This document summarizes the "Early Change" project which aimed to promote professional development of early childhood educators across Europe. The project involved universities and educators from Greece, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Romania, and Cyprus. It had objectives to enhance educators' skills and evaluate early education environments using tools like the ECERS-R scale. Over a 30 month period, educators received training, evaluated over 600 classrooms, and shared good practices. Project results were disseminated through publications, conferences, and online to compare early education systems and practices across Europe.

1. ‘Early Change’ Project:
Promoting the Professional
Development of Early Childhood Educators*
* With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union
Gregoriadis Athanasios
Zachopoulou Evridiki
Grammatikopoulos Vasilis

2. Lifelong Learning
Programme (LLP)
Sub-Programme:
Comenius
Multilateral Project

3. Early Change Partners
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

4. Early Change Geography

5. Universities Partners
Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
University of Crete
University of Porto
Polytechnic Institute of Porto
University of Jyvaskyla
University College Sealand
University of Bucharest
University of Cyprus

6. • To enhance the professional development of
early educators
• To evaluate the early childhood education
environments of six European countries
Objectives
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

7. Sub-objectives
The quality comparison of the ECE environments among
different educational systems
The recording of a wide range of good practices
implemented in early childhood classrooms of the
participating countries
The enhancement of early educators’ self-assessment skills
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

8. 15 experts in early childhood education from
the participated University partners
Participants
1 psychometrician from University of Jyvaskyla -
partner
118 early childhood educators from the
participated Municipalities & Educational Districts
Approximately 630 early childhood classrooms
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

9. Instruments
 ECERS-R
 Good Practice Collection Inventory
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

10. Phases of the project
2011-2012 Translation & selection phase
2012-2013 Training Phase I & II
2013-2014 Results & final conclusions,
Dissemination Phase
Duration of the project: 30 months (1/12/2011 - 31/5/2014)
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

11. Selection Phase
118 Early Educators
Greece  17 educators
Portugal  21 educators
Denmark  14 educators
Finland  30 educators
Romania  16 educators
Cyprus  20 educators
630 Early childhood classrooms
Greece  102 classrooms
Portugal  100 classrooms
Denmark  138 classrooms
Finland  112 classrooms
Romania  115 classrooms
Cyprus  50 classrooms
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

12. 2012-2013
Training Phase I & II
Training Phase I:
September – December 2012
Training Phase II:
January – June 2013
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

13. Training Phase I
Preparing educators to acquire skills that enhance their
professional identity, and their self-assessment skills.
 Training seminars (3-day seminar in each participated
country)
 A mixed method training model combining both
theoretical training and practical experience.
Trainers: Academic staff from the University partners
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

14. Training Seminar in Denmark
Nykobing F.
University College Sealand
October 2012
Theoretical
Training

15. Practical
Training
Group discussion

16. Training Seminar in Finland
Jyvaskyla
University of Jyvaskyla
October 2012
Theoretical
Training

17. Practical
Training
Group discussion

18. The trained educators will evaluate approximately 630
classrooms in the six countries
Collected Data: ECERS-R & examples of ‘good practices’
Training Phase IΙ
 Supervision  academic staff from each country
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

19. Environment Rating
Scales
Web-site
Conference
presentations &
Scientific publications
E-book
ECERS-R used in 6 countries (in 4
for the first time)
Description of the project,
evaluation reports, examples of good
practice, deliverables
Comparison of 6 ECE systems &
good practice
2013-2014
Dissemination & exploitation Phase
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

20. International Workshop
Topics of the Workshop
• Overall quality of early childhood environment in the
participating countries
• Good practices in day-care centres and kindergartens
• Comparative study among the participating countries
Dissemination & exploitation Phase
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

21. http://earlychange.teithe.gr
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union
https://www.facebook.com/EarlyChange

22. Thank you !