From 20 to 24 October 2025 at the Faculty of Education of the University of Ostrava, within the Department of Preschool and Early School Education, was held another edition of the international Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) entitled “A Shared Path Towards Innovation in Preschool Education”. The programme was coordinated by Karin Fodorová, PhD, and involved 30 students from three universities educating future preschool teachers: the University of Ostrava (Czech Republic), the University of Applied Sciences in Racibórz (Poland) under the supervision of Kornelia Solich, PhD, and Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica (Slovakia) under the supervision of prof. Milena Lipnická.
The programme was a continuation of the previous year’s BIP realised in Racibórz, further strengthening international partnerships and the exchange of good practices with regard to contemporary preschool education. The BIP took place in an atmosphere of openness, cooperation and mutual learning, integrating students and lecturers from three countries.
Over the course of five days, participants engaged in various educational activities combining pedagogical practice, field education observation, workshops, reflection and cultural experiences.
Day 1 focused on integration, familiarisation with the programme’s objectives and observation of work at the University’s Kindergarten in Ostrava. A joint team game and stroll around the city center supported bonding and introduced participants to the local educational context.
Day 2 was dedicated to education in the natural environment. At the Ostrava Zoo, students took part in ecology related activities, and at Landek Park they explored the region’s mining heritage, combining cultural heritage education with regional and polytechnic education.
Day 3 centred on culture, creativity and technology. Participants met with the authorities of the University of Ostrava and visited the Ostravian Puppet Theatre, where they watched a performance “Prodanánevěsta” by Bedřich Smetana. Subsequently, they toured Dolní oblast Vítkovice and the Great World of Technology, which inspired creative approaches to using technical and industrial spaces in preschool education.
Day 4 included a visit to a kindergarten in Studénka, where contemporary children teaching methods were observed, including tandem teaching, followed by a trip to the Wallachian Open Air Museum in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. There, students explored historical forms of education and compared them with modern educational practice.
Day 5 began at a kindergarten located at Varenská Street 2a in Ostrava. Students observed educational activities in classrooms and later discussed applied pedagogical strategies with teachers. The remaining time was devoted to reflection and presentations of student projects entitled “An innovative method in preschool education in the context of my country”. The programme concluded with a ceremonial presentation of certificates confirming the acquisition of new competences and readiness to implement innovation in pedagogical practice.
The implementation of the programme confirmed the importance of international cooperation in the education of preschool teachers and the need to develop competences such as openness, creativity, reflectiveness and readiness to act in diverse educational environments. Partners from all the universities expressed their willingness to continue cooperation in future projects, mobilities and joint initiatives supporting the development of innovative practices in preschool education.
Below is a report by Czech television Polar on the cooperation: