players mainly in local level. The coordinator and initiator of the approach is Gulbene 3rd Preschool "Auseklītis" who organise the activities. Approximately 20 teachers are involved in the management of activities by participating in outdoor works, by integrating the approach in curriculum, involving kids with different needs, as well as parents in co-working activities. Our brilliant partner is Gulbene Municipality who time to time is offering the project based activities in frames of Erasmus+ projects. Municipality is supporting with transport options to bring elderly people to kindergarten or kids - to social care centres. Intellectual outputs of projects are offering new tools, methodologies and work forms for intergenerational cooperation. There has been established a cooperation with two partners - social care centres in Jaungulbene and Līgo parish to implement intergenerational activities. Parents are also a great player in our activities by participating in common co-working activities and celebrations.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
Our initiative is represented by such disciplines as:
- Environmental education and natural sciences. Design and implementation is based on knowledge of our teachers and administration (Latvians are born with greenfingers) who has received the skills and knowledge from previous generations. Extra competences and pratcices are gained during Erasmus+ strategical partnership projects. We have learned different methodologies from our partners in Ireland, Spain, Estonia, and Greece. Parents with their expertise, skills and practical support have added a value in terms of creating the environment and sharing ideas.
- Preschool pedagogy. "Auseklītis" was founded in 1989. It has been working in the field of preschool pedagogy for 34 years, traditions and experience set the professional basis of our work and place the trust in parents.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
Everything we are doing has not necessary to be done. We could limit ourselves with the standard preschool curriculum. Our innovation is enclosed in the different physical facilities available in the outdoor territory - greenhouse, outdoor classroom, many gardens, as well as the approach itself. The initiative is set in the accordance with the full circle of the year and natural conditions depending on the season. Mainly all the kindergatens in Latvia use the natural environment (if it is available), but the focus of the activities is put on sports on movements. The outdoor territory there is maintained by a worker who cuts the grass and tends the flower beds. Our focus is to allocate the responsibility for the environment to kids and teachers - to make them understand the ownership of the place they are in.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
Lots of elements and initiatives can be replicated and transferred to other preschool learning environments. We have good cooperation with kindergartens in Latvia and Gulbene District. They are curious about our practices and we love to share our ideas. As far as we know, already 4 schools in Latvia have reflected on how they have adopted ideas form "Auseklītis":

- Gulbene 2nd kindergarten "Rūķītis": the outdoor toolbox and recycling activities
- Gulbene Secondary scool: charity fair
- Daugavpils kindergarten: placement of sports equipment in an outdoor environment
- Rēzekne kindergarten: using the walls for painting, the floor games
- Gulbene 1st kindergarten: educational greenhouse

Kindergartens in Latvia usually have large outdoor space, so it is easy to transer our approach. Even if there is no territory available (usually in Riga case), it is possible to transfer recycling and upcycling methods, the use of natural materials and others.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
Our methodology is rooted in the following principles:
- Learning by doing. Less theory - more practice. Kids are full of energy and the more they will practice, the more it benefits to their learning process. Kids are increasing their skills and knowledge by trying everything by themselves - seeding, planting, recycling, composting, harvesting, digging, watering. It helps to increase the sense of belonging to the place they are in and to feel responsible for the environment.
- Interaction - in frames of the group and with community. Kids have natural curiosity and no borders when it comes to communicate. Providing opportunities to interact with different social groups, kids gain tolerance and empathy towards different life situations and generational differences.
- Using natural resources. Our approach tends to show what are the opportunities given by the soil and natural processes. Even in our small town kids are far from natural processes and they are not aware of how the vegetables grow and where does milk come from. In lots of activities natural resources are used, such as wood, dried flowers, seeds, sand and others.
- Using one more time. Recycling and upcycling is integrated in our curriculum. Kids are using reusable materials during workshops, and participating in recycling.
- Better outdoor. There is no bad weather conditions, all you need is an appropriate clothing. With help of parents and volunteers we have built an outdoor classroom where kids can learn also in rainy weather. Lots of lessons and meetings are held there.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
Appropriate education and awareness of environmental issues, waste reduction through composting and recycling programs, biodiversity preservation through gardening and wildlife observation, encouraging sustainable practices, such as using reusable materials address such global challanges as consumerism, climate change, food quality and others. Even in our small town we are facing such issues as sedentary lifestyle, low quality food, alienation from nature and others. Through our actions kids learn the basic skills and knowledge of how to interact with nature, how to use its recources sustainably. Also intergenerational alienation is addressed by providing activities together with elderly people.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
A great push towards the environmental education was participation in the Erasmus+ projects - "The Essence of Sense" and "Natural Classroom", starting on 2018. In frames of the projects several outdoors methods were adopted from the project partners: outdoor activities, working with natural materials, as well as educational gardening. Over last 5 years "Auseklītis" has been working to integrate the teaching approach in the curriculum of the kindergarten. Last two years the approach has been stabilized and included in our planning documents. One of them you can find below - Development plan for 2020-2023 (in Latvian). Development plan sets the tasks of the preschool, and environmental education, cooperation, co-working and creation of relationaships with nature are some of the tasks included in the plan. Similar tasks will be included in the next period plan, because we see the positive impact of the approach - it helps not just to reach the learning objectives, but gives a ground for a meaningful everyday life.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
PDF
PDF
- pdf-1-20367.pdf
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
Our approach goes in line with the setting of "Learning for the green transition and sustainable development". Our activities "equip learners and educators with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for a greener and more sustainable economy and society". It is attributable both to the activities connected with environmental education, as well as intergeneraitonal activities.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
{Empty}

By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes