Since February this year, the Krzyżowa Foundation has been implementing the pilot project "School of Dialogue", which consists in translating, adapting and testing educational materials of the Dutch program of the Peace School (Vreedzame School).
This program was created by the Dutch institution CED Groep and was first implemented 15 years ago in Utrecht. Today, more than 1,000 primary schools in the Netherlands are "peaceful" and the number is growing every year. This model works especially in schools at risk of peer violence, in conflicted communities, hence we assume that after adapting to Polish educational and cultural conditions, it will also work in Poland.
The "School of Dialogue" program is a structural and systematic contribution to the school environment, which aims to integrate knowledge, tools and skills of cooperation, responsibility, conflict resolution and democratic coexistence in the school program. These goals are achieved by introducing a holistic approach to school culture, which is to be transformed into a democratic community in which children and teachers learn to resolve conflicts constructively. Children also learn how to be responsible for the functioning of the school community. The program is introduced in a two-year phase and includes a series of lessons for all ages (including preschool classes), intensive training for teachers, classroom observation and coaching, and workshops for parents.
The Krzyżowa Foundation ultimately wants to introduce and implement this program in Poland as an important contribution to structural education in the spirit of dialogue and democracy.
Before the closing of schools due to a pandemic, the material was tested in 5 educational institutions, 2 schools and 3 kindergartens, including our foundation kindergarten in Krzyżowa. We have already tested three thematic blocks. Unfortunately, at this point it is not possible to continue this activity, so we focus on further translation of materials, adaptation of materials to the requirements of the core curriculum in the Polish education system and contacts with new schools interested in the program.
The project is co-financed by Henri Nouwen Stichting from the Netherlands and Fundusz Obywatelski Fundacji dla Polski.
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Project meetings before and after the epidemic was announced:
We set common rules prevailing in Dialogue Kindergarten (Zielona Kraina).
Necklace and duties in kindergarten. The children are waiting impatiently for their turn to be responsible for various tasks.
Kindness pom-pons collected by preschoolers to appreciate the good deeds of classmates.
