PlayScapes for Learning, Health and Relationships in Early Childhood Development and Education

The vision of early childhood education (ECE) in the United States is committed to equitable access for all children to the quality experiences that help them achieve optimal development, including both academic/school readiness and physical health and well-being. The US has long experience with immigrant children and families. Although great policy efforts are in place to provide resource support for children who are immigrants, and often impacted by poverty, urban early learning centers are less likely to have outdoor play spaces. Norwegian ECE has a long tradition of providing sufficient space outdoors for children's play and learning, but challenges for this practice have emerged recently as the Norwegian society has become a more multi-cultural society. The aim of this project is for UW and QMUC faculty, students and ECE practitioners to learn from each other’s academic and practical expertise on integration of immigrants and outdoor spaces respectively, and to develop both studies/seminars, make changes and interventions in ECE centers and conduct joint research activities. The project will involve enterprises (local ECE centers) in both Seattle and Trondheim as significant participants and partners [Fiddleheads preschool, Seattle, WA and Vestlia barnehage, Trondheim]. A further aim of the project is to implement the jointly collaborated studies/seminars in each of the institutions’ permanent future study plans as a means of securing that the shared knowledge and experiences is sustainable and will benefit future students and ECE practitioners.