We have completed the Erasmus+ project “Bilingual and Sustainable Education: More Diversity, Nature and Movement”

In August 2026, M-Studio completed the year-long Erasmus+ project “Bilingual and Sustainable Education: More Diversity, Nature and Movement”, which ran from 4 August 2025 to 3 August 2026.
The project aimed to strengthen teachers’ professional competences in bilingual and inclusive education, explore ways of incorporating more movement, exploration and outdoor learning into children’s everyday education, and further develop green and sustainable educational practices.
Four preschool teachers took part in the project, which included two international mobilities: a training course in Prague and a job-shadowing visit in Leverkusen, Germany.

In Prague, our teachers participated in the Erasmus+ course “Little Minds, Big Ideas: Revolutionizing Kindergarten”. During the training, they explored gamification, creative learning activity planning, STEM projects, the application of Multiple Intelligences Theory, and other modern approaches to early childhood education.
International exchange was also an important part of the mobility. The course brought together educators from various European countries, giving our teachers an opportunity not only to learn, but also to share their own professional experience, discuss different educational practices, and bring back new ideas that can be applied at M-Studio.

During the second mobility, our teachers travelled to Leverkusen, where they observed everyday life and educational practices at the small Die Rheinpiraten kindergarten. The kindergarten has one mixed-age group of 17 children aged 1 to 6.

What impressed our teachers most was the highly flexible approach to the children’s day. The kindergarten does not follow a strict daily schedule – activities are planned according to the weather, the number of children present, their needs and interests. Many activities are optional: children are invited to join but can decide for themselves when and for how long they wish to participate. Plenty of time and space is given to free play, exploration and independence.
Our teachers observed sensory activities in the art room, cooking with children, road safety activities, creative projects and even a traditional British Tea Party. Particularly memorable was how naturally learning extends beyond the kindergarten itself. On one of the days, the entire group took a ferry to the other side of the Rhine, had a picnic in a park and spent the day exploring the surroundings and playing.

It was also interesting to observe the level of trust placed in the children. Older children are encouraged to decide for themselves how to dress according to the weather, learn to recognise their body’s needs and make everyday choices independently. Great emphasis is placed on practical experiences, recognising and regulating emotions, sustainable creative activities and children’s own initiative.

The job-shadowing visit was also an opportunity for mutual exchange. Our teachers introduced their German colleagues to everyday educational practices at TEMEM and M-Studija, including celebrations, teamwork and activities with children. At the end of the visit, they also shared a little Lithuanian culture with the children by making tinginys, a traditional Lithuanian chocolate biscuit dessert.

The value of Erasmus+ mobility for us lies not only in the opportunity to see how colleagues in other European countries work. What matters most is identifying what is meaningful for our children and turning new ideas into everyday practice.
The project gave us practical ideas for creating more opportunities for free play and children’s choice, developing sensory spaces, learning beyond the kindergarten environment, encouraging more active participation, introducing creative STEM activities, strengthening sustainable education, and fostering children’s independence.

The project has come to an end, but the experiences and ideas gained through it remain part of M-Studio – in our teachers’ work, in new approaches, and in the children’s everyday experiences.