The BRIC Project lasted for 3 years, from 1st September 2014 to 31st August 2017. The project involves preschool teachers, young children and parents in exploring democratic engagement in public and civic spaces. Participants in the project are from England, Italy and Sweden. The project is funded by the European Union (Erasmus + KA2) and led by Professor Tim Waller at Anglia Ruskin University, UK.
The BRIC acronym is derived from the partners involved in the project: Barnpegagogiskt Forum (Sweden), ASBR – Azienda Servizi Bassa Reggiana (Reggio Emilia, Italy) and Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge (UK). The BRIC project evolved through a mutual desire to enable young children’s democratic engagement facilitated in a shared dialogue emanating from the Barnpedagogiskt Forum 30th Anniversary Conference in Sweden (March 2013).
Aims
BRIC aims to achieve the following objectives:
1) An exchange of ‘good practice’ between preschool teachers in three countries (Italy, Sweden and the UK);
2) Systematic education and training around democratic engagement in public spaces;
3) The development of open educational resources and targeted activities to engage early childhood professionals, parents, the local community and key stakeholders, including local politicians and representatives from business.