Future4Child - For the future we want: Renewal of Early Childhood Teacher Education in Ukraine and Norway

Project summary

Project Summary: FUTURE4CHILD — Renewal of Early Childhood Teacher Education in Ukraine and Norway FUTURE4CHILD (Nansen EDU-2025/10123) is a collaborative project between Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL, applicant), Dragomanov Ukrainian State University (UDU), and Kamianets-Podolskyi Ivan Ohilenko National University (KPNU). It aims to revitalize early childhood teacher education in both countries, responding to the dual crises of war-related disruption in Ukraine and declining recruitment and rising burnout in Norway's early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. The project's overall goal is to strengthen the capacity of the three partner institutions to engage in international knowledge collaboration, exchange best academic practices, and build solidarity and mutual understanding between Ukrainian and Norwegian teacher education communities. It combines Ukrainian expertise in STEAM education and resilience with Norway's strong research infrastructure in ECEC and sustainability. The work is structured around five core activities: 1. Inquiry into Children's Needs – Movement, Play and Exploration: Developing a COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) module on holistic, play-based pedagogy, led by HVL. 2. Sustainability Literacy through STEAM Variations: A second COIL module using the PlayWorlds drama-based method to explore STEAM concepts, led by UDU. 3. Creating Knowledge for European ECEC Pedagogy and Sustainability: A joint literature study and questionnaire tracing common European roots in ECEC pedagogy, led by KPNU. 4. Mobility, Collaboration and Exchange: Scholarships and mobility opportunities (primarily Ukraine to Norway) for master's students, PhD candidates, and staff, including links to HVL's NORCHILD Research School. 5. Project Dissemination and Networking: Website, social media, conferences, podcasts, webinars, and a final symposium to share outcomes and build a lasting European network. The two COIL modules will be piloted, revised, and eventually integrated as credit-bearing courses at bachelor, master's, and PhD levels, fostering digital literacy, intercultural competence, and pedagogical innovation through student-active workshop methodologies and UN-inspired Futures Labs. Risk management addresses the ongoing impact of the war on infrastructure and mobility, with hybrid/digital contingency plans, data security measures, and strategies to mitigate unequal access and language barriers. The project also embeds safeguarding principles covering non-discrimination, equality, and ethical research conduct. Project governance includes a Project Management Team with local managers at each institution, led by project leader Elin Eriksen Ødegaard (HVL), supported by a reference group of senior researchers and a dissemination group formed at project start. Expected impacts include stronger intercultural competence and professional resilience among students and staff, improved teaching quality through reusable COIL designs and workshop methodologies, and a sustained foundation for long-term Norway–Ukraine research collaboration. For Norway, the project is also expected to build greater understanding of the Ukrainian context, helping educators better support refugee children and families. Outputs will be disseminated through academic publications, conferences, podcasts, video storytelling, and a dedicated 2028 Norwegian Kindergarten Research Conference session, ensuring the project's findings inform both practice and policy in early childhood education across Europe.