SILENT SIlent books for Learning and ENTertainment - encounter facilitating tools for parents

- Cultivate mutual respect and fundamental values &human rights, promote social inclusion and equality; - Promote Intercultural mindfulness defined as the ability of children to function at the b...

- Cultivate mutual respect and fundamental values &human rights, promote social inclusion and equality; - Promote Intercultural mindfulness defined as the ability of children to function at the borders between several languages/dialects/, maneuvering and negotiating cultural understanding and misunderstanding; - Support parents to teach children how to communicate with each other and understand each other’s perspectives, exploring the different cultural heritages and values of people who live in Europe together in 21st century; - Overcome prejudices and combat culturally based bullying; - Cultivate Cultural Literacy of children, understood as culture we create through our practices and expressions. - Give parents (especially those who are non-natives)/educators practical tools (simple and accessible for everyone) to talk about the identity, about the migration; about the refugee crises due to the recent was in Ucraine. Silent books do not have language barrier - they are small-scale worlds that welcome and take us through the complex dynamic of reading and interpreting cultural, natural and inner images that we see.

The core activity was called "GARDEN of IDEAS", which was composed of plenty interconnected activities: 1) We have started with a short research part where parents and educators were consulted (this activity was built of: formulation of interview questions; collection of feedback in Italy & Sweden; analysis of the input from 21 responders; design of the summery in the "Report from the research". 2) All this gave us evidenced-based ground for the creation of the FRAMEWORK for the Garden: composed of SEEDS (activities) facilitating cultivation of FLOWERS (elements of intercultural mindfulness). 8 silent books were identified (from about 40 books). 3) After the identification of the most suitable books, we started with the design of ACTIVITIES (SEEDS). High number of 16 Activities has been prepared (overreaching the planned number of 10 activities). All activities are translated in 3 languages: EN, IT, SE and are available for free on our websites (https://www.stepseurope.it/silent-book/). Materials were peer-reviewed by an expert in education. STEPS prepared very nice graphic design for each activity. Partners jointly designed a final publication: BOOKLET (available in pdf and in e-book version) which presents the SILENT project.

- Feedback collected from 21 parents/educators from Sweden and Italy, summarized in a short Report (pdf); - Framework of the GARDEN with a methodological approach: SEEDS (activities), FLOWERS (intercultural mindfulness); - 8 silent books identified (from a wide range) and 16 SEED (ACTIVITIES) has been developed - all translated in 3 languages (IT, SE, EN); - BOOKLET (in 3 languages EN, IT, SE; available in pdf and also in e-book version: https://issuu.com/steps.europe/docs/silent_project_booklet_en?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=www.stepseurope.it), BOOKLET is an amazing result, it is composed of 34 pages (also available in EN, IT, SE); - 2 NEWSLETTERS has been published (estimated number of 300 recipient has been reached via mailing list and social media); - 1 promotional video https://www.facebook.com/100046967865934/videos/994260228607584 - Validation sessions with parents and educators with the objective to create a multiplication effect. In Italy, the results were presented during 5 events with 110 people (educators and parents) & validation sessions with educators and parents&with parents and children. In Sweden pilot with 15 parents and educators, and 5 children and educator, promoted in a webinar of over 300 people.