As part of the "School Accessible to Everyone" project, the third edition of the "Adventures of the Other" Program for Developing Intercultural Competences, popular among children and teachers was published which has been coordinated for years by dr hab. Anna Młynarczuk-Sokołowska from the Faculty of Educational Sciences and dr Katarzyna Szostak-Król. It is based on fairy tales that support intercultural education, peer integration and coping with difficult emotions and experiences. Access to them is free.
- The aim of the "Adventures of the Other" program is to support the process of preparing preschool and early school children for contacts with people who are different from the majority and may be perceived as Other or Strange. The program is aimed at developing children's intercultural competences which is achieved by acquiring knowledge, developing skills and shaping attitudes to cope with broadly understood intercultural situations.
It should be remembered that intercultural situations occur when people meet who differ not only in terms of cultural affiliation but also in gender, age, economic situation, etc. - says dr hab. Anna Młynarczuk-Sokołowska from the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Białystok.
- The program also serves to increase the availability of cooperation with the peer group, for students with diverse educational needs (e.g. people with migration experience, with disabilities), as well as to support peer integration and cope with difficult emotions and experiences – she adds.
The third edition of the "Adventures of the Other" program was created as part of the "School accessible to all" project implemented by the Educational Research Institute - National Research Institute in partnership with the Ministry of National Education and UNICEF. A book was published, a webinar and a video were also recorded to develop the competences of teaching staff.
Teachers can use them free of charge and access to the publication, webinar and clip is possible via a special form.
In the publication entitled „Adventures of the Other”. Intercultural fairy tales with elements of art therapy in the process of developing children's intercultural competences, teachers and educators will find both a theoretical part and ready-made lesson plans for students and preschoolers.
- The basis for the program are psychoeducational fairy tales which we selected due to the age and perceptual abilities of children, as well as their great educational value. Using fairy tales, we can introduce program recipients to the diverse reality surrounding them, drawing attention to its development potential as well as the challenges that arise during interpersonal relationships - explains dr hab. Anna Młynarczuk-Sokołowska.
She adds that the specificity of the third edition of the program is that work using fairy tales has been combined with interesting art therapy techniques. This includes, for example, working with chocolate, music and movement.
- We also introduce relaxation breathing techniques. These types of work techniques are not popular in Polish schools. As part of the development of the third edition of the program, we cooperated with prof. Inna Osadchenko, a Ukrainian educator and psychologist who has been involved in art therapy for years - adds the scientist from the Faculty of Educational Science.
She reminds that the "Adventures of the Other" program has a 14-year history. Its first edition was carried out in Podlasie schools in 2010 and was received with great enthusiasm by the teaching staff and children in kindergartens and schools.
Due to the enormous interest of principals, teachers and educators, the initiative has entered many educational institutions across the country, has even been translated into English and is currently being implemented on a large scale.
In 2011, the program was appreciated at the regional level. It won first place in the Podlasie Voivodeship competition "Social Initiative of the Year". A year later, this program received first place in the World Organization for Early Childhood Education OMEP competition.
