Training curricula and staff support to make mainstream kindergartens more disability inclusive

Solution: Krembo Kindergarten
Organization: Krembo Wings
Country of Implementation: Israel
Region: Asia & Pacific
Subregion: MENA
Start Year: 2020
First published: 03.12.2023

Krembo Wings, Israel: Youth movement supporting persons with disabilities. Developed training for educational teams in kindergartens, promoting inclusive discourse. Curriculum in Hebrew and Arabic expanded from four to twelve kindergartens between 2022 and 2023.

The photo shows a group of young children engaged in a creative activity, possibly in a classroom setting. They are sitting at a table covered with a protective sheet, working on what appears to be an art project. In the foreground, a child with dark hair is holding up a paper with handprints and symbols, looking directly at the camera. Another child with a pink hair accessory is focused on drawing, and a third child, wearing a Spider-Man shirt, is also coloring. The children are using markers, and a container with additional markers is in the center of the table. The atmosphere is one of concentration and enjoyment, highlighting themes of learning, collaboration, and creativity. — The Krembo Wings training programme makes kindergartens in Israel more inclusive.

Solution details

People

Bat-Chen Gazela

“Without noticing, the children acquire competencies that are a privilege to acquire at such a young age.” Ofek Levi, a Krembo kindergarten teacher

Krembo Wings is an Israeli youth movement organized as an NGO that supports young persons with disabilities. It has developed a training programme for educational teams in kindergartens and young elementary school classes whereby kindergartens receive a detailed teacher’s curriculum as well as tools and guidance to develop a comprehensive and inclusive discourse in a kindergarten. The curriculum exists in Hebrew and Arabic and has grown from four kindergartens to twelve across two municipalities between 2022 and 2023.

Problems Targeted

There is a lack of readiness of mainstream kindergarten teachers to implement inclusive processes, often due to the lack of training and inclusive education plans.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

Educational staff who take part in the programme participate in four to eight group training sessions, which include foundations of inclusive education, dreams and goal settings, introduction to sensory regulation, communication and educational partnership with parents, and the fundamentals of self-advocacy. In addition, a professional staff member attends the classrooms approximately five times a year to guide the educational staff according to their needs. The professional staff members include an occupational therapist, a special education teacher with the focus on integrating technologies and complex disabilities, a certified parent instructor, and a coach - mediator. Moreover, the participants receive an online booklet with ideas for games that increase communication and friendship. An example of a classroom activity is the daily selection of ‘Krembo supervisors’ from among the children. Their role throughout the day is to pay attention to the social dynamics of all the kindergarten children, and at the end of the day to share with them what had occurred and what can be learned from it. The programme initially began in Hebrew and within the Jewish cities, but now operates in Arabic in the Arab communities as well.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

Funding comes from a variety of sources, including government and local government support, donations from foundations and federations throughout the world, private donors, and fundraising activities by members. Krembo Wings plans to partner with two more local municipalities that have adopted the programme for all the kindergartens under their supervision. Those municipalities will receive a hybrid training programme, including face-to-face training and online synchronic and a-synchronic educational materials. (Awardee 2024)