Democracy begins in kindergarten: a project for all families!

Democracy begins in kindergarten: a project for all families!

Hoyerswerda, Deutschland - Hoyerswerda becomes the scene of a remarkable project that provides basic democratic values ​​in the early age. As part of the “Interaction - more achievement together” model, the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth, with a funding amount of 700,000 euros, supports the development of democratic education and multilingualism in daycare centers. Maren Düsberg from the Raa Saxony describes that over 15 groups are created in the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz, in which parents and educators work closely together. The children have the opportunity to grow in an intercultural environment in which the origin or religion does not matter. This not only promotes a cosmopolitan exchange, but also multilingualism. An important goal is that even small children recognize the advantages of the bilingual growing up, as Susann Stolle, the coordinator of the project, notes.

diversity in education

The weekly meetings not only offer space to play, but also to learn about democracy. Different languages ​​such as Sorbian, Polish and Arabic are used, explains Stolle. In addition, a parenting book supports specific topics for different age groups, the parents in their accompanying function. The studies on parent accompaniment make the value of these approaches clear: As reported by , a cost-benefit analysis shows that a benefit of up to 6.49 euros is generated for each euro invested in the parent accompaniment. These figures illustrate the enormous value of support for families, especially for those with challenging starting conditions.