The project focused on the problem of low level of participation within the communities of educational establishments in Łódź on the level of kindergartens and primary schools. As communities were seen groups including heads of schools, teachers, parents, children and other connected persons. Differences in expectations as to co-deciding on the lives of the educational establishments were especially visible between parents and teachers. It also appeared that in the surveyed establishments the skills in communication and cooperation were poorly developed.
The aim of the project was to support a group of educational establishments in Łódź in developing, testing and refining participation standards in their communities.
The educational establishments received professional help in the form of trainings, including dedicated consultation workshops organised in each of them, and support from expert supervisor. As a result, the communities created Cooperation Clubs in 3D and developed plans for environmental activities in their areas – plans that included acting through participation.
Then, the activities were implemented, promoted through a competition and evaluated, and the project team prepared the publication „Recipes for participation” containing the knowledge necessary for building participation in kindergarten and school communities. The experiences gathered by the Clubs were presented in the publication that in an easy and accessible way described consecutive stages of including parents and children in decision-making processes, consultations and co-responsibility for the lives of educational establishments. The project was summed up during the conference COOPERATION IN 3D where the establishments from the network of Sustainable Development Kindergartens and Schools received special certificates.
The project benefited 16 educational establishments in Łódź and their communities (parents, teachers and children).