Open Doors Days

On July 22 and 23, 2021 Open Doors Days were held in Karin Dom under the project “Transfer of practices to improve support for children with special needs and their families for inclusive education”, financed by the Active Citizens Bulgaria Fund under the Financial Mechanism of the EEA 2014-2021.

We have invited representatives of kindergartens from Burgas, Aytos and Sredets, with whom we conduct a cycle of online training in order to support inclusive education. The trainings are part of a UNICEF initiative to implement the European Child Guarantee by building the capacity of specialists in kindergartens. During the two open days, a total of 50 pedagogical specialists from 12 kindergartens – directors, pedagogues, resource teachers, speech therapists and psychologists – visited us. We were also visited by the regional coordinator of UNICEF and representatives of the Regional center for support of the process of inclusive education from Burgas region.

Our meeting began with an introduction, sharing of expectations and a short story about the path we have taken in the process of inclusive education and partnership with parents and kindergartens. We took the colleagues to the sunny yard of Karin Dom and introduced them to our multi-sensory garden. During the lunch break, they had the opportunity to try the patties, cake and homemade lemonade made in our kitchen. In the afternoon, we welcomed the group of our guests behind the doors of Center Karin dom. We walked them around the rooms for individual and group therapy and told them about the organization of work and the environment, the didactic materials used, methods and approaches.

We also presented to our colleagues the concept of our family store as a way to involve parents and the community in the activities of Karin Dom and showed many of the items that are made by the trainers at Karin Dom, the mothers of children who attend therapy at the center, volunteers and photographer, designer and artist friends.

In their feedback, the guests defined the shared practice, familiarization with the environment, practical guidelines and examples and the opportunity to meet the specialists and exchange experience as the most valuable and useful. They were impressed by the multi-sensory garden and the Montessori room. They also outlined the topics that excite them the most in relation to inclusive education. Work with parents, as well as practical work in the environment, stood out as the most urgent topic.

Both our guests and we are satisfied with the possibility of live contact and are waiting for our next meeting after the start of the new school year.